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
| Mar 29, 2013
PBS broadcast to highlight '10 Buildings That Changed America'
WTTW Chicago, in partnership with the Society of Architectural Historians, has produced "10 Builidngs That Changed America," a TV show set to air May 12 on PBS.
| Mar 27, 2013
Small but mighty: Berkeley public library’s net-zero gem
The Building Team for Berkeley, Calif.’s new 9,500-sf West Branch library aims to achieve net-zero—and possibly net-positive—energy performance with the help of clever passive design techniques.
| Mar 22, 2013
8 cool cultural projects in the works
A soaring opera center in Hong Kong and a multi-tower music center in Calgary are among the latest cultural projects.
| Mar 15, 2013
7 most endangered buildings in Chicago
The Chicago Preservation Society released its annual list of the buildings at high risk for demolition.
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 22, 2013
Detroit project would bring 'fairytale forest' to riverfront
A proposal by atelierWHY to create a heavily wooded park on the downtown riverfront has taken first place in the juried Detroit By Design competition.
| Feb 19, 2013
'Pop-up' proposal would create movable cultural venue for NYC
The Culture Shed, a proposed 170,000-sf project for New York City's Hudson Yards development, could be the ultimate in "pop-up" facilities.
| Feb 14, 2013
Brasfield & Gorrie breaks ground on New College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta
General contractor Brasfield & Gorrie is scheduled to kick off construction on the new College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. With an anticipated completion date of fall 2014, the $66.5 million project will continue the revitalization of the city’s tourist district.
| Feb 8, 2013
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s new wing voted Boston’s 'most beautiful new building'
Bostonians voted the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's new wing the People's Choice Award winner for 2012, honoring the project as the city's "most beautiful new building" for the calendar year. The new wing, designed by Renzo Piano and Stantec, beat out three other projects on the short list.
| Feb 6, 2013
George W. Bush Presidential Center among award-winning roofing projects honored by Sika Sarnafil
Winners of the 2012 Contractor Project of the Year Competition were announced this week by Sika Sarnafil. The annual competition highlights excellence in roofing installation. Roofing contractors are judged based on project complexity, design uniqueness, craftsmanship, and creative problem solving.
