THE NATIONAL AQUARIUM

Baltimore, MD

Formerly known as Baltimore Aquarium, this public aquarium is located in the Inner Harbor urban renewal area of city, first opening in 1981. The aquarium has an annual attendance of 1.5 million visitors and holds 2,200,000 US gallons of water. It has more than 17,000 specimens representing 750 species. The aquarium's stated vision is to confront pressing issues facing global aquatic habitats through pioneering science, conservation, and educational programming.

The design for the Glass Pavilion expansion was by architect Bobby C. Poole of Chermayeff, Sollogub & Poole. Construction began on the Pavilion expansion in 2002, opening in 2005. It measures 64,500 sq ft, and is 120 ft high. The expansion is a postmodern building with a glass pyramid roof and a design that resembles a ship's bow and sails. It was meant to be a signature, iconic statement, elevating the image of the city. It is sculptural in form, combining triangles, a cylinder and truncated cubes, mixed with bold dashes of Mondrian color. Shortly after opening, panels of glass were shattered by bird collisions. The entire glass roof was recently replaced with bird-friendly glass.

The view was from the eight floor of my hotel, while attending the Maryland Dance Competition.