Entrance Gateway At Dudley Zoo

The entrance gateway at Dudley Zoo is a Grade II* listed building with a rectangular plan, prominently facing Castle Hill and set back from the road to provide a spacious area for visitors to wait away from the pavement edge.

Constructed from reinforced concrete, the building features blue brick on the front and rear walls, with timber fittings in the kiosks. It is a single-storey structure that follows the slope of Castle Hill, descending from west to east. The design includes five evenly spaced kiosks, each separated by openings for turnstiles that match the width of the kiosks. These kiosks provide eight ticket-selling openings, arranged back-to-back within the booths, except for the end kiosks, which have one ticket window and an area for staff facilities. The walls are clad in blue brick, and the central three bays display concrete letters that spell "Z O O."

The roof is supported by round steel columns and features interlocking, shallow S-shaped concrete canopies that gracefully step down the slope. The projecting roof elements create shelter for queuing visitors and include a slot positioned just back from the front edge to allow rainwater to drain without staining. Each ticket window is half-glazed and located next to an entrance doorway, with the ticket positions retaining their glazed timber windows and a small counter for transactions. The rear of the building mirrors the main elevation, while the blind returns are also made of blue brick.

Inside, the kiosks are finished with matchboarding, and there is a dado-height partition clad in matchboard that separates the two ticket positions.