Global Extremes: Harnessing immersive climatic experiences for a sustainable message. i i i i i The National Aquarium of Saudi Arabia

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1 Global Extremes: Harnessing immersive climatic experiences for a sustainable message i i i i i The National Aquarium of Saudi Arabia 10 September 2012 Douglas Simpson 1050 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA dsimpson@c7a.com Elena Kazlas, Principal, ConsultEcon, Inc. 545 Concord Avenue, Suite 210 Cambridge, MA kazlas@consult on.com 1

2 Introduction Cambridge Seven Associates is a full service architecture and exhibit design firm, with a staff that includes registered architects, exhibit planners and designers, and graphic designers. The firm is known for designing distinctive museum and aquarium architecture around the world, including the New England Aquarium, the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Genoa Aquarium in Italy, the Ring of Fire Aquarium inosaka in Osaka, Japan, the Oceanário Oceanáriode Lisboa inportugal in Portugal, and The Scientific Center andthe in Kuwait City. This presentation is about our latest large scale aquarium project, The National Aquarium of Saudi Arabia. I ll going to speak first about the aquarium design and then Elena Kazlas, from ConsultEcon, will speak about the business planning and organizational structure for the aquarium. 2

3 This presentation will describe the site and context for the aquarium, the conceptual design alternatives we explored regarding both the exhibit story lines and the architectural inspiration for the building, the architectural exterior features, and a visitor experience walk through. 3

4 Site Context The National Aquarium of Saudi Arabia is centrally located in a new development complex in Riyadh; the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). This is a massive development, almost a mini city in its own right, complete with a super highway ring road and a monorail system. 4

5 Prominent architects from around the world were selected to design the buildings within this complex. 5

6 A central feature of the KAFD is a green landscaped pedestrian network called the Wadi. It is recessed into the landscape to offer protection from the elements. Within the Wadi, there are a number of cultural attractor buildings including the Aquarium which is near the center. Cambridge Seven is also designing the architecture and exhibits for another cultural attraction in the KAFD : a Science Museum and Geo Climate Center. Other cultural attractions include a children s museum and a museum of the built environment. 6

7 Conceptual Design Alternatives Exhibit Storylines I m beginning this presentation with the exhibit story lines because we believe that the strongest aquarium design grows out of a process where the interpretive story and the architecture are designed in tandem. 7

8 3 Storylines We developed three alternatives for the exhibit story: Island Arabia, Global Diversity, and Arabia and the World. For each, we developed an interpretive framework, the habitats represented, and a sequential visitor experience. 8

9 Exhibit Storyline 1 Island Arabia In Island Arabia, we were proposing telling a regional story focusing on the Arabian Peninsula (which is also it s own tectonic plate) and the surrounding aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. 9

10 Exhibit Storyline 1 Island Arabia We could dig deep into the diverse habitats of the Arabian Peninsula. Some of the habitats represented include: the Arabian Cloud Forest, the Asraq Marsh, the Mediterranean Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Desert, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea. 10

11 Exhibit Storyline 2 Global Diversity In the second Exhibit Storyline, Global Diversity, we proposed taking visitors on a journey around the world concentrating on biodiversity and extreme habitats. The trip concludes back home at the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. This is the Storyline that appealed most to our client and was developed for the final design. 11

12 Exhibit Storyline 2 Global Diversity Some of the habitats included: the Amazon Rainforest, the Indonesian Savannah, the Nile River, and Antarctica, as well as the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. 12

13 Exhibit Storyline 3 Arabia and the World The third Exhibit Storyline, Arabia and the World, was a hybrid between the first two, interpreting both local and global habitats. 13

14 Exhibit Storyline 3 Arabia and the World Local and Global habitats were paired to highlight interesting contrasts and comparisons. For instance, we proposed comparing two extreme habitats: the Arabian Desert and Antarctica. 14

15 Conceptual Design Alternatives Architecture For the architecture design, we looked to nature for inspiration. We developed three different alternatives, called Vortex, Canyon, and Currents. For each alternative, we showed the idea and explored how the exterior and interior forms could express the metaphor. We presented architectural spirit images as reference. 15

16 Concept 1 Vortex The Vortex draws inspiration from the nautilus shell and the curl of a wave. 16

17 Concept 1 Vortex Plan Organization This exploded floor plan show the visitor path through the aquarium. 17

18 Concept 1 Vortex Exterior Expression 18

19 Concept 1 Vortex Interior Expression 19

20 Concept 1 Vortex Building Reference Imagery 20

21 Concept 2 Canyon The second concept, Canyon, is based on the narrow, dramatic vertical spaces found in underwater caves, marine rifts subterranean caves, as well as those canyons created by erosion. 21

22 Concept 2 Canyon Plan Organization This exploded floor plan show the visitor path through the aquarium. 22

23 Concept 2 Canyon Exterior Expression 23

24 Concept 2 Canyon Interior Expression 24

25 Concept 2 Canyon Building Reference Imagery 25

26 Concept 3 Currents Currents looked to ocean currents and flowing, rippling surfaces. 26

27 Concept 3 Currents Plan Organization This exploded floor plan show the visitor path through the aquarium. 27

28 Concept 3 Currents Exterior Expression 28

29 Concept 3 Currents Interior Expression 29

30 Concept 3 Currents Building Reference Imagery 30

31 Architectural Exterior There are a few features striking features of the architectural exterior I want to point out. 31

32 Façade Screen Intense Solar Gain Riyadh is a harsh environment and blocking solar gain to conserve energy is a prime concern. The stainless steel panels that undulate around the building provide a solar screen shading the building. This screen also creates a chimney effect which helps draw heat away from the building. 32

33 Perforations Provide Day Lighting The screens are perforated though so a controlled amount light penetrates and provides day lighting for back of house spaces, reducing energy consumption and improving work environments. 33

34 Living Rain Forests on Roof The building is capped with two living rainforest habitats: the Amazon and the South East Asian Rainforest. 34

35 Media Screen Wraps the Building One of the most dramatic features of the exterior façade is the media mesh that wraps around the entire building. 35

36 Visitor Experience Walk Through 36

37 Two Intersecting Currents The organization of the interior volumes are formed by the intersection of two currents meeting. The void created between the two currents is a wedge which defines the lobby or Grand Hall. 37

38 Currents Create a Wedge Shaped Grand Hall The Grand Hall is an immersive space, giving visitors a feeling of being underwater. Illustrations of under sea life are integrated into the terrazzo floor. Digitally controlled fiber optics embedded in the floor create a sense of water movement. 38

39 Grand Hall The Grand Hall is a tall dramatic space. An underwater atmosphere is created by lighting and media projections. A sculpture overhead also adds to the effect,. It is composed of thousands of spheres that form an undulating plane, like the surface of the water. Each sphere is internally lit and digitally controlled so together they form a low resolution wave effect. Hints of the journey to come are visible through port holes into the habitats. 39

40 Elevator Begins Journey Large scale, graceful underwater creatures are projected on the walls. Visitors start their journey around the world with a with a trip in the glass elevator to the top of the building. 40

41 Single Path The journey is a single path trip. The visitor experience is a careful orchestration of immersive habitats and returns to architectural spaces and downward ramps in the Grand Hall. 41

42 Amazon Rainforest The first habitat is the Amazon Rainforest which features tamarins and bird life. 42

43 Amazon Rainforest This clay model shows the walkway through the Amazon Canopy, the rockwork, and the planters. 43

44 Southeast Asian Rainforest The next habitat is the South East Asian Rainforest which features Gibbons and Small clawed Otters, as well as a waterfall and a living plants. 44

45 Southeast Asian Rainforest This clay model shows the visitor path, waterfall, river, and pool, Canopy, the rockwork, and the planters. 45

46 Aquatic Adaptations The level below will celebrate biodiversity and amazing animal adaptations through creatures best displayed in small jewel tanks. Some of the creatures displayed will include: Mimic Octopus, Lionfish, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, and Cuttlefish. 46

47 Aquatic Adaptations This gallery evokes the feeling of an underwater reef dive with confined spaces and restricted views. There are three sub galleries within this gallery each focusing on a different type of adaptation: camouflage, weaponry, and locomotion. Backlit graphics and interactive media integrated into the space interpret these adaptations. 47

48 Congo River Another level below is the Congo River with Dwarf Crocs, Lung Fish, and Tetras. 48

49 Congo River This clay model shows the visitor path, groundforms, the three tanks, and the faux trees. 49

50 Komodo Island The visitor enters this Komodo Island habitat as if from the ocean seeing a beach and mangrove and then moving toward the arid interior and seeing the famed Komodo Dragons. In the mangrove, a tank displays mud skippers and other aquatic animals. Overhead are finches. 50

51 Komodo Island This clay model shows the visitor path, groundforms, planters, and mangrove and beach front tanks. The Komodo Dragon enclosure is designed to accommodate two individuals separately. 51

52 Falklands and Sub Antarctic The Falklands habitat features Rockhopper Penguins on a rocky shore with a water lever at about 1.5 meters above the floor so visitors have a view above and below the water level. Visitors have multiple view of the Sub Ant Arctic habitat ; first an above water view from a gallery themed as a Sub Antarctic scientific research station, then through portal windows from a ramp in the Grand Hall, and finally a below water view from an acrylic tunnel. 52

53 Falklands This clay model show the visitor path, tank, and rocky haul out area for the Rockhoppers. 53

54 Red Sea The visitor returns to the Arabian Peninsula and sees a coral reef tank behind a floor to ceiling curved acrylic wall. Views through this tank into the Arabian Sea tank on the far side of this exhibit create the illusion of a virtually endless ocean. 54

55 Arabian Sea Visitors have multiple views into the enormous Arabian Sea Tank: along the ramp in the Grand Hall, from two levels at a double height window, from crevices in a grotto, and in an water tunnel. This tank will be inhabited by sharks, sea turtles, manta rays spotted eagle rays, bluefin tuna, ocean sunfish, jacks and other large species. 55

56 Arabian Sea A double height curving acrylic wall creates dramatic views into the Arabian Sea tank. 56

57 Interpretive Spaces Introduce Habitats This visitor pathway diagram shows how the interpretive galleries have been intermingled with the immersive habitat spaces, introducing those habitats and explaining largely ecological concepts. 57

58 Prelude Galleries Interpret Broader Concepts At the south end of the building on every level near the elevators, there is a smaller dark media gallery we refer to as a Prelude, shown as a red bubble in the previous diagram, where the visitor is introduced to the overall concept for the floor. Here, the Prelude explains Rainforest Biodiversity, as this level includes two different rainforests from opposite sides of the globe. 58

59 Galleries Introduce Each Habitat Once through the Prelude on each level, the individual habitats each have a small intimate dark Introduction gallery, shown as an orange half bubble in the previous diagram, setting the stage for the rich immersive open experience to come. On this level we begin the story with the Amazon Rainforest first, and then the Southeast Asian second. Both are hot, sun drenched, terrestrial habitats, in tall greenhouse enclosed spaces. There is great diversity of animals and plants, in the parts of the world with high biodiversity and abundant fresh water, representing the beginning of the water cycle and the apex of representing the beginning the and the apex diversity. 59

60 Porches Illustrate Parallels to the Saudi Environment After each level to the north there is another small exhibit area we refer to as the Porch, shown as a yellow bubble in the previous diagram. This is an optional gallery, with windows to the Wadi, places to sit and rest, and smaller exhibits that can tie the exotic gallery experiences with animals and habitats found closer to home in Saudi Arabia. These views to the outside occur in the slot in the skin of this exterior rendering of the building. From the north end the visitors return to the upper volume of the Grand Hall, where a ramp guides them down to the level below. down to 60

61 4D Theater Overview A theater provides an regularly new feature to attract returning audiences. 61

62 Thank you Doug. It is a pleasure to be here. My name is Elena Kazlas and I am a principal with ConsultEcon. We have been working for Cambridge Seven Associates in developing a business plan and potential start up operational strategy for the National Aquarium in Riyadh. Our firm, ConsultEcon, was founded over twenty years ago. We are an economic and management consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in United States. We specialize in aquarium, other visitor attractions and tourism development and have completed over 700 projects worldwide. We have over 3,000 Project Reference Files in our databank, which we use to inform our analysis of new and existing projects and for benchmarking analysis which is particularly informative when boards of directors inquire has this been done before and what is potential for success, and/or are we crazy for wanting to build this?. We are proud to be the leading consultant to aquarium industry worldwide. We are often hired to provide independent and objective feasibility and ConsultEcon, Inc. 1

63 business planning analysis for funding for new aquariums and existing aquarium expansions worldwide. ConsultEcon, Inc. 1

64 We are clearly living through challenged economic times however there are basic principles to ensuring successful new aquarium development or with an aquarium expansions. Through our work on over 700 projects, the following are some of the key lessons learned. Audiences are becoming more sophisticated, there is more competition, and there is increasing price resistance. Aquariums need to focus more and more on earned revenue to support operations. Renewal, change, and reinvestment are necessary to stay competitive. In evaluating new and expanded aquariums, operating sustainability is at least as important as obtaining funding for capital costs. For a founding board or development group, the most tangible aspect of a new aquarium project is often the physical facility its architectural design, concept and execution. As exciting as that is, the physical building is a shell or place for exhibits and the organization with people, ConsultEcon, Inc. 2

65 programs and services to carry out its mission. Once the facility is built, it must be operated. Very often the ongoing operating or aquarium business plan is left to the last minute or overlooked. ConsultEcon, Inc. 2

66 Planning for the Building, ConsultEcon, Inc. 3

67 the content and exhibits, ConsultEcon, Inc. 4

68 And the business, or operations, are equally important and should be considered simultaneously as part of an iterative planning process. There is balance and synergy between these three key components that must be achieved. Our business planning for the National Aquarium of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh has considered a potential cooperative operation with Cambridge Seven s other project within the same financial district in Riyadh, the Science Museum and Geo Climate Centre. ConsultEcon, Inc. 5

69 The potential benefits of a cooperative operation between the Aquarium, Science Museum and Geo Climate Centre include: Cost savings o Staff centralized accounting, administration, maintenance, legal, IT, other o Physical Space o Supplies o Other areas Benefits of Related interests between the three attraction components especially in science and climate change Cross marketing potential Cross ticketing potential Benefits of Shared / cross pollinating opportunities in such areas as o Educational programs o Exhibit development o Research ConsultEcon, Inc. 6

70 This slide shows a project planning process from inception to design, fundraising, construction, start operations to opening and beyond. As shown, many of these key development tasks occur concurrently. We are currently in the strategic business planning phase for the National Aquarium. This is critical planning to establish the organizational and business goals for the Aquarium so that the right start up operating team can be organized and put in place. ConsultEcon, Inc. 7

71 The start up operating plan for the National Aquarium will include: Establishing implementation team and on site infrastructure Establishing temporary holding, quarantine, etc. Recruiting, training and empowering local team of staff Acquiring and installing specialist equipment & supplies Acquiring and establishing exhibits and animals Preparing marketing and operational strategies in particular in preparation for the Grand Opening Post opening operations Establishing Corporate Culture and Cultural Integration which is key to long term success in communities I would like to thank my colleague, Mark Smith, who unfortunately could not join us today but has kindly shared these images and insights for this presentation. ConsultEcon, Inc. 8

72 The start up operational planning will begin soon as it will take time to create an institution, recruit, hire and train staff to prepare the facility to handle the live animals and other specimens that will be housed within it. Through my past experience in the start up of the Oceanario de Lisboa, which is shown here, and The Kuwait Scientific Centre, careful business planning and the right start up operating team are crucial to institutional success. Thank you. ConsultEcon, Inc. 9

73 Feel free to contact us with any questions. 62