Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion emphasizes human connection to oceans

Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion, currently under construction, features several exhibits that examine the human connection with the Earth’s oceans. The 49,000 sf Ocean Pavilion has 19 living exhibits organized around The Reef, a new 362,000 gallon, two-story living habitat that is visible from five unique perspectives.

The Reef depicts a biodiverse Coral Triangle reef community, featuring an expansive, nearly 30-foot-wide domed view on the ground floor and additional viewing windows on an upper gallery. Cantilevered over the Pavilion’s entrance, it also features the “oculus”—a 16-foot wide portal that allows passersby to stand beneath and view the exhibit without paying admission.

The aquarium’s new pavilion is “the spectacular northern focal point of the reimagined Seattle waterfront,” according to Thinc, the firm that designed the exhibitions. LMN Architects is the design architect on the project, and is collaborating with Thinc on the exhibitions. “Thinc views every possible part of the Aquarium as useful context for building relationships with the public. Even the parts normally hidden from view consciously reveal the tank habitat vessels and back of house, all designed both for functionality and beauty.”

“To imagine an aquarium built around ethical human relationships with the ocean means throwing out the playbook on how you design aquariums,” said Tom Hennes, founder and principal of Thinc. “We can touch people deeply and enrich their relationship with the natural world, and we can also be a vital instrument of social change that catalyzes public engagement toward a thriving future.”

The Pavilion exhibition is organized into eight areas: 1) the entry/exit; 2) One Ocean Hall; 3) At Home in the Ocean; 4) The Archipelago (lower level view); 5) Window on The Reef (a dramatic, 30-foot wide domed window); 6) The Archipelago (upper level); 7) The Reef (upper level with three distinct views); and 8) Behind the Scenes (includes Jelly Nursery and Programming Area).

Dramatic living exhibits, engaging storytelling, and immersive multimedia installations will envelop visitors in the webs that connect ocean life to the complex arenas of human activity. The design was focused on realizing the Aquarium’s vision to make ocean conservation a global imperative, a community value, and a deeply personal priority for all. The Ocean Pavilion provides new opportunities for the Aquarium’s community to learn about the connections between Seattle’s local waters and the world’s oceans.

A collaboration with Coast Salish Tribal and Urban Native community members, as well as Indo-Pacific conservation partners, informed Thinc’s treatment of narratives and the design of the Ocean Pavilion. The design process included focused workshops and listening sessions with Coast Salish elders and tribal youth, and Urban Native community members, who contributed to the outcome.

The Ocean Pavilion is scheduled to open in 2024.

On the Building Team:
Owner and/or developer: Seattle Aquarium Society
Exhibition Designer: Thinc Design
Design architect & Architect of Record: LMN Architects
MEP engineer: PAE
General contractor/construction manager: Turner Construction Company
Horticulture Consultant: Zoo Horticulture Consulting and Design
Lighting Consultant: Palazzo Lighting
Technology Consultant: Teecom
Focus Tank LSS: Tenji
Development Manager: Shiels Obletz Johnsen (SOJ)

Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavillion int 2 — Seattle Aquarium, Ocean Pavilion, At Home in the Ocean. Image credit Courtesy Thinc Design with LMN Architects.

Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavillion int 3 — Seattle Aquarium, Ocean Pavilion, At Home in the Ocean. Image credit Courtesy Thinc Design with LMN Architects.

Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavillion int 4 — Seattle Aquarium, Ocean Pavilion, Animal Care. Image credit Courtesy Thinc Design with LMN Architects.

Now 46 years running, Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report rankings the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. This year a record 519 AEC firms participated in BD+C's Giants 400 report. The final report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

| Aug 19, 2022

Manassas Museum renovated to reimagine a civic design & engage the community

Manassas, VA has recently added to its historic Manassas Museum.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 5, 2022

A time and a place: Telling American stories through architecture

As the United States enters the year 2026, it will commence celebrating a cycle of Sestercentennials, or 250th anniversaries, of historic and cultural events across the land.

Museums | Jul 11, 2022

Denmark opens a museum that tells the stories of refugees worldwide

Located on the site of Denmark’s largest World War II refugee camp, the new Refugee Museum of Denmark, FLUGT, tells the stories of refugees from the camp as well as refugees worldwide.

Museums | Jun 28, 2022

The California Science Center breaks grounds on its Air and Space Center

The California Science Center—a hands-on science center in Los Angeles—recently broke ground on its Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

Museums | May 31, 2022

University of Texas at Dallas breaks ground on new 12-acre cultural district

The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) recently broke ground on the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the first phase of a new 12-acre cultural district on campus.

Museums | Mar 16, 2022

Unpacking the secrets to good museum storage

Museum leaders should focus as much design attention on the archives as the galleries themselves, according to a new white paper by Erin Flynn and Bruce Davis, architects and museum experts with the firm Cooper Robertson.

Projects | Mar 2, 2022

Construction nears completion on $1B Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo

At an estimated budget of $1 billion, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is considered the largest museum in the world dedicated to one civilization. The superlatives don’t end there: It’s also the largest museum in Egypt, the largest Pharaonic museum in the world, and one of the world’s leading scientific, historical, and archeological study centers.