Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, US, has announced the official opening of its new polar and grizzly bear habitat as part of the multi-phase Glacier Run project.

The new exhibit has been modelled on the town of Churchill, Canada, and will be home to one polar bear and three grizzly bears. A seal and sea lion habitat was unveiled in June 2010. Design features include an old mining quarry flooded with water; a fishery and a warehouse dock; and a melting glacier that aims to provide extensive play space for the animals.

Peckham Guyton, Albers and Viets were behind the design of the Glacier Run complex, which has been delivered in phases by Whittenberg Construction. Arrasmith, Judd, Rapp, Chovan; and Korfhage Landscaping and Design have also worked on the project. The final two phases of the Glacier Run scheme is due to be completed in spring 2012 - the Arctic Ambassador Centrer and an aviary. The scheme is expected to increase the zoo's visitor numbers to more than 890,000.

Louisville Zoo director John Walczak said: "This Arctic-themed exhibit fundamentally advances your zoo's mission of bettering the bond between people and our planet. "The very nature of this exhibit's design is based on the idea of humans learning to co-exist with wildlife."