When they did research for a placemaking and wayfinding project for the Philadelphia Zoo, gecko design group staff found that the images of the zoo that people shared on social media contained photos of themselves with animals, but unlike other zoos, the images contained no zoo identification or branding. The goal of this project was to fix that.
The monument was is part of a large project to improve the Philadelphia Centennial District Transportation Center surrounding the zoo. A new parking garage, landscaping, street lights, sidewalks and wayfinding signage now welcomes visitors from outside the zoo. A traffic lane was eliminated to create an entry plaza with the monument as the center piece. The monument was designed with a seating wall as a place where people could rest, or create their own photo memories:
