The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, has been selected for the 2016 American Institute of Architects' (AIA) Twenty-five Year Award. Designed by EHDD of San Francisco, and completed in 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a "light-filled ensemble of diverse spaces, unique among aquariums in its interweaving of indoors and out," says the AIA. The award is presented yearly to a project that has "stood the test of time by embodying architectural excellence for 25 to 35 years."
"Flexibility and adaptability are the great hallmarks of sustainability, and the aquarium’s construction is as sophisticated as its design," commented the AIA. "Monterey Bay Aquarium set new technical standards for aquariums, which still influence today, such as the flow-through seawater-based heat pump system, naturalistic exhibitions and corrosion protection. Most remarkable perhaps of all the technical achievements is that the aquarium’s flexible design has accommodated multiple changes over the years which have built upon its original concept."
The award will be presented to EHDD in May at the AIA National Convention in Philadelphia. You can read the AIA's complete statement, here.
