The Zoo’s Historic Buildings and Heritage

The Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden is known for many things. It boasts a diverse and species-rich animal collection – few zoos in the world present biodiversity as broadly as ours. In Hungary, we host by far the largest number of animal species open to the public. Our professional achievements in conservation and breeding are recognized internationally by experts in wildlife protection and zoo management. At the same time, the Zoo is also renowned for its historic buildings, many of which reflect the early 20th-century architectural atmosphere of Budapest’s “Belle Époque” period.

The architectural history of the Zoo began with its founding. When it opened in 1866, it already featured 11 larger animal houses and several smaller enclosures. Most of these were designed by Antal Szkalnitzky and Henrik Koch Jr., while public utility works and the creation of the main lake were carried out according to Ferenc Reitter’s plans. Over the following years, new buildings were added, including the first Giraffe House in 1868 (designed by Antal Lóhr), the Lion House in 1876 (by Alajos Hauszmann), and the first Aviary in 1878 (designed by Kálmán Gerster).

A major transformation began in 1907 when the City of Budapest took over management of the Zoo. Thanks to strong support from Minister of the Interior Gyula Andrássy Jr. and Mayor István Bárczy, the Zoo was fully reconstructed to create a modern institution worthy of the capital. The construction, which lasted from 1909 to 1912, required the Zoo to temporarily close its gates to visitors.

During this reconstruction, most of the Zoo’s now-iconic historic buildings were built. These included the Main Entrance and Elephant House (designed by Kornél Neuschloss), the Palm House and Aquarium beneath it, the Small and Great Rock formations (designed by Gyula Végh, with contributions from Károly Räde, Keresztély Ilsemann, and Adolf Lendl), as well as the former Bird House (now the Australia House), the Pheasantry, the former Monkey House (now Madagascar House), and the former Tiger House (now India House), which were all designed by a young Károly Kós and Dezső Zrumeczky.

Almost all older buildings from before 1907 were torn down during this period, with some elements incorporated into new structures. Only two exceptions remained: the music pavilion built from Count Pálffy’s donation, which survived until WWII, and the Owl’s Castle, originally designed by Szkalnitzky and Koch, which was demolished and rebuilt a short distance away with slight modifications.

The Zoo reopened on May 20, 1912. At the time, it was considered one of Europe’s most modern zoos. Further improvements were made between the World Wars, such as the 1936 addition of a glass-roofed wing to the Monkey House (now Madagascar House). The only completely new animal house in this period was the Africa enclosure’s stable, built in 1931.

World War II caused significant damage. Only a few animals survived the bombings and siege of Budapest, and many buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Repairs were made to those that could be salvaged despite post-war shortages in building materials. Severely damaged structures were demolished and replaced.

Unfortunately, during the 1950s and ’60s, some buildings that could have been saved were also torn down. At the time, there was a prevailing approach to replace old buildings with new ones in the spirit of creating a new society.

The first entirely new animal house after the war was the Bird Winter House, completed in 1955 (now the Xántus House), designed by the FŐTERV design team. In 1958, a new Africa stable for savanna animals was completed, replacing the wooden stable built in 1931. During the second five-year plan (1961–1965), the destroyed Buffalo House and second Giraffe House were replaced by a new Bison House (1963) and a third Giraffe House (1965), designed by Gyula Kéri and Ferenc Bognár.

By the late 1970s, two opposing visions emerged for the Zoo’s future. One side – including Zoo leadership and the City Council’s Cultural Department – supported demolishing older buildings to make way for new facilities. This approach had already influenced earlier developments, including the Bird Winter House (1955), Africa Stable (1958), Bison House (1963), Giraffe House (1965), and Camel House (1971), and was reflected in further plans such as the Vivarium (built into the Great Rock and opened in 1974) and a proposed but never built Aquarium-Terrarium complex.

The other side – championed by the Budapest Monuments Authority – argued for preserving, restoring, and modernizing the historic animal houses. In the early 1970s, they secured heritage protection for the Zoo in two ways: first, by designating the northwestern part of City Park (including the Zoo) as a historic zone, and second, by listing several buildings individually (Main Entrance, Elephant House, Bird House, Squirrel Pavilion, Owl’s Castle Restaurant, Japanese Garden, Palm House, and the Millennial Szekler Gate) under resolution no. 925/74.

This debate was settled in the 1980s when it was decided that the Zoo would operate and develop within its historic architectural framework. However, many buildings were already in poor technical condition, and most were outdated in terms of animal care.

The comprehensive reconstruction that began in the mid-1990s and lasted until 2012 addressed these challenges. It started with small upgrades and progressed to full-scale renovations, such as the restoration of the Small Rock and the adjacent Norwegian House, as well as the complete overhaul of the Elephant House. Over roughly 15 years, nearly every historic building was addressed. The goal was always to restore their original beauty while also modernizing them to meet the needs of the animals housed within.

Throughout these projects, we prioritized both heritage preservation and animal welfare. For example, the tower on the Elephant House, dismantled in 1912, was rebuilt in its original form. In the Australia House (originally the Bird House), stained-glass windows under the tower were finally installed—over a century after being designed by Károly Kós and his team.

Our mission is not only to preserve the buildings we have but also to reconstruct some that have been lost. The Crocodile House, designed by Kós and Zrumeczky, was demolished before the war. Their old Buffalo and Giraffe Houses were also removed in the 1960s. As part of the recent reconstructions, these buildings were rebuilt using original plans and photos, but adapted to meet today’s standards for animal care.

We followed the same approach in the area formerly occupied by the Budapest Amusement Park, which was returned to the Zoo in early 2014 after more than a century. Only three historic structures remained: the Schäftner Carousel, the Roller Coaster, and the Fairy Boat ride underneath. We have already restored the carousel, and hope to do the same for the Roller Coaster and Fairy Boat—though those plans are currently on hold due to the unresolved situation with the Biodome.

Between 2014 and 2018, new buildings were added to this area that evoke the amusement park’s lost structures. The new indoor riding hall is a faithful replica of Árpád Reymetter’s original, while the “Holnemvolt Gate” near the carousel echoes the facade of Samuel Helfgott’s former photography studio.

The Zoo’s work in heritage and monument preservation has received several awards. We earned the ICOMOS Award, and the successful renovation of the Elephant House received the Gold Medal of the Europa Nostra Award.