Melbourne Aquarium: cnr Kings Way and Flinders Street, MELBOURNE

Building Profile

Location

Construction Details

Built in the Nineties period in the Modern style

Notable features

Designed to resemble a ship moored to the river, and opened in January 2000. The depth of the building however was designed not to be imposing at street level, and extends 7 metres below the surface. At its centre is a world first, 2.2 million litre 'oceanarium in the round' where the spectators become the spectacle to the marine life swimming around them.

Soon after opening, the building had a legionnaires disease outbreak that resulted in 2 deaths and another 60 people being affected. Those affected had visited the aquarium between April 11 and 27, 2000. A damages action was brought in May 2000, ending in February 2004.

The Melbourne Aquarium recently underwent a significant expansion and extends all the way from the Yarra River to Flinders Street. A new entrance has been built on the corner of Flinders and King Streets.

History

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