Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion
Seattle
Merit Award
Presented by Turner Construction Co.
owner Seattle Aquarium Society
Leading design company LMN Architects
General Contractor Turner Construction Co.
Civil/Structural Engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates
MEP engineer PAE Consulting Engineers
Exhibition design design
Combining living habitats, hands-on exploration and behind-the-scenes features, the $141 million, 50,000-square-foot Ocean Pavilion sets itself apart from other aquariums by highlighting the interconnectedness of human and marine life.
Completing this installation required early sequencing and detailed logistical planning between the three main project teams. The reef’s main structure involved custom CNC foam formwork, 335 tonnes of rebar and 720m3 of concrete placed in a single 22-hour pour. Over 435,000 feet of MEP and life support systems were precisely modeled and installed along with over 200 pieces of equipment.
A walk with views over and inside the aquarium structure was built, which required careful coordination of overlapping tower cranes, bridge falsework and rigging. Temporary steel girders were installed to transfer the bridge loads around the critical life support and electrical rooms, allowing work on both features to be carried out safely and efficiently.
The all-electric building and its integrated life support and MEP systems reduce energy consumption, while semi-enclosed saltwater habitats recirculate 96% of seawater. Recycled rebar and low-carbon concrete helped reduce embodied carbon by 32%. These efforts helped the project achieve LEED Gold certification. It also aims for Zero Carbon certification.
