The aquarium is house of many sea creatures and habitats. The education for people about sea creatures and habitats and preservation of sea creatures and habitats are usually the main purpose of an aquarium. But today, aquarium is used for the recreation purpose, and it can generated revenue for the owner. So aside for education and preservation, now aquarium is considered as profitable investment for recreation. Which is why the design play a pivotal role to attract the visitors.

Many aquariums undergo opened with glorious design and some went to undergo renovation to fit with unique and luxurious design for today aquarium. Here are six aquariums with the most unique and luxurious design among others.

1. Lisbon Oceanarium, Lisbon, Portugal

The Lisbon Oceanarium is located in (as the name stated) Lisbon, Portugal. The Lisbon Oceanarium is the largest indoor aquarium across Europe. Its designer was Peter Chermayeff of Peter Chemayeff LLC. The aquarium is said to be similar with an Aircraft carrier and also built into the pier on internal sea. The one that makes this aquarium looks amazing is not the huge size of the aquarium but rather its design. The aquarium is the first one to contain world ocean habitats within single environment. There are also various recreation of ocean ecosystems. All of that recreations are separated from the main tank with invisible acryllic walls. That way it looks like that all the ocean creatures are swimming in the same space.

2. AQWA, Western Australia

AQWA is an aquarium located in Hillarys, Western Australia. When it first opened, AQWA was the largest single aquarium and underwater tunnel in Australia and now it still maintain its position as the largest aquarium. Now AQWA considered as the 10th largest aquarium in the world. The theme of AQWA is an underwater journey along Western Australia coastline and divided into five areas.

Each area represents the marine life and enviroments which is unique from the different regions across Western Australia’s coast. The area are: The Great Southern, the Shipwreck Coast, the Perth Coast, the Far North and marmion Marine Park.

3. Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is located in the wold’s largest Mall, which is Dubai Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The aquarium is a part of Burj Khalifa complex which is 20 billion dollar worth. The Aquarium was developed by Oceanis Australia Group and officially earned the Guinnes World Record for the ‘Largest Acrylic Panel’ in the world, with 32.88 mm wide x 8.3 m high x 750 mm thick and the weighing is 245,614 kg. The Aquarium has a capacity to contain 10 million liters of water and the water will be illuminated. It is located in the center of the mall and situated between two acrylic tunnels which offer scenes of the various marine life within it.

Acrylic plastic is combined together to create the window in the aquarium and the Discovery Center (one of aquarium’s feature) within the mall. It is very strong and can be manipulated into variation of shapes. The acrylic walk through tunnel provides amazing close-counter experiences with some of the most interisting underwater habitats.The special system of ‘lunar-cylic’ will shift the ambience of the tank depending on the time of day.

4. Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa, Japan

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium can be visited in the Ocean Expo Park (it is located within) in Okinawa, Japan. It is a member of Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) and considered as the largest aquarium in the world. But in 2005, the Georgia Aquarium surpassed its record as the largest aquarium in the world. The name of ‘Churaumi’ was selected by public vote which means ‘chura’ is ‘beautiful’ in the Okinawa dialect and ‘umi’ is ‘ocean’. Which means the beautiful ocean.

The aquarium consist of four floors, with tanks holding corals, tropical fishes, sharks and deep sea creatures. The aquarium is built on 19,000 m2 of land, with the number of tanks are 77 and holding 10,000 m3 of water. The water is pumped from the soruce 359 m offsore to the aquarium, everyday.

Kuroshio Sea, the so called main tank, is 35 metres long, 27 metres wide and 10 metres deep. It features an acrylic glass panel, considered as the largest panel in the world, although its record only considered when the aquarium was first opened. There is an open system which the sea water is extracted from the ocean and enters the aquarium tanks and then is returned to the ocean once again. The tank, which 300m2 large has no roof, it allows the natural sunlight to illuminate inside.

5. Sea World Ancol, Jakarta, Indonesia

Sea World Ancol is an aquarium located North Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. The aquarium was built in 1980 and started to operate in 1982. Sea World Ancol was temporary closed at September 2014 but then it reopened to public again at July 2015. The aquarium include 1 Main tank, 1 shark tank and various other tanks. The aquarium also exhibits the white crocodile. Sea World Ancol’s main tank is considered as the biggest aquarium in the Southeast Asia.

Sea World Ancol’s area of 3 ha with the main building of 4,500 m2 containing various exhibits. The exhibits in Sea World Ancol are : The Main Tank, Sharkquarium, Freshwater Area, Antasena Tunnel, Dugong Tank, Ecosystem Tank, Deep Sea Area.

6. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia, US

The Georgia Aquarium is an aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was considered as the largest aquarium in the entire world until it was surpassed by Marine Life Park from Singapore. The aquarium built at November 2001 by Bernard Marcus with the purpose to encourage both economic and education growth.

The Georgia Aquarium’s design of blue metal and glass in its exterior is intended to evoke a giant ark breaking through a wave. As a vessel of education, preservation and education, the large blue metal body is represented that vessel. The ‘immersion’ is the focus of design team, its purpose is to wrap the visitor into the underwater world from the beginning to the end, while interacting with various ocean creatures in the underwater tunnel. The architects of its glorious design are Thompson, Ventulett & Steinback.