Zellner Construction served as General Contractor for the Memphis Zoo’s Zambezi River Hippo Camp, a 165,000-square-foot immersive exhibit that transformed a former bear habitat into a highly themed African fishing village environment. Developed as a multi-structure, ground-up project, the exhibit combines animal habitats, visitor amenities, life support infrastructure, and detailed architectural theming into a cohesive destination experience.

The project included multiple new facilities, including the two-story Rondavel Building with event space, restrooms, and elevated animal viewing areas; dedicated night houses for hippos, crocodiles, flamingos, and mandrills; and a Life Support Building housing the pumps and filtration systems serving more than 500,000 gallons of aquatic habitat. The work also involved demolition of the existing exhibit, complex underground utility installation, structural concrete and masonry, specialty glazing for underwater viewing, themed finishes, fencing, irrigation, and carefully integrated site development.

Designed and built to deliver a theme-park level visitor experience, the exhibit features winding paths, ground-level, underwater, and elevated viewing opportunities, along with architectural and landscape elements crafted to reflect the character of the Zambezi River region. The project required close coordination among the construction team, designers, engineers, and specialty trades to balance immersive aesthetics, technical building systems, visitor experience, and the unique needs of the animals. The result is a signature Memphis Zoo exhibit that showcases Zellner Construction’s ability to deliver highly detailed, technically demanding environments.