Provincial Park Zoo, Huizingen, Belgium

Among the green hills just outside Brussels is a beautiful nineteenth-century estate, where visitors will find a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city: Huizingen Provincial Park. The zoo at the estate - built in the 1940s - was fully renovated. Pauwels Design Agency was responsible for the design, with organic lines and subtle, transparent materials ensuring that the zoo forms a fluent whole with the landscape of rolling hills. The zoo is home to an unusual range of trees and plants, which represent an important part of the landscape park's value. Monumental specimens that have been at the park for centuries were preserved during the renovation. To underline the unique character of the location, the existing dendrological collection was supplemented with a wide range of new trees.

The new tree species fit in as well as possible with the castle's original range and the natural habitat of the animals in the park. Around the park we chose large park trees that will be able to grow into monumental specimens. The border planting consists of plants that bear a lot of fruit, striking blossom and/or have a beautiful autumn colour, such as the wingnut, black walnut, pin oak, silverbell and heavily blossomed Henry's lime. The planting in the park reflects the different habitats and atmospheres. The native animal species in the heritage collection are housed among maples, ornamental cherry trees, privet and viburnums. The castle's collection of exotic animals is mainly housed among large, blossoming shrubs, such as magnolia and dogwood. And the petting zoo animals gambol among flower meadows with fruit trees.