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

| Nov 4, 2013

Architecture and engineering industry outlook remains positive on all major indicators

While still below pre-recession levels, all of the key indicators in the latest Quarterly Market Forecast (QMF) report from PSMJ Resources remain in positive territory.  

| Nov 1, 2013

CBRE Group enhances healthcare platform with acquisition of KLMK Group

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today announced that it has acquired KLMK Group, a leading provider of facility consulting, project advisory and facility activation solutions to the healthcare industry. 

| Oct 31, 2013

74 years later, Frank Lloyd Wright structure built at Florida Southern College

The Lakeland, Fla., college adds to its collection of FLW buildings with the completion of the Usonian house, designed by the famed architect in 1939, but never built—until now. 

| Oct 31, 2013

CBRE's bold experiment: 200-person office with no assigned desks [slideshow]

In an effort to reduce rent costs, real estate brokerage firm CBRE created its first completely "untethered" office in Los Angeles, where assigned desks and offices are replaced with flexible workspaces. 

| Oct 30, 2013

15 stellar historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects

The winners of the 2013 Reconstruction Awards showcase the best work of distinguished Building Teams, encompassing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations and additions.

| Oct 30, 2013

11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013

If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.

| Oct 29, 2013

Increased backlogs, margins lead to renewed optimism in global construction

After prolonged economic uncertainty, a majority of executives in the global engineering and construction sector have fresh confidence in the growth prospects for the industry, according to KPMG International's 2013 Global Construction Survey. A general increase in backlogs and margins is giving cause for optimism across the industry, with further growth anticipated.

| Oct 29, 2013

BIG opens subterranean Danish National Maritime Museum [slideshow]

BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has completed the Danish National Maritime Museum in Helsingør. By marrying the crucial historic elements with an innovative concept of galleries and way-finding, BIG’s renovation scheme reflects Denmark's historical and contemporary role as one of the world's leading maritime nations.

| Oct 28, 2013

Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it

Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.

| Oct 28, 2013

Metal roofs are topping more urban dwellings

Given their durability and ease of use, metal roofs have been a common feature on rural houses for decades. Now they’re becoming an increasingly popular choice on urban dwellings as well. 

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