The Elephant House in Zürich Zoo, Switzerland, built in 2014, is an original project by Markus Schietsch Architekten. The dome is composed of curved wooden elements intersecting in an organic pattern that creates an ever-changing atmosphere of light inside. The presented parametric adaptation considers a simplification of the organic curvature of the dome, namely by following a sinusoidal movement along the rim. It also assumes a circular plan for the entire structure.
The three variations presented bellow show possible modifications to the building’s parameters, namely: the base height, the roof pattern radius, the frequency of the sinusoid that influences the rim’s movement, the size and number or wooden beams in the roof, the size of the roof’s projection outwards from the base, and the distance between the metal mullion holding the base’s glass structure.