Design for education and environment: Jacksonville Estuarine Research Center

The relatively recent success of the aquarium as a tourist destination has promoted a National interest in marine life. In the past twenty years cities have built aquariums that draw millions annually to various locations, justifying financial maintenance of delicate underwater life systems and increasing local tourism. Some successful aquariums such as the Monterey and Boston city aquariums have not only effectively drawn large numbers of visitors, but also have gained architectural recognition with award winning designs, therefore adding a new dimension to the recent trend in museum design. Still, with the emphasis on tourism, an issue that has yet to be addressed is the function of the aquarium as resource center of marine life.

This proposal for the Jacksonville city aquarium endeavors to address the function of the aquarium as an institute for research and education, while utilizing the unique marine ecology setting to promote awareness of local underwater ecosystems. In this way, educational research and wildlife awareness set a new standard for aquarium design. Tourism can simultaneously emphasize inner-city urban development and promote the wealth of its existing ecology. This educational focus, in conjunction with the three states of marine habitat, establishes the basis for the aquarium design. By integrating the building design into the existing fabric of the city and focusing the research on the local rivers and habitats, the aquarium design will achieve the integrity needed to support this ambitious venture.