Aquascaping, a recreation of idyllic, natural underwater landscapes. An exhibition inspired by Takashi Amano, naturalist, traveler, photographer and creator of the concept nature aquarium. Don’t forget to visit it on the top floor.




Takashi Amano



(天野 Amano)
1954-2015 Niigata, Japan.

A renowned naturalist, tireless traveller, prestigious photographer, landscaper and the creator of the Natural Aquarium, Mr Amano is considered to be a 21st Century Renaissance Man, who has turned aquariums into living works of art, using plants and landscapes as major features.




His profound knowledge of nature, photography and the arts are the source of his boundless creativity and the excellence of his idyllic nature aquariums.




Takashi Amano introduced the concept of ‘learning from nature to create nature’. A methodical observation of nature, with its seasonal cycles, reveals natural aesthetics and harmony, which we can then recreate in a natural aquarium.








The word iwagumi (‘rocky formation’ in Japanese) is the recreation of an aquatic rocky landscape, as seen from a distance. In essence, the landscape is composed of an odd-number of   (three or more) rocks: the biggest and most important rock (oyashi) flanked by two smaller ones that are different from each other (fukuishi and soeishi, respectively).





The technique for integrating tree-like branches into natural aquarium compositions. Mosses and epiphytic plants are usually arranged on forks in the branches, helping to create that effect. The landscape may also include other features, such as rocks, but never as major landscape components.





A nature aquarium is an original style by Takashi Amano. It is the culmination of an extensive study of natural equilibriums, the intrinsic harmony of aquatic plants and the aesthetic and visual tenets of art and photography.

Nature aquariums are a recreation of idyllic, natural underwater landscapes, such as streams, rivers and lakes, with their accompanying plants, mosses, tree branches, rocks, gravel, etc.





A theory which states that healthy ecosystems are in equilibrium. A natural aquarium is nature in miniature; a micro-ecosystem where every organism, including plants, shrimps, fish and micro-organisms, fulfils a vital role in creating that harmony and balance.


At the aquascaping exhibition in L’Aquàrium you can enjoy the details of each aquarium and the balance between organisms. Small samples of nature in harmony that capture the essence of each ecosystem represented.