John Barrington-Johnson covered a wide range of topics including the history of the zoo from its inception up to the present day; he covered some of the financial situations and the results from these. Later he recounted many amusing incidents about the animals and the folk involved. In the heart of London, on the north side of Regent's Park, is London Zoo, when the Zoo opened in 1828 it housed a collection of exotic animals that were studied by eminent scientists of the day. Only later, in 1847, did the Zoo open its doors to the public to become the most famous zoo in the world.

Today the Zoo looks after 650 animal species, of which 112 species are listed as threatened in the Red Data books, and participates in breeding programmes for 146 species.

The Zoo has some very interesting buildings as well as the exotic animals, for example five-metre high doors dominate the Giraffe House. Giraffes can be as tall as four-and-a-half metres so the scale of the building's proportions is a direct response to the height of its residents.

The aviary looks almost weightless, it's frame is aluminium, and uses tension to support its structure. A giant net is wrapped around a skeleton of poles three-sided pyramid,  which are held in position by cables.

One of the first buildings to be built in the Modernist style in Britain, the Round House is circular so that a half-drum shaped screen can be slid from within one half of it to enclose the other in cold weather, as a protection for the animals. Like the Giraffe House one hundred years before, its simple shape is a direct response to its function.

The Penguin Pool is perhaps the most well loved building in the Zoo, elegant and playful and is a reminder of how innovative the style must have looked when it first appeared. The interlocking ramps make a perfect setting for the antics of the penguins.

As heavy and solid as an elephant - the perfect contrast to the Snowdon Aviary, the concrete ribs covering the outside imitate an elephant's hide, and they prevent the animals from damaging the building. Tall green lanterns light the interior dramatically.

The imitation of a mountain landscape was designed to provide a naturalistic habitat for bears and other animals showed what could be done with reinforced concrete. The cavernous interior, like that of a real mountain, holds reservoirs of water which go into the Aquarium below.

The speaker was duly thanked for an interesting lecture, made very poignant by the fact that a great many members had visited the zoo as children and latterly as guides to their own grandchildren.

 More information can be obtained from the London Zoo Website.

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