You won’t have to dress up to visit them, but they will greet visitors in black ties and tails.
We’re referring to more than 80 penguins, who will be on display at their new home which opens Monday at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak. The Polk Penguin Conservation Center will be the world’s largest zoo penguin display.
Architects from Detroit and Seattle designed and built the center. Much of the engineering was designed by auto supplier Denso. Albert Kahn Associates worked for more than three years on the $30 million project, which features the shape of a tabular Antarctic iceberg and a huge water filtration system.
While visitors will enjoy a comfortable 70 degrees, the Gentoo penguins home will be a constant 37 degrees. The new penguin exhibit was started with a $10 million gift from the family of Steven and Bobbi Polk, of the Polk auto supply family.
