Journey of Discovery
The Aquarium has a Journey through the water ways and Seas of New Zealand. Starting at the Southern Mountains and then following the course of the water through Streams, creeks, Lakes, Rivers into the Mangroves and out into the Harbours of New Zealand. The coastal journey is representative of the various coastlines and reefs around New Zealand.
Features of the New Facility include but not limited to the following:
- Bush Walk with live plants bush and freshwater stream;
- Enhanced and enlarged display areas to improve the tourist, visitor experience;
- The Joan Wiffen dinosaur fossil collection; The William Collenso shell collection;
- The Glassed Water gallery with changing display, exhibitions, Green walls and sculptural poetry walls by Sam Hunt.
New and expanded breeding facilities and recovery programmes:
- Kiwi recovery programme;
- New Zealand native frogs and lizards;
- Fisheries enhancement through the breeding and release of eggs and fry of key fish species into the Bay;
- Bird and reptile hospital facilities;
- Emergency response wildlife recovery unit.
- New research laboratories and workspaces;
- Laboratories to support research scientists using the outside living-laboratory tanks;
- The East Coast LAB Centre for tsunami and earthquake research;
- Waikato Centre for Coastal Science.
New teaching and outreach facilities:
- A 200 seat theatre for public lectures and events;
- Student laboratories;
- Workspace for school programmes;
- Educational displays on pests animals and plants, pollution, biodiversity and other topical subjects;
- Robotics and technology in conservation and marine science;
- A hub for the city end of the Cape to City wildlife corridor project.
Layers of Information
Prehistoric Species and Geology – With the additional of the Joan Wiffen dinosaur fossil collection and the William Collenso shell collection, we can discover these wonderful sciences in new purpose made facilities;
Flora and Fauna – We propose to introduce real planted gardens to all of the exhibits, thus giving a real close experience to nature and creating a clean air environment for the facility;
Insects and Reptiles (Endemic, Indigenous and Endangered Species) – one of the most important creatures of the ecosystem yet largely overlooked is the important role that Insects and reptiles play, we will present new ways to look at these ancient creatures;
Fish – We propose having New Zealand’s largest collection of Fish species, that can educate the visitors to what is in the waterways of this country and the amazing facts and mysteries that they hold;
Stories, Art and Song – Maori have lived for centuries the whole length and breadth of the country and over time have described most facets, of the soul of the land and sea. We investigate how the land and sea influenced Maori legend, popular songs and todays poets. We propose making the visitors journey one for the soul as well.
Site
In the design of the building and the placement on the site, I have not designed the building to extend the seaward boundary as this creates problems for the Resource Consent. I propose that that the existing site for the aquarium, takes in a boundary relocation to fit in the car-parking and other amenities into the Aquarium building site.
I have designed the building to be a long and low formation, this was designed in an attempt to reduce the visual effect for the residences that look out to the sea. It is noted that there are existing trees that partially obscure the views to the sea.