Marine Aquarium & Research Center

Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology

Project idea

The site is situated in Cox's Bazar, Bangldesh. The goal was to design an Aquarium for rescued sea creatures that will serve as their habitat and preserve the endangered species. The project was envisioned as bringing new life to the waterfront area in which the site is located as well as providing a point of interest for the entire region itself.

Project description

The site is already situated near diabetic point sea beach very close to Kolatoli. The beach is very close and can be counted as a part of the site’s strongest points because it enhances the view. There is also a beautiful jhau forest next to the site. The lands are mostly vacant and there are many hotels, motels near the area. It can be counted as a potential tourist site and the project can help bring more people toward this area because it’s rather less popular than the other beach points.
The lack of awareness regarding marine ecosystems even in professional sectors is a huge gap that remains due to the lack of resources and opportunities to further our knowledge of the Bay of Bengal. The site was chosen for its close proximity to the ocean due to the large supply of water that is required to maintain the Aquarium exhibits.
In order to achieve these goals, the project had to be approached with many factors in mind, for instance, aesthetically, mechanically, structurally, etc.
The form derived from the concept of islands as if an island has risen from the ocean and is now being treated as a safe house for sea animals.

The project took a lot of analysis based on what is an aquarium and what are the uses for an aquarium.
Sea creatures are now endangered due to the pollution done by mankind. Their natural habitat is polluted and a lot of them are becoming extinct.
So it is our duty to preserve them and let the world know about their existence.
There are many types of galleries including jellyfish gallery, sting ray gallery etc. There is an exterior dolphin pool outside for shows and also there is a shark tank. The journey inside the aquarium will be exciting for a visitor and also they will be able to learn a lot about sea creatures that will help them value the marine life.
The vertical movement of this complex is served by a continuous ramp, that is surrounded by a huge tank. The tank is served as the main tank and almost of kinds of animals will be preserved in it.
There will be a dry museum gallery, an artificial forest, and also an audio-visual center.

Technical information

The whole complex will be mechanically ventilated. The aquarium galleries are supported by machine and service rooms in the back. The machines will also support the building from below and underneath every floor. There will be lighting, heating system in the fish galleries. There will also be water filtration system along with water pressure balancing systems. Some of these are more well illustrated in the sections.