Construction has commenced on the $160 million expansion to the Seattle Aquarium. Designed by LMN Architects, the new Ocean Pavilion is expected to open in 2024, and will form part of the campus’ vision of becoming “the world’s first planet-positive aquarium.”

Project construction led by Turner. Video courtesy of Turner Construction. 

Along the waterfront, the pavilion’s massing is formed of sweeping geometries that integrate a series of public pathways. The multi-level plazas created by the landscape will become part of a network of open spaces along the waterfront, including the adjacent Overlook Walk designed by James Corner Field Operations, Miller Hull, Jacobs, and the City of Seattle.

Inside, the new waterfront pavilion will include 50,000 square feet of immersive exhibits, theatrical spaces, and support areas, in what LMN call an “engaging human environment linking the city, waterfront, and ocean.” The central exhibit of the pavilion will be the 325,000-gallon reef ecosystem that features more than 120 species of fish and invertebrates. Surrounding the exhibits, a series of circulation pathways wind through the pavilion to create above- and below-water views of exhibits, as well as views towards the plaza and waterfront.

Conscious of the pavilion’s location on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples, the project team worked with local tribes and Indigenous communities in creating the programming, design, and cultural framework for the building. Engagements included hearing traditional stories from tribal elders, organizing workshops with tribal youth, and conducting design sessions with Indigenous consultants.

To enhance the pavilion’s sustainability credentials, the design team have enacted a series of environmental strategies, including the use of non-toxic, ecologically restorative materials, the elimination of fossil fuels, and heat sharing between the life support and building systems.

“The project team was deliberate in material choices for construction of the building by minimizing plastics, vinyls, biocides, and red-list materials throughout,” said Osama Quotah a partner at LMN Architects. “We analyzed embedded carbon in the project, making material choices that minimize their carbon footprint. Overall, the project is targeting net-zero carbon and net-zero energy, and the project team continues to study aggressive targets and strategies around energy and carbon that can be implemented at the larger campus scale.”

News of the scheme comes one month after LMN completed work on the Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. The Seattle-based firm was also recently featured on our Meet Your Next Employer series, which showcases the work and culture of a selection of firms currently advertising open employment opportunities on Archinect Jobs.