Penguin Chill – ABQ BioPark
The Bio Park is now home to some new penguin friends in the Penguin Chill exhibit. The Macaroni and Gentoo Penguins came from San Diego while the King Penguins came from Orlando. This is the first exhibit where you can see these three species together. Because of this, there are over 30 total penguins in the new exhibit. Because the closest exhibit is in San Diego, it makes the new ABQ exhibit on of it’s kind in the Southwest. Great job Albuquerque!
Pascetti Steel fabricated and installed the new colored steel panel facade that sits at the entrance of the new Penguin Chill exhibit. It also doubles as a donation wall. The piece was inspired by the landscapes near Ushuaia, Argentina, which is home to Gentoo and King penguins.
The custom mural is approximately 40′ wide x 15′ tall and nearly 7,000 pounds. The mural had to be transported in four separate sections, lifted by crane and took an entire day to install.
The Penguin Chill mural was designed by MRWM Landscape Architects.
More About the exhibit:
- Penguin Chill has two floors for viewing penguins above and a glass floor below that allows guests to see penguins swimming under them.
- Seven penguin viewing areas, including a glass floor as well as an “in-tank” viewing tube
- VIP area for penguin meet-and-greet sessions
- Penguin care area, including quarantine and egg incubation rooms
- The most technologically advanced and interactive education space at the ABQ BioPark
- A live replication of the southern lights
Click the link for more information on the new exhibit: https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/zoo/exhibits/penguin-chill
