National Aquarium in Baltimore

S.B. Ballard performed the concrete work on The National Aquarium in Baltimore Pier 3 Expansion. This a 65,000 square foot cast-in-place concrete facility with slab on grade, elevated decks, 2 exterior independent architectural walls, 120 foot interior walls, habitat and tank enclosures and a 3,000 square foot underground pump room for a 35 foot interior waterfall.

Pier 3 Pavilion is five stories with the South American rainforest habitat under a 66 foot high glass pyramid located at the top. All five levels contain thematic exhibits:

Level 1: Wings in the Water Level 2: Maryland: Mountains to Sea Level 3: Surviving through Adaptation Level 4: Sea Cliffs, Kelp Forest, Pacific Coral Reef Level 5: Upland Tropical Rain Forest, Hidden Life

The pavilion is set up to travel down a spiral concourse as if you are travelling from one ocean or sea level to another: from Atlantic coral reefs to the depth of the Open Ocean.

Atlantic coral reefs are presented via the 335,000-gallon (1,270,000-litre) Atlantic Coral Reef tank, providing a diver’s eye view of tropical fish. The Open Ocean exhibit (including large sharks) is designed using the 225,000-gallon (850,000-litre) tank.

The exterior of the expansion features an interactive area designed to teach visitors about bayscaping, bird-box building, the National Aquarium’s nationally recognized Marine Animal Rescue Program, water quality testing, marine debris issues and wetland restoration. The expansion also includes public visitor parking spaces, support and administrative spaces for public use, food service, retail and catering.

Designed by Chermayeff, Sollogub, and Poole, the structure itself includes a sharply sloped glass roof, and two glass walls. Sloping from a height of 120 feet to 60 feet, these walls provided building enclosure and were constructed through cold, windy weather.

The addition features a dramatic 35-foot-high indoor waterfall, visible from the outside through the glass façade. The waterfall required construction of an “acre” of museum-quality manmade rockwork.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore states that its mission is “to stimulate interest in, develop knowledge about, and inspire stewardship of aquatic environments.”   Our team is honored to have supported that mission!