Smithsonian National Zoo - BirdHouse

3D Model

The Moorish-influenced entryway to the Bird House at the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC (built 1928) was a collaboration between architect Albert L. Harris (1869-1933), noted naturalist artist Stephen Haweis (1877-1969), and concrete pioneer John Joseph Earley (1881-1945). Built of Earley’s patented concrete aggregate, the entryway is ornamented by Haweis’ painted motifs of tropical birds nesting within a floral habitat. Both concrete archways include floral designs that are reminiscent of Moorish mosaic tilework.

Stephen Haweis was a painter and amateur naturalist who contributed to the Bird House’s décor, with funding provided by the Treasury Relief Art Program. Haweis incorporated exotic birds and plants into his design, a subject and style of expression in keeping with known examples of his work. While Haweis was English, he studied art in Paris, France, where he came under the influence of artists like Alphonse Mucha and Auguste Rodin.