Aquariums

 Aquariums are some of the most iconic or well known structures within a certain area. I'm sure that you have been to an aquarium at least once, whether it be with family and friends or maybe solo just to appreciate the diversity of aquatic life. Or maybe still you use the aquarium for research purposes or as artistic reference. We all have some notion of these structures, from small local buildings that house a few large tanks of local fish all the way to huge complexes that contain species from around the globe, we all know what an aquarium is. But something that less people seem to ask is why?

First I wish to provide some background. While people have been keeping fish for centuries, mainly in ponds, glass structures containing fish didn't appear until the 1700s in England (Aquarium, n.d). It was not until 1853 that the first display focused aquarium would be shown to the public. This was the fish house opened at the London Zoo (London Zoo, n.d.). Eventually this inspired other people to build similar display focused structures around Europe. Eventually such structures made it to the United States such as the addition of aquariums to The American Museum in New York city in 1856. It wouldn't be until 1904 when the first building dedicated to aquariums would be opened in the United States, that being the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit, Michigan. Unfortunately this aquarium was closed permanently in 2005 (Bell Isle Aquarium, n.d). Afterwards a variety of Architecture dedicated to aquariums sprang up all across the country from the early 1900s all the way to the 1990s.

 But why build these pieces of architecture to house these aquatic lifeforms and share them with the public. Why were certain aquariums founded and made? What is their overall purpose, to be a beacon of education, to provide a place for aquatic species to be rehabilitated or perceived, or to use these oceanic themes to entertain the masses. In this exhibit we will explore these areas of purpose from The National Aquarium in Baltimore to the Sea Life park Hawaii as we explore the reasons why they were constructed and why they took the shape and form they did.