Aquatrium

By Piero Lissoni

Piero Lissoni's Aquatrium, a circular architectural structure with aquatic features and city skyline background

Aquatrium by Piero Lissoni, futuristic dome with icebergs under a starry sky

Circular aquarium with silhouettes of people observing underwater life, Piero Lissoni's Aquatrium

Piero Lissoni's Aquatrium featuring transparent domes and an iceberg structure in an urban park setting

Site plan of Aquatrium by Piero Lissoni featuring a cylindrical structure over a waterway

Aquatrium project by Piero Lissoni, concept sketches of a shell-shaped aquarium

Concept sketches for Aquatrium by Piero Lissoni showing marine-themed architectural ideas

Overview

Aquatrium is an unbuilt concept that won the 2016 Arch Out Loud design competition, which aimed to reimagine a new aquarium and public waterfront in Queens, New York.

The concept consists of eight unique biomes representing eight bodies of water (4 Oceans, 4 Seas). Each one represents a different marine landscape, with a view through transparent walls.

What elevates this design concept is that the aquarium includes a retractable roof that opens during the day and closes at night. When closed, the entire facility transforms into a planetarium. Lissoni describes this part of the design as a shell that shifts between the sea and the sky, "Like a shell protects the pearl.

Although Aquatium has not been built, it's a great exploration of how architecture can interact with natural environments and built space.

Arch Out Loud's take on the design.