Purpose built Sea Life Aquarium.

Merlin Entertainments commissioned Kay Elliott Architects to design a new 2,000 m2 Sea Life Aquarium on the banks of the Rhine in Königswinter, Germany.

The site, currently a small park in the centre of the town, has been developed following public participation and the desire to reduce its impact on the environment.

The lower floor has been partly sunk into the ground and is constructed as a watertight box due to the history of flooding in the area. In addition the upper floor has been slid out over the public footpath, creating shelter for the bus lay-by and drop-off zone and increasing the distance between the existing properties to the rear. The curved form further increases the views available. In addition the building has been positioned to retain sight lines from the river, of the adjacent locally important building, making it also possible to create a new public piazza and link from the Rhine to the Town Square.

The aquarium will have a mystical theme linking the various displays from freshwater stream to deep ocean, and features a 360o glazed tunnel through the 7.2m deep sunken city of Atlantis.