Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Toronto, Canada

Located at the base of the CN Tower in downtown Toronto, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada has been a resounding success since opening day, attracting millions of visitors annually.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Toronto, Canada

Located at the base of the CN Tower in downtown Toronto, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada has been a resounding success since opening day, attracting millions of visitors annually.

The two-level aquarium includes exhibits containing more than 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million litres) of water to create marine and freshwater habitats from around the world. These habitats feature more than 13,500 exotic sea and freshwater creatures. Prominent among these habitats is the 750,000 gallon (2.84 million litre) Shark Lagoon, which features a 315-foot (96-metre) long moving walkway through an acrylic tunnel.

The aquarium’s dramatic, angular sweeping form and wide variety of interior spaces presented a number of unique features and challenges. The architectural form, for instance, consists of a multi-faceted shell clad in large aluminum panels. This is but one of the design details that makes the aquarium geometrically complex and necessitated the development of a sophisticated steel and concrete structural system.

location

Toronto, Canada

Budget

$130 M

Role

Structural Engineering Consultant

Architect

B+H Architects

Client

Ripley’s Entertainment Inc.

Size

12,500 m² (135,000 ft²)

Challenge

Satisfy a variety of unique architectural design and programming requirements, both interior and exterior.

Solution

The challenges this project presented lent themselves well to BIM technologies. The design team used SketchUp, REVIT, TEKLA, and other software to develop contract documents and carry out interdisciplinary design coordination. The release of various digital models and construction simulation animations helped to communicate design intent to building contractors.

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Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada