Amazon and Beyond is a recent addition at the Zoo Miami that celebrates life in the tropical Americas. Full planning and design services were provided as well as fabrication, delivery and installation oversight for multiple live animal and interpretive exhibits within the Amazon and Beyond experience and the Playworld themed playgrounds. Narrative storyline and interpretive exhibits were also developed that explore the ecosystems of Meso America, Amazonia, and Mata Atlantica. For each of the three ecosystems, an exhibit storyline and a series of complex interactive exhibits are designed to appeal to a diverse audience with a wide range of learning styles.
Our interpretive plan combines a variety of interpretive elements including: bilingual interpretive graphics; mechanical interactive exhibits; tactile features; interactive media; and play structures–all linked together with a sound track providing location-specific music that conjures up the character of the species and habitats on exhibit.
The project was conceived in phases, with an overall theme of exploring the world through themed play. The playground has been divided into four themed quadrants – Ocean Voyage, Jungle Journey, Desert, and Polar Expedition. Phase 1 includes the Ocean Voyage and Jungle Journey zones.
Both zones incorporate custom, as well as catalog-purchased elements, as well as toddler-specific elements tucked neatly into their own areas. The fabrication scope for this project was competitively bid, requiring management and oversight on all aspects of the fabrication, delivery and installation by various exhibit contractors.