The vertical zoo is a new zoo typology that rethinks both the organizational strategy of the traditional urban zoo and the tower building typology. By stacking the exhibits vertically the zoo program pushes exhibit organization in a new direction, providing opportunities for experiences not possible in traditional urban zoos. In addition, vertical stacking of the program is more efficient, taking advantage of the characteristic behaviors of heat, water and light to guide exhibit group organization. Furthermore, the verticality of the zoo program enables the zoo to become a more visual presence in an already dense urban environment. The new spatial organization of the zoo is accomplished through a reconfiguration of the systems integral to a traditional tower: the centralized core, the repetitive floor plate, and the nonspecific skin system.