How Our Tipis Helped Pairi Daiza Zoo to Expand


Pairi Daiza 4

The Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium is one of the most prestigious zoos in Europe, welcoming over 2 million visitors each year. The unique zoo takes visitors through different worlds (each representing a different continent), where they will meet over 7,000 animals, including giant pandas, Asian elephants, water buffalos and much more.

Since opening in 1993, when the zoo began life as a modest bird garden called Paradisio, it has grown considerably and now spans 190 acres of land. The zoo has now evolved into a world-renowned theme park and is considered to be the top tourist attraction in Belgium, offering an experience few other zoos can compete with.

In 2018, 2019 and 2020 Pairi Daiza was voted “Best zoo in Europe” and it is not just a day out, in 2019, the Pairi Daizi Resort opened, allowing visitors to stay overnight and make a full holiday of their visit to the zoo.

As well as being home to so many exotic animals from around the world, the zoo has a stunning botanical garden and many other great attractions.

Our Giant Tipi Formation at Pairi Daizi

Due to the rapid pace at which the zoo had been expanding, they required outdoor structures that would stay in keeping with the natural, yet mystical environment. They were looking for a structure that would provide a huge, sheltered area, but also add character and intrigue to the zoo.

After an initial consultation to discuss their requirements, gather the space measurements and additional information, our design team at The Tipi Company produced a visualisation of a tipi formation incorporating four Big Hat tipis interlinking with one another.

The design also included sliding entrance doors, a wooden floor and transitions to the separate areas of the park. The management team at the zoo were impressed with what they saw and instructed us to go ahead, and now the tipi formation is the breath-taking centrepiece of their enormous zoo. 

The tipi structure can be seen for miles and really adds to the excitement as visitors enter the reception area, through the front entrance of the tipis. The zoo has been able to create a large lounging area with a massive fireplace, while every aspect of the tipi structure has been custom-built and decorated to a beautiful standard.

This four-tipi formation is the largest we have built so far and the feedback from the zoo has been incredible. They love that the Scandinavian hand-picked timbers and beige canvas fit seamlessly within the zoo, enhancing the experience of being in nature. 

The tipi formation has been a very valuable acquisition, helping them to accommodate the growing number of visitors each year, safely and comfortably.

If you are interested in how The Tipi Company can help your business to expand, we’d be happy to talk through some example structures and arrange a free site visit. Call us on 01204 860738.