A US$70m (€50.5m, £41.6m) full immersion outdoor habitat project has been announced by Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. Covering 113,312sq m (1,200,000sq ft), African Grasslands will be the largest construction project in the US zoo’s history.

Construction on the first phase of the project will begin this summer, and features mixed-species habitats, pools for animals and interactive demonstration areas, with the layout and grouping of animals aiming to replicate the sites, sounds and smells of being in Africa. Zoo specialists CLR Design are believed to be the architects behind the project.

To add to the visitor experience, the new area aims to provide panoramic views and long vistas of grasslands full of animals, and will make extensive use of grasses, acacia-like trees, rock kopjes – granite boulders set in the open savanna – and minimal barriers to facilitate unobstructed views.

Some of the wildlife will be new to the zoo, while the new elephant barn will measure more than half an acre, providing the largest herd room in North America.

The African Grasslands area will also feature interactive guest and keeper areas including a splash pool, an elephant training area and a giraffe feeding platform.

A new themed train station will be located near an African Lodge at the centre of the site that will host private functions and overnight sleepovers.

The first phase will open in early summer 2016 with a second phase – which focuses on homing a pride of lions among other wildlife – following within a year.

Seven donors have so far provided a total of US$40m (€28.8m, £23.8m) for the project. If the additional $30m (€21.6m, £17.8m) is not raised, the project would be scaled back.