flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

EHDD’s Monterey Bay Aquarium wins AIA Twenty-five Year Award

Architects

EHDD’s Monterey Bay Aquarium wins AIA Twenty-five Year Award

The aquarium set new technical standards for the building type, which still influence today, such as the flow-through seawater-based heat pump system, naturalistic exhibitions, and corrosion protection.


By BD+C Editors | January 18, 2016
EHDD’s Monterey Bay Aquarium wins AIA Twenty-five Year Award

Photo: © Bruce Damonte

The Monterey Bay (Calif.) Aquarium has been selected to receive the 2016 AIA Twenty-five Year Award, an honor that recognizes an architectural design that has stood the test of time for at least a quarter-century.

The AIA Twenty-five Year Award is given to projects that demonstrate excellence in function, in the distinguished execution of its original program, and in the creative aspects of its statement by today’s standards, according to AIA.

Designed by San Francisco-based EHDD Architecture, the structure incorporates views of the Monterey Bay, an ecosystem that is celebrated by the aquarium and has become one of its most alluring elements. Unfiltered seawater flows directly from the bay into some of the aquarium’s exhibit tanks, literally bringing the natural ecosystem indoors.

 

Photo: Steve Proehl

 

Many of the aquarium’s original technical aspects still influence similar buildings today, such as the flow-through seawater-based heat pump system, corrosion protection, and the aforementioned naturalistic exhibitions.

But the most enduring architectural aspect of the aquarium is how seamlessly it is integrated into Monterey Bay itself. The structure, and all of the two million visitors that pass through on an annual basis, become a part of the bay, witnessing creatures in habitats strikingly similar to the offshore habitats they would exist in otherwise.

Throughout the years, the flexible design of the Monterey Bay Aquarium has accommodated multiple changes that have built upon the original concept. Now, 32 years after its initial completion, the structure remains an impressive architectural feat and a popular destination for both tourists and locals.

The award will be presented to EHDD in May at the AIA National Convention in Philadelphia.

You can read more about the 2016 recipient of the AIA Twenty-five Year Award and view more pictures here.

The jury for the 2016 25 Year Award includes: Josiah Stevenson, FAIA (Chair), Leers Weinzapfel Associates Architects; José Alvarez, AIA, Eskew+Dumez+Ripple; Brad Cloepfil, AIA, Allied Works Architecture, Inc.; Roberto de Leon, AIA, De Leon & Primer Architecture Workshop; Julie Eizenberg, FAIA, Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Inc.; Julie Engh, Assoc. AIA, Highland Associates; Elizabeth Hallas, AIA, Anderson Hallas Architects, P.C.; Danielle Jones, AIAS Representative; Christian Zimmerman, Prospect Park Alliance.

 

Photos: Bruce Damonte

Related Stories

Architects | Apr 10, 2017

New Bjarke Ingels documentary gives a peek behind the curtain

The movie takes a slightly darker tone than previous projects chronicling the starchitect’s rise to prominence.

Architects | Apr 4, 2017

Architect Howard Elkus dies at 78

Cofounder of Elkus Manfredi Architects, his career spanned five decades, and included a spectrum of major design projects. 

Building Team | Apr 4, 2017

Dispelling five myths about post-occupancy evaluations

Many assume that post-occupancy (POE) is a clearly-defined term and concept, but the meaning of POE in practice remains wildly inconsistent.

Structural Materials | Apr 3, 2017

Best of structural steel construction: 4WTC, Fulton Center, Pterodactyl win AISC IDEAS2 Awards

The annual awards program, sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction, honors the best in structural steel design and construction.

Green | Mar 29, 2017

Copenhagen Zoo and BIG unveil yin yang-shaped panda habitat

The new habitat will sit between two existing buildings, including the Elephant House designed by Norman Foster.

Architects | Mar 28, 2017

A restroom for everyone

Restroom access affects everyone: people with medical needs or disabilities, caretakers, transgender people, parents with children of the opposite gender, and really anyone with issues or needs around privacy.

High-rise Construction | Mar 27, 2017

Density and tall buildings

CRTKL’s Maren Striker examines Europe’s desire to build upward.

Architects | Mar 9, 2017

Watch Frank Lloyd Wright and Buckminster Fuller discuss architecture in animated video shorts

Given more time, Wright wanted to rebuild the country and change the nation.

Architects | Mar 6, 2017

Demolished Frank Lloyd Wright buildings get new life with photorealistic renderings

Architect David Romero recreated the Larkin Administration Building and the Rose Pauson House with detailed, fully colored renderings.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021