New orangutan enclosure at Paris's Jardin des Plantes blends architecture and animal welfare

The Jardin des Plantes in Paris has unveiled a new enclosure for its Bornean orangutans, designed by architect Boris Dapné and engineer Matthieu Mallié. The 2,255 m³ space, five times larger than the previous one, features a stainless steel structure with a 900 m² trampoline net, reaching up to 15 meters high. It includes four suspended nests, 300 meters of rope, and around 50 plant species. A transparent walkway connects the historic monkey house (built in 1934) to the new enclosure, ensuring no contact between animals and visitors. The walkway is reversible and does not touch the historic building. The enclosure also has three cone-shaped viewing areas with steel awnings, six cascading basins, and misters to recreate a humid tropical atmosphere. The five orangutans—Nénette (57), Théodora (38), her daughters Tamü (22) and Java (8), and Banggi (20), Java's father—will use the space. Despite the design's success, animal rights activists have protested, demanding the orangutans' release. The project was featured in Beaux Arts Magazine's July 2026 double issue.