Shedd Aquarium announces 8-year transformation, revitalization plan

The Aquarium Shed in Chicago is about to make a major paradigm shift – over the next eight years.

The esteemed cultural institution on Monday announced its Centenary Commitment, a $500 million transformation of the aquarium that culminates in 2030, the centenary of the Shed.

Phase one, covering major interior renovations, begins later this year, with an expected completion date of 2026. Phase two will begin shortly thereafter. The aquarium will remain open for the duration of the project.

The project will change much of Shedd’s mission, both on site and across the Chicago area – on water, in nature and in field research. It will include deepening service to Chicago Schools students through program improvement and outreach; Creating a modern, renewable aquarium experience through interactive and immersive exhibits, and increasing Shedd’s commitment to responding to the needs of wildlife crises around the world through research and science.

Shedd’s last major transformation has been the construction of the Oceanarium (added 1991) and the Wild Reef (opened in 2003). The existing 450,000 square feet aquarium area will not increase.

Much of the project budget is allocated to Phase One, which will modernize the interior of the iconic Beaux-Arts original building, including updating the original six historic galleries, enhancing all animal habitats, and restoring the original walls of windows that simultaneously provided unobstructed views. The Chicago skyline and lake are renovating public spaces and amenities.

“We have thousands of species in those historic exhibits and are enhancing their biology, giving them more habitat to swim in and making the experience more participatory, so it really is a reinvigoration of their habitat and the way we present it to the public,” said Dr. Bridget Coughlin, President and CEO of the Aquarium.

Pat Nabong / The Sun Times

Courtesy Shedd Aquarium

Other major changes to the Historic Gallery District include moving the science and education laboratories to the main floor, moving the gift shop to the main entrance area, and constructing a new tunnel connecting the aquarium to the aquarium. The tunnel will culminate in a glass-enclosed, 190,000-gallon, 35-foot-tall dwelling that will surround patrons as they walk “under the sea.”

“You’ll feel like you’re scuba diving without a tank, and instead of seeing the animals in just one place, you’ll see them from all directions around you,” Coughlin said.

The Caribbean Reef, which has a capacity of 90,000 gallons for more than 500 tropical animals, will also be changed to where patrons can view the animals’ daily foods by divers, although specific details are not yet available.

Courtesy Shedd Aquarium

There will also be a more coherent circulation between the buildings, said Megan Curran, chief marketing and experience officer for the aquarium. “There will be more space for guests to sit down, decompress and plan their day, so we are opening the main foyer with new seating areas. We will look into improving and renovating the North Terrace, but no new dining areas will be added. Improvements will be made to restrooms and quiet rooms. Possibly there will be The biggest transformation is on the north side of the building, as we will transform that with expansive habitats, and the most interactive and immersive experiences.”

Coughlin said many of the physical shifts are designed to increase the experiential aspects of the visit. One such experience under study, for example, is a tasting station.

“Imagine you are walking into a gallery and there is a station with small water glasses where you can taste the ocean salinity from all over the world. You can taste it as the Great Lakes, through the St. Lawrence Seaway, flow into the ocean. You can taste the deep sea hydrothermal vents of Hawaii You will be able to communicate with animals through your five senses, you will understand their biology and you will be a part of their world.”

The John G. Shedd Aquarium was designed by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, and Probst & White in 1929 and opened a year later. It is the third largest aquarium in the world, and holds 5 million gallons of water. More than 25,000 aquatic animals representing more than 1,100 species are called the home of the aquarium.

Nearly 1.9 million people have visited Shedd each year for the past two decades (excluding the 2020 pandemic shutdown) and the foundation draws nearly $360 million in annual economic impact on the city.

“We are the most attended cultural facility in Chicago,” Coughlin said. “We see more sponsors from the Art Institute and the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry and do it in less space. We try to get our square footage to work harder for us, and part of the revitalization will be a new circulation path to make your visit flow more smooth, with fewer visitors,” Coughlin said. transformations”.

The recently created time-stamped tickets have proven to be a game changer in terms of managerial ability, and will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.

Pat Nabong / The Sun Times

The entire project is a joint venture between Chicago general contractor partners Pepper/BMI Construction LLC, Architect Valerio Dewalt Train, Gallery Design Partner Thinc Design, Project Director JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), and Access Partner, the Institute for Human Centered Design, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partner Trinal Inc. According to an Aquarium Inc. spokesperson. The focus will also be on local employment, with jobs preference given to residents of Chicago’s 4th Ward (home to the aquarium) and neighborhoods near Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Hyde Park, Kenwood, North Kenwood, Oakland and the South Loop.

“We wanted diversity and inclusion to be part of the DNA of this project from day one. This includes a subset [of minority- and women-owned subcontractors and businesses] Which will come from our local booth, our local talent. “The aquarium is their backyard and we want them to be a part of that process,” Coughlin said.

“For many of our guests, we are their ocean experience, we are their connection to a wider world. So we are asking everyone to be global citizens.”