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London Zoo was the world's first scientific zoo. Opened in 1828, and originally intended as a collection for scientific study, it was eventually made open to the public in 1847. Today it houses a collection of more than 650 different species of animals.
It is managed under the auspices of the Zoological Society of London, and is situated at the northern end of Regent's Park, London (the Regent's Canal runs through it). The Society also has a more spacious site at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park in Bedfordshire and the larger animals such as elephants and rhinos have been moved there.
 Photo of London Zoo reptile house Architecture
Since its earliest days, the zoo has prided itself on appointing leading architects to design its buildings. These include:
- the Clock Tower (1828, originally built to house llamas) and the Giraffe House (1836-1837) by Decimus Burton (both Grade II listed buildings)
- the Mappin Terraces (1913-1914) by Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell and John James Joass (listed Grade II).
- the Penguin Pool (1934),
- the Round House (built 1932-1933 to house the zoo's gorillas) and
- the North Gate Kiosk (1936) - all by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton firm, with inputs on the Penguin Pool from leading structural engineer Ove Arup (the first two structures are now listed Grade I, kiosk Grade II)
- the Snowdon aviary (1962-1964) by Lord Snowdon, Cedric Price and Frank Newby
- the Elephant and Rhino House (1962-1965) designed by Sir Hugh Casson and Neville Conder. (Now no longer considered suitable for these large creatures.)
Filming at London Zoo
Many films and television programmes have been filmed at London Zoo, the most famous being the reptile house scene from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
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