There's a new continent in town.
To create an exhibit as expansive as Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, the Aquarium needed a little more space…65,400 square feet actually.
The Aquarium turned to Peter Chermayeff, the accomplished founder of the Cambridge Seven Associates, who has made architectural waves for more than 40 years. He designed the Aquarium’s original building, which opened in 1981.
No Small Undertaking
Crews broke ground on his latest design in August 2002. Before construction workers could erect any walls, stairs or windows, they had to make sure that the aging pier, originally built in the 1800s, could withstand the pressures of holding up a piece of Australia, the world’s largest island. During an early, noisy, and lengthy stage, the Inner Harbor echoed with the sound of 122 steel piles being driven into the bedrock to reinforce the area under the new addition.
Next, construction crews, master plumbers and electricians installed the underground infrastructure.
All of the structural concrete for the new addition was put into place, including the two walls behind the glassed exhibits and the stairs that lead to behind-the-scenes areas for the crocodiles and other creatures.
The large steel grid that frames the roof was raised, and a 15,000 plus square foot hand-knotted metal bird screen from China was installed to ensure that the rainbow lorikeets, northern rosellas and 30 other species of birds remain safely inside their new home, while keeping them within sight of curious visitors!
The 35-foot waterfall was built using an armature of reinforced steel beams on which to place the distinctive hand-carved rockwork.
Craftsmen and artists from Cemrock, one of the world’s leading builders of naturalistic environments, have installed more than an acre of the stunning rock that makes up the waterfall and surrounding habitat. The rock was crafted from fine cement that was blasted into variant shapes, and then hand carved and painted by artists to recreate the ancient, water-worn river gorge habitat of Australia.
More than 33,000 square feet of glass fills in the tensile truss system, forming the enormous windows into the first major exhibit depicting an Australian river gorge in the U.S. The clear panes of the crystal pavilion will allow the unique habitat and pounding waterfall to be seen and enjoyed from much of the Inner Harbor.
Animal Comfort
Exhibit designers went to great lengths to create homes for the animals. Detailed micro-habitats, such as river log jams, have been created to make the fish and turtles feel at home.
Basking lights and warming rocks will serve as comfortable areas for the animals to lollygag. More than 100 live trees and shrubs planted in the exhibit will add to the ambiance and provide the animals with perching and hiding spaces.
Visitor Comfort
But animals weren’t the only creatures on the Aquarium’s mind during design and construction of the new building.
The entrance to the Aquarium is now on the ground level and includes a private member entrance. In addition, the building houses a larger stroller check, additional restrooms, first aid station, and a visitor comfort room with a remarkable view of the Inner Harbor.
The Aquarium Cafe, a new 6,650 square foot eatery, features smart seafood choices and a wide menu of daily specials including soups, salads, pizzas, and paninis.
The Aquarium Shop boasts 5,000 square feet of retail space.
