Renzo PIANO - The Aquarium

Renzo PIANO - (1992) - The Aquarium (Genova - Italy)

The Aquarius in Genoa [http://www.acquariodigenova.it], spectacular structure, is in Europe, the aquarium that represents the most greater variety of ecosystems, second for dimensions only to that of Valencia in Spain, the dimensions of the basins, that contain around four million liters of water, reproduce, in the maximum respect of the biological equilibrium, the Mediterranean's and the Ocean's habitat. The form of the aquarium alludes to something of maritime: it seems, in fact, a ship in a dock's basin. The aquarium is suspended on concrete's circular columns, and it fluctuates above the old dock. This is a characteristic some curious, because the columns seem to undertake themselves in the attempt to hold the fishes out of the water. The principal tubs are collocated in the way that the visitors can see it from two different levels: according to the point of observation, the effect is an underwater immersion or a superficial view, illuminated by the natural light through the transparent roof. The structure has been inaugurated October 15th 1992 on the occasion of the Colombus celebrations , the commemorative exposure of the five hundredth's Anniversary of the America's discovery. The Aquarius of Genoa is project from the Genoese architect Renzo Piano [http://www.rpbw.com/], that has used, for the technical part and curatorial, of the consultation of the American architect Peter Chermayeff [http://www.peterchermayeff.com/] with the Cambrige Seven Associates, specialized in the aquariums planning. The path, around 2 hours and half of duration, it unties him on a total surface of 9.700 square meters. The original core, constituted from 39 basins, it reconstructs the natural environments of the single species with evident didactic finalities. Of particular esteem they are the three great basins that entertain dolphins, sharks, seals and turtle besides innumerable other kinds of fishes. In a lot of them the visitor can dip the hands and to directly touch the fishes. The water of the aquarium is withdrawn offshore the coast and it is housed in four cisterns situated to side of the two floors. Water is purified and disinfected, therefore introduced in the basins, all of them provide of mechanics and biological's filtering installations, the plant has been taken care by Italimpianti.