All the temporary barriers around the John P. and Kathrine McGovern Plaza were removed last Thursday. Within a week,Houston Zoo will unveiltwo groundbreaking and eco-friendly buildingswithin one structure to finishits ambitious $156 millionCentennial Campaign.
Jack’s Cafe, named for allergist and philanthropist John P. McGovern,started serving its first customers on July 24. A grab-and-go station offers Icees, cold beverages, ice cream, and snacks. Around the corner, there are kiosks and counter service providing more substantial and surprisingly creative options, like a hot crawfish and shrimp dip, chicken and waffles, and shrimp and grits.
We raised the expectations of what visitors might anticipate at a zoo,” says Jackie Wallace, a representative from the Houston Zoo. “These are what we refer to as ‘bayou favorites.’
On the second floor, zoo employees are adding the final details to the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Reflections Event Hall and Balcony.
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For a long time, we had difficulty answering the question, ‘What activities can you do indoors during the summer?'” says Mallet Stafford, director of special events at the Houston Zoo. “We didn’t have a large climate-controlled area.
That will change on Friday when the Reflections Event Hall and Terrace hosts its first private event. Stafford has invited wedding planners along with top donors to showcase what her team is capable of. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Lisa Peterson, the new President and CEO of the Houston Zoo; Lee Ehmke, her predecessor, will also be present to witness the final part of the Keeping Our World Wild Centennial Campaign in person. He was involved in launching the initiative back in 2018 with a $50 million lead gift from the John P. McGovern Foundation.
The event space, capable of holding 270 people standing and 220 seated, gets its name from what Wallace refers to as the “hero moment” with a view of the partially renovated Reflection Pool. The Galápagos Islands exhibit can be seen from an eastern balcony.
You’re among the branches,” she says. “This is the spot. You wish to view the zoo. You want to experience being in the zoo.
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The door handles that lead into the Reflections Event Hall and Terrace are shaped like koi in honor of the fish that once swam in the Reflection Pool. The space covers an area of 7,087 square feet. Walls made of wooden panels can be moved to reveal or hide large flat-screen televisions as required. Bird-safe glass has been used throughout the building; it features a patterned and textured surface so that birds can detect its presence while flying. The structure was built using mass timber rather than concrete, making it environmentally friendly and on course to achieve LEED Gold certification, which is the second-highest rating offered by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The exhibit artist Linc McTarnahan was assigned to design a mural for the center of the event hall. He is carefully spreading white paint over what looks like a plaster wall sculpture made up of water droplets. It turns out these are actually six panels constructed from 25-pound, high-density foam boards.
I’m concealing the seams,” he explains, setting down his paintbrush. “During a planning meeting, I asked, ‘What about raindrops?’ Perhaps when people are on the balcony, they’ll draw that link to the Reflection Pool.
Constructed in the early 1900s, the Reflection Pool and Collonade beneath are undergoing restoration to return them to their original mid-century modern style. Currently, there are white picnic tables located downstairs that offer a view of the ongoing work; the permanent outdoor seating arrangements were not completed in time for the major unveilings.
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Four-year-old Finn Talley and six-year-old Cade Talley don’t appear to mind. Finn is excitedly holding a red and blue Icee in a special cup. A barista from Jack’s Cafe used to work at Starbucks; she is capable of preparing any drink, from an iced matcha latte to a caramel macchiato.
“Oh wow, check out the massive penguin!” Finn exclaims, holding his icy beverage.
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