Interpretation Signage for Orana Wildlife Park's Great Ape Centre

Bringing the Great Ape Centre to life with interpretation signage

Orana Wildlife Park needed interpretation signage for their newest visitor attraction. Here's what we did to make the centre both informative and visually striking.

Client: Orana Wildlife Park — oranawildlifepark.co.nz

Event: The Great Ape Centre

What we did:

• Supplied digital prints applied to walls as doors, including a large wall mural incorporating 3D lettering
• Supplied digitally printed ACM panels, some cut to shape, installed throughout the centre

The Great Ape Centre is a purpose-built facility housing Western Lowland Gorillas, New Zealand's only gorillas.

The $6 million Great Ape Centre is the most ambitious project ever undertaken at Orana Wildlife Park. As a charitable trust, Orana raises 100 percent of the funds for all its capital projects and relies on community support to do it. Construction of the habitat began in July 2014 and was completed in June 2015.

The gorillas are magnificent animals. Fataki the silverback weighed 190kg at the time, an impressive size that will only have grown with age. The two younger males, Fuzu and Mahali, weighed around 90kg each and are known for their mischievous, characterful personalities.

Orana has joined the international zoo-based breeding programme for Western Lowland Gorillas, a critically endangered species. Their role in the programme is to house bachelor gorillas and help raise awareness of the threats gorillas face, most driven by human lifestyle choices such as habitat loss from coltan mining.

The Great Ape Centre has also become a significant drawcard for domestic and international visitors, contributing directly to the region's economy and playing a role in Canterbury's post-earthquake recovery.

What they said:

"Orana Wildlife Park has worked with Adgraphix for many years on various projects, from branded vehicles and light box signs to sturdy graphics placed within our walk-through kea aviary. Their team are great to work with, very knowledgeable and have great attention to detail. For the Great Ape Centre, their advice and expertise has resulted in the delivery of our most extensive interpretation project. Conservation advocacy and education is a key role of a zoo, and the interpretation at the Great Ape Centre is essential for delivering conservation messages and take-home actions to our visitors. We greatly appreciate the assistance and support of Adgraphix for this project."

— Nathan Hawke, Marketing, Public Relations and Visitor Services Manager, Orana Wildlife Park

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FAQs

What is interpretation signage used for?

Interpretation signage is used in museums, zoos and visitor attractions to inform and educate visitors, often combining graphics, text and imagery to tell a story about the exhibit or environment.

What materials are used for interpretation signage?

Interpretation signage can be produced using digitally printed panels, ACM (aluminium composite material), and 3D lettering, depending on the durability and visual finish required.

This is a look back at a past project. Details may have changed since it was first published, get in touch with us for current information.