Central Coast Aquarium could reopen with new US$12m glazed facility

– Christine Johnson, executive director of The CCA
The Central Coast Aquarium (CCA) in Morro Bay, California, could reopen with a contemporary and light-filled glazed building designed by RRM Design Group.
The aquarium closed to the public in 2018, but proposals as part of a feasibility study suggest transforming the existing facility into a new 16,000sq ft (1,500sq m) aquarium.
Concept drawings outline a multi-level building with full-height glazing in places, balconies and outdoor spaces.
The new facility would house 20 hands-on interactive exhibits, created by aquatic exhibit design firm Tenji, including an exhibit that extends outside and would be visible to the public from the nearby harbour walk.
There would also be wet and dry exploration spaces, temporary exhibit spaces, flexible classrooms, meeting rooms and offices.
The council, which met on 10 March, has several months to decide whether or not it will back the project, which, according to a new feasibility study, could attract up to 66,000 visitors per year.
"A new aquarium in Morro Bay tells the story that no other community can tell: the story of two extreme and exciting environmental contrasts where the calmness of the estuary differs drastically from the wildness of the open ocean and how marine species depend upon each environment to thrive," designers said in a statement to the council.
"The goal of the aquarium is to focus on the unique estuary and open ocean environment by providing opportunities for immersive, interactive marine science learning in order to encourage good stewardship of the estuary and the ocean now and into the future."
The feasibility study estimates that it would cost US$10 - US$12m (£8 - £10m, €9m - €11m) to transform the CCA's existing space but that the new facility could attract up to 66,000 visitors per year. Morro Bay City Council now has several months to consider the proposal.
Central Coast Aquarium Morro Bay California Morro Bay City Council RRM Design Group Tenji Christine Johnson

James Corner Field Operations creates Highline for London

Esbjerg’s landmark maritime center, designed by WERK Arkitekter and Snøhetta, opens to the public

SEVEN to open world’s first indoor Discovery Adventures centres in Saudi Arabia

Fun and fear drive new Universal attraction concepts for Texas and Las Vegas

Voelker Gray Design creates 10-acre hot springs wellness haven for Atlanta

AIDarchitecten create healing spa for Antwerp's Botanic Sanctuary

Hollaway Studio's Seahive would bring blue health to South-East England

SEVEN to invest US$13bn in developing entertainment destinations across Saudi Arabia

World Spa’s expansive 50,000sq ft urban bathhouse and wellness club opens in Brooklyn

Floating Salmon Eye visitor attraction by Kvorning Design highlights sustainable aquaculture

White Arkitekter's Wood Hotel in Skellefteå Swedish Lapland is climate positive and made from local timber

Nohlab's 'Everything' installation among Noor Riyadh festival highlights

Bob Iger's return to Disney sparks major restructuring focused on creativity and storytelling

Therme Group plans US$200m urban wellbeing resort in South Korea

Digital art installation in Nanjing helps the public keep an eye on exoplanets

First glimpses revealed of flagship Blue Zones Centre in Miami

Warner Bros. and Infinite Reality launch metaverse experiences for live sports fans

Storyland Studios' Nigeria's film city project will break ground in Q1 2023

Canyon Ranch preps for major expansion with new destinations in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston

WilkinsonEyre-designed Battersea Power Station development opens as leisure district following £9bn redevelopment

Healthy cities conference to discuss diversity and inclusivity in urban planning and design

Foster and Partners reveal design for sustainable marine life centre on the Red Sea

Anaheim's US$4bn ocV!BE project approved by planners

Construction marches ahead for Saudi giga-projects Amaala and The Red Sea

HBG Design behind Michigan’s six-storey Aquadome inspired by the sun’s path across the sky

Seventh International Museum Construction Congress to be held in Norway this year

The 'world's most anticipated museum' to finally open this year

Nike's Serena Williams Building, designed by Skylab, follows the concept of flow

Saudi Arabia's Neom mega-development to include 100-mile long 'horizontal skyscraper city'

David Adjaye and Ralph Appelbaum selected for £57m International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum project
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates