Aquariums are truly a look into another world that we're not normally privy to due to physical and technological limitations.
So when we heard that there was an existing proposal for the design of an underwater aquarium right beneath our own East River, we were beyond excited.
Piero Lissoni, an Italian architect, won a prize for his design to build a submerged aquarium island that would make people feel as if they are actually inside the water with the animals themselves.
The project was the first place winner in the Arch Out Loud contest.
The aquarium itself would represent the four oceans and four seas, while the North and South Poles would be represented by a center visible iceberg.
All of eight bodies of water would have their own transparent biome, each with their own microcosm of plant and marine life.
The different biomes would be situated on an island that somehow would be lower than the water level of the river, making you feel as if you were beneath the river itself.
The project also consists of a retractable roof, which during the day would be open to allow guests to feel as if they are beneath the East River, where as at night it would close and transform into a planetarium.
Check out some renderings of the project below.
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Check out This East River Skyway That Could Solve the L Shutdown in NYC.
[via Arch Out Loud] [Feature Image Courtesy ArchOutLoud.com]