rockwork – Koda Creative – Artificial Rock

Lynx habitat

In the spring of 2018 we built rockwork to hide a service wall in Helsinki Zoo’s new Eurasian Lynx Habitat.

architect drawings of zoo exhibit — Architect drawings with our rock design overlayed.

Snowy building site inspection — A very chilly pre-work site inspection!

Block wall in new zoo exhibit — We have to hide this wall.

Sprayed concrete hollow log. — Making hollow log which will be a secret viewing place.

lynx habitat in zoo — The finished environment after one year.

Lynx in zoo habitat — The lynx views her habitat.

Macduff Marine Aquarium kelp tank renovation

View into the twilight world of the kelp tank. — A moody one. Love the urchins! Photo courtesy of Claire @MMA

Main Contractor: Aquarium Technology LTD
Theming contractor: Koda Creative

We were thrilled to be asked by ATL to provide the artificial rock habitat for Macduff Marine Aquarium’s recent kelp tank refurbish. This aquarium is quite remarkable as it is open topped to allow the sun to stream in and enable local kelp species to grow naturally. Koda Creative is always excited to develop habitats which include natural looking geology alongside real flora. This is the first time we have worked in a live kelp setting!

The project started with ATL and MMA staff demolishing the old theming and removing the existing waterproof layer from the aquarium. ATL then applied a new waterproof membrane and resealed the acrylic viewing windows.

Koda Creative, with the input from MMA staff then designed a rock arch similar to a real one on the nearby coastline. It was important that the new rock resembled the local geology as only local species are to be displayed here.

The armature of the new rock arch and other rock elements was then constructed out of inert plastics before being coated with marine grade sprayed concrete. As usual, the concrete was carved and textured like our reference photographs and pigmented further to match the local rock.

The filtration plumbing and life support systems (LSS) are hidden within the artificial rock. The small ‘loose’ stones you see on some of the ledges have the purpose of anchoring the holdfasts of the introduced kelp.

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---1 — Rock arch view from main window. The small stones on the ledges are for anchoring the kelp holdfasts.

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---2 — The vertical rock on back wall is hiding the pipes for the filtration (LSS)

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---3 — Detail of rock which was made to resemble local geology.

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---4 — View from upright acrylic tunnel section.

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---6 — Out of tank theming blends in seamlessly with the in tank theming.

Themed rock arch in aquarium — View from main window.

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---5 — View from upright tunnel section window.

macduff-aquarium-theming-rockwork---7 — In tank and out of tank rockwork.

Humboldt Penguin Habitat Scheveningen Sealife Centre

Koda Creative were asked to build the artificial rock for this Humboldt Penguin habitat at Scheveningen Sealife Centre, Holland. We made 165 m2 of rock inspired by the Chilean/Peruvian coastline from where this species originates.

Architect on this project was MDM Advies
Designer of decoration/theming and project manager was Ton Van Helden

Penguins look at their new habitat. — The penguins cast their eyes over their new habitat.

Nest boxes disguised as caves in the rock. — Nesting burrows built into artificial rock.

Penguin's eye view of habitat. — Birds eye view of the Chilean coastline inspired habitat.

Birds eye view. — Planting list included this *rosmarinus*.

Penguin come on to dry land. — Back to dry land.

Group of penguins in artificial habitat. — Waterfall.

words — A popular spot. Mixture of sand and rock.

A penguin comes on to dry land. — Slope and steps carved into the artificial rock at strategic points.

View of penguin habitat — Opening day. Photo by Sven Molkenboer

St Michaels Cave entrance – Faking it!

St Michaels Caves are a system of caverns in the Rock of Gibraltar. During recent alterations to public access, the entrance had to be enlarged. This left some ugly strengthening concrete on view. Koda Creative beautified this structural concrete by covering it in our simulated rock.

st-michaels-cave-gibraltar — Hand carved shotcrete rockwork matching the real rock.

We matched the outside rock to the inside rock seamlessly and aged and coloured it so that it was indistinguishable from the existing limestone.

Angkor Wat head

Main Contractor : Houthoff Zoo Design

I loved making this head recently in the giant petshop I talked about in a previous post. It is made from EPS carved with a chainsaw and then shot with a render (shotcrete) the render was then carved to the final finish. The colours are an acid stain and acrylic wash with hand painted lichens expertly done by Susy V. The height, which you cannot tell too well by the photo is about 2.8m.

Hancock Natural History Museum

Main Contractor : Koda Creative

Recently completed, is a small project at The Hancock Natural History Museum, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK for IAT. The museum is undergoing a multi-million pound re-fit and is due to open in May ’09. We provided hand carved rockwork and coral effect theming for twelve aquariums and vivariums.

Above, you can see a coral reef tank complete with artificial coral inserts. Also on the agenda were displays for bearded dragons, axoltls, dab lizards, horseshoe crabs, cuttlefish, royal pythons, green tree pythons, corn snakes and desert hairy scorpions.