Typically, if you find yourself being submerged in New York’s East River, you probably aren’t having the best of days. But Italian architecture firm Lissoni Architettura, as part of a speculative design competition hosted by Arch Out Loud that sought innovative designs meant to transform New York City’s waterfronts, wanted to remove some of the stigma associated with the East River.
Lissoni Architettura’s concept, NYC Aquatrium, took first place in the Arch Out Loud competition and proposed the idea of building a partially submerged “island” or "shell" aquarium in Long Island City’s 11th street basin that would extend out into the East River, inhabitat.com reports.
The design calls for two islands, connected by a surrounding boardwalk, that would exist in an excavated site turned into a water basin. The island that reaches farther out into the river would be the partially submerged aquarium and would include eight above ground biome domes housing marine life from around the world. Four of the domes would house sea life from the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans, while the remaining four would house life from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Tasman, and Red Seas. An iceberg at the center of the island would represent the North and South poles.
“The main idea is to generate an environment whereby visitors feel that they themselves are entering the water to discover the beauty of the marine life on display,” the firm wrote in its project proposal.
The second island would act as a green space during the day and retract to cover the partially submerged island at night, creating a shell not only to protect the arena and the biome domes within, but also to take on a “second life” as a planetarium.
The design is nothing more than a concept with no intention of actually being built, but if the idea of the Arch Out Loud contest was to spark the imagination of what could become of New York’s waterfronts in the future, this design certainly accomplished that goal.
Rendering Courtesy of Lissoni Architettura and Arch Out Loud
Rendering Courtesy of Lissoni Architettura and Arch Out Loud
Rendering Courtesy of Lissoni Architettura and Arch Out Loud
Related Stories
| Jan 24, 2012
Rockingham County Judicial Center receives USGBC Gold NC v.2.2
The Rockingham facility is the first judicial center in North Carolina to seek certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Building rating system.
| Jan 19, 2012
LEED puts the 'Gold' in Riverside golden arches
McDonald's restaurant recognized for significant energy savings.
| Jan 19, 2012
Odebrecht and Braskem bring sustainable award to U.S. university students
The Odebrecht Award for sustainable development rewards future leaders in engineering and chemistry.
| Jan 19, 2012
BOKA Powell-designed facility at Texas A&M Bryan campus
The new facility provides programs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the Texas Brain and Spine Institute, Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers, and Blinn College Allied Health programs.
| Jan 17, 2012
SOM Chicago wins competition to design China's Suzhou Center
The 75-level building is designed to accommodate a complex mixed-use program including office, service apartments, hotel and retail on a 37,000 sm site.
| Jan 17, 2012
FxFowle and CO Architects form joint venture
FxFowle and CO Architects creates a dynamic alliance built on a shared dedication to collaboration in process, innovation in programming, and excellence in design.
| Jan 17, 2012
Capital Engineering joins AECOM
With 160 employees based in Taipei and Kaohsiung, CEC specializes in environmental, water, hydraulic and land development engineering consulting services for clients in Taiwan's public and private sectors.
| Jan 17, 2012
SOM launches Los Angeles design studio
Expert team to join the firm's West Coast practice, focusing on innovative urban and environmentally sustainable design in Southern California
| Jan 16, 2012
2012 40 Under 40 applications due Friday, Jan. 20
Building Design+Construction's 40 Under 40 is open to AEC professionals from around the world who are under 40 years old, as of January 1, 2012.
| Jan 16, 2012
Mid-Continent Tower wins 25 Year Award from AIA Eastern Oklahoma
Designed by Dewberry, iconic tower defines Tulsa’s skyline.
