Legacy Aquarium’s Imaginative Design Illusion Reinvents Its Largest Exhibit

The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas largest exhibit, Gulf of Mexico, was an older, outdated and dark exhibit space that needed to be modernized. With a lot of unused wall real estate opposite the tank, we had the perfect opportunity to not only add brighter visual interest, but to use an optical illusion to surround visitors on all sides by the Gulf Tank.

With a major gathering of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) rapidly approaching, it was clear that nothing less than a fully immersive experience would serve for a gala of more than 3,000 AZA attendees. Working around the clock on a tight timeline, we created eye-catching graphics and interpretives that put visitors inside the tank for a more immersive experience. On time and on budget, this project is an example of imaginative environment and exhibit design to inspire wonder and awe, while educating towards the goals & mission of the Audubon Aquarium.

THE NEED: Visually update the Gulf of Mexico exhibit, the aquarium’s largest tank. THE GOAL: To design an experience that transforms the
space from a stand alone tank exhibit to a seemingly larger, immersive exhibit surrounding visitors on all sides.

Opportunity & Challenge

Centered around a 400,000 gallon tank with a variety of endemic species, the Gulf of Mexico exhibit was an outdated, dim space that needed a
modern update. Ultimately we wanted to immerse visitors inside the tanks by creating the illusion of being surrounded on all sides by the tank. To do this, we needed to make the exhibit space appear larger by strategically placing mirrors on underutilized walls that would reflect different parts of the tank. To finish the illusion we’d need to use custom designed wall wraps over top of the mirrors and floor graphics to mimic the inside of the actual tank in order to create one continuous underwater scene throughout the entire exhibit.

With just 3 months to prepare for the AZA gala, we had limited time to update the space. To meet the project deadline, we worked late nights and early mornings around visitor hours (not to mention sleeping hours for the animals!). Not only did we have to construct new walls and devise ways to support the mirrors, but we also had to keep the safety of aquarium visitors in mind so strollers and wheelchairs wouldn’t collide with mirrors too close to the ground. We made it happen by hiring the right partners, project managing contractors, who were all simultaneously working on the project, and coordinating with the aquarium staff to ensure the project was completed on time and to their utmost satisfaction.

The Plan

Following Peter Sollogub’s (Associate Principal at CambridgeSeven) initial vision, for the Gulf of Mexico exhibit we implemented custom cut floor to ceiling mirrors that strategically reflected the tank, effectively doubling the size of the exhibit. But to create a fully underwater immersive illusion, we would need to convince visitors that the mirrors weren’t actually mirrors.

To make this work, we had pictures taken of the existing tank as seen from a visitor’s perspective to take advantage of the tank’s most notable features: decommissioned oil rig legs that create a natural fish habitat. Since we couldn’t dive into the tank to get images, we could only photograph two usable angles of the tank’s fish, sand, rock, and oil rig legs to work with. These two photos were used to digitally construct one large, 3,665 sq ft composite scene, printed on wall and carpet graphic material, and applied to all wall surfaces including the mirrors, as well as the floors near the tank.

Finally, we carefully hand cut chosen pieces of the graphics from the mirrors to reveal the tank’s reflection. Not only would this serve to break up a continuous reflection, but it would allow the reflected animals to appear as if they are swimming behind the graphics, adding depth and movement and making for a more convincing illusion.