The world's tallest cylinder aquarium was recently revealed to the public at the new Avia Park Shopping Center in Moscow. The aquarium, designed and built by International Concept Management (ICM), is a staggering 23 meters tall and is viewable from all four levels of Europe's largest shopping center.
With millions of annual visitors, the intent of the aquarium was to enhance the shoppers' experience and serve as a focal point for the mall - and ICM delivered.
"From a visual standpoint, looking up at a freestanding water column this tall, is truly awe-inspiring," said Andrius Vengalis, Project Manager for ICM. "This new aquarium will serve as a focal point for not only the shopping center and its visitors, but also the community."
The aquarium holds 370,000 liters of saltwater and nearly 2,500 fish. Due to the extreme depths of the tank, it is necessary for divers to make multiple decompression stops. The exhibitry, which replicates the Red Sea, houses multiple platforms for the divers to take such precautions.
ICM was the turnkey contractor on the project - that included everything from concept design; to designing, sourcing, and installing the reef in the tank for a safe and functional environment for the livestock; selecting and sourcing fish that successfully cohabitate; and providing the lighting and filtration systems for the aquarium. ICM will provide ongoing operations and maintenance.
The exterior of the aquarium is 23 meters tall and 6 meters in diameter. The aquarium shell consists of 55 metric tons of acrylic, provided by Reynolds Polymer Technology. This aquarium not only broke world records, but was a monumental success for ICM as well.
Nathan Reynolds, VP of Operations, remarked, "Each of our projects take on a special meaning to the team, and this one will stand out as an excellent example of what we can achieve when challenged by a client. The project turned out exactly as we envisioned it and will certainly establish itself as a landmark within a beautiful mall in Moscow, Russia!"
Related Stories
| Sep 23, 2014
Cloud-shaped skyscraper complex wins Shenzhen Bay Super City design competition
Forget the cubist, clinical, glass and concrete jungle of today's financial districts. Shenzhen's new plan features a complex of cloud-shaped skyscrapers connected to one another with sloping bridges.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 18, 2014
Final designs unveiled for DC's first elevated park
OMA, Höweler + Yoon, NEXT Architects, and Cooper, Robertson & Partners have just released their preliminary design proposals for what will be known as the 11th Street Bridge Park.
| Sep 16, 2014
Competition asks architects, designers to reimagine the future of national parks
National Parks Now asks entrants to propose all types of interventions for parks, including interactive installations, site-specific education and leisure opportunities, outreach and engagement campaigns, and self-led tours.
| Sep 11, 2014
5 competing designs unveiled for Presidio Parklands in San Francisco
To turn the underdeveloped area by Chrissy Field into new public space, San Francisco's Presidio Trust unveiled the five designs by five teams they invited earlier this year.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 9, 2014
Ranked: Top religious sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Brasfield & Gorrie, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest religious sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 7, 2014
Ranked: Top state government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
PCL Construction, Stantec, and AECOM head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest state government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 3, 2014
Ranked: Top local government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
STV, HOK, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest local government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
