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Construction of the new Pantanal aviary at Zurich Zoo is progressing.
sda
After months of dispute over the new Pantanal aviary, the project at Zurich Zoo is moving forward again. The contract for the huge steel construction has definitely been awarded to two foreign specialist companies - but the originally planned opening in 2028 can no longer be kept to.
After months of dispute over the Pantanal aviary, Zurich Zoo has found new partners. As reported by the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, two internationally active specialist companies will be responsible for the construction of the 11,000 square meter, self-supporting structure.
The contract has been awarded to the Slovakian company Stakotra and the Italian steel construction company Cimolai. Zoo director Severin Dressen confirmed to the newspaper that the final contracts were signed a few days ago.
This makes it clear that the contract will no longer go to a Swiss company, but will definitely go abroad.
Baltensperger AG from Höri in the Zurich Unterland was originally supposed to build the aviary. However, the zoo terminated the contract in December 2025.
According to the zoo, Baltensperger did not meet the contractual requirements in terms of quality or time. Even after an additional deadline, the company failed to deliver the steel construction with the required precision.
Baltensperger rejected the accusations and sharply criticized the zoo. The required tolerance of only five millimeters was unnecessarily strict and could hardly have been met with reasonable effort. In addition, the construction plans had been significantly changed and complicated after the contract was signed. The zoo disputes this claim.
The dispute escalated, the company went into debt-restructuring moratorium and was later declared bankrupt. According to the report, around 70 jobs were saved thanks to a rescue company.
According to the zoo, the new companies bring with them precisely the specialist knowledge required for the project.
Stakotra from Slovakia is responsible for the substructure and assembly. The company is known for spectacular roller coasters, including the "Formula Rossa" in Abu Dhabi and the "Falcon's Flight" in Saudi Arabia.
Cimolai from Italy is supplying the self-supporting steel arches. Among other things, the company built the steel arches of the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern and the gigantic protective shell over the damaged nuclear reactor at Chornobyl.
For the zoo, the division between two specialized companies is an advantage. The substructure and the steel arches can be produced in parallel, which should speed up construction.
Nevertheless, it won't happen very quickly. First, the steel parts have to be produced in Italy and Slovakia. The actual construction on the Zürichberg is expected to begin in late summer.
Other work on the Pantanal facility is already underway. According to the zoo, the indoor facilities are largely complete and the marmosets have already moved into their new areas. The birds are also due to move in soon.
However, it is clear that the originally planned opening in 2028 can no longer be met.
Zoo Director Dressen is nevertheless relieved. The decisive factor at the moment is that construction is finally moving forward again.
