Volume 3, No. 4. February 28, 2003
New
Arrivals
It’s
an aquarium!
Parques Reunidos Group announces the arrival of L’Oceanogràfic in
Valencia, Spain, February 15, 2003. Measurements: 110,000 square meters (1.2
million square feet), a total of 42 million liters (11.1 million gallons) of
tanks, seven themed galleries, 21 exhibits, 45,000 living organisms, 500 species,
a dolphinarium, an auditorium, retail center, five eateries and a 22,000-square-meter
(236,800-square-feet) car park. Delivered by Ciudad de las Artes y Las Ciencias.
Houston takes train riders under a fish tank; Europe’s largest aquarium
places diners inside the tank.
As impressive as its size, its architecture, its exhibitry and its collection
of animals ranging from sunfish, sharks and turtles to seals, belugas and penguins,
the biggest hit of L’Oceanogràfic in its first week of public operation
has been the Submarine Restaurant. The 350-seat dining room serves up top quality
cuisine while some 10,000 fish glide through the water on the other side of
the clear walls.
A corporation owned by the Valencia municipal government, Ciudad de Las Artes
y Las Ciencias, has been re-creating a former river bank (the river that used
to run through the city center has been diverted around Valencia) into an architecturally
stunning cultural district that already had three major attractions: l’Hemisfèric
(Imax Theater), the L’Umbracle botanical garden and the Principe Felipe
Science Museum (THE LOOP July
12, 2002). Still to come is an opera house.
But the attention now is on L’Oceanogràfic, a gathering of buildings
that architecturally recall ocean waves, starfish, stingray and jumping dolphins
in their undulating forms. The aquarium officially opened to the public February
15 with 4,000 admission tickets sold in advance. The remaining 1,500 were snapped
up that day for a sold-out debut. Despite days of pouring rain beginning with
its opening day, L’Oceanogràfic has welcomed near capacity numbers,
a mix of both locals and tourists.
L’Oceanogràfic made a private debut in December by hosting a party
for national authorities and celebrities. In the two months since, the aquarium,
operated by the Madrid-based Parques Reunidos Group, has worked through a soft
opening by hosting small, private groups. The night before the aquarium’s
official public opening, the whole city celebrated. “They wanted to involve
all of the city so they had celebrations around town to show off the aquarium
to everybody,” said Lamberto Fresnillo of the Parques Reunidos Group. At
each celebration site, a film showing the building of the aquarium was projected
onto large screens. At the peak of the party, fireworks lit up the city. “In
Valencia they’re crazy about fireworks,” Fresnillo said.
Looks like they're crazy about their new aquarium, too.
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
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