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New York's Aquarium of the Future Has Icebergs and Pods of Sharks

Would you visit an Aquatrium submerged in NYC's East River? One architecture firm hopes so.

Courtesy Lissoni Architettura

The proposed project would turn an area of Queens into a futuristic aquarium.

The skyline of New York is impressive on its own, but a Milanese architecture firm has an idea that will upgrade an already stunning view of Manhattan's skyscrapers from Queens. Take a look from the Aquatrium, a submerged aquarium complex on the East River, not far from the Midtown Tunnel, dreamed up by the Lissoni Architettura design firm.

In this proposal, a manmade basin juts out into the river, and visitors can explore on foot or on the water. Guests can walk along the outer boardwalk, stop to sail in the basin's lake, or detour to the public park that doubles as an island in the center of the Aquatrium. Finally, as the boardwalk reaches the river, guests can descend into a sunken immersive aquarium, where large bubbles represent the Earth's biomes—one each for the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern oceans, along with the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Tasman, and Red seas. One would contain an iceberg, another mangroves, with marine life like sharks roaming through their respective transparent bubble.

The submerged Aquatrium would also feature a retractable roof for inclement weather in the open aquarium. At night, the roof— inspired by a seashell—transforms the aquarium into a planetarium, with the night sky projected onto the ceiling.

Courtesy Lissoni Architettura

The manmade basin would jut out from Queens near Roosevelt Island.

Sadly, the futuristic concept won't likely pop up in Queens anytime soon. The project was the winner of an Arch Out Loud speculative contest, meant to generate ideas for an underdeveloped portion of land in the city's borough. But locals and visitors alike would likely welcome a nearby alternative to the Coney Island aquarium, which is currently best option around.

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