One-Year-Old Blue Planet to Be Renovated
John Hill
7. abril 2014
Photo: Adam Mørk
Despite record-setting attendance, the 3XN-designed aquarium in Denmark will undergo a major renovation.
Since its completion in March 2013, Denmark's National Aquarium, the Blue Planet, designed by Copenhagen's 3XN, has attracted 1.3 million visitors, making it one of the top-five most visited attractions in the country. And even with architectural awards, like the Display Award at last year's World Architectural Festival (WAF) in Singapore, the largest aquarium in Europe is planning a renovation with a budget of 12.5 million kroner (€1,675,000 / $2,300,000 USD).
Photo: Adam Mørk
According to The Copenhagen Post, "20 percent of visitors in a Megafon survey said they were dissatisfied with the current set-up." Further, Mette Broksø Thygesen, the commercial head of the Blue Planet, said: "The professional competency is fine, but the form, methods, mechanics and electronics haven’t functioned well enough. We are changing it all." They are hiring Stuttgart's Atelier Brückner – which designed the exhibits of the BMW Museum – to design the renovation that is planned for completion mid-2015.