Vancouver, BC
A renovation of the existing Arctic exhibit – including above ground viewing areas overlooking the beluga habitat, and the dramatic underwater viewing gallery – brings current Arctic issues to life. Themed “Canada’s Arctic, in the Grip of Change”, the re-imagined gallery focuses on one of the most rapidly changing habitats in the world, yet one with which most southerners are largely unfamiliar.
The experience begins with “where is the Arctic?”, then counters common perceptions of the North as a white and barren place – through rich and colorful imagery and living displays of the diverse animals and indigenous people who call the Arctic home.
The gallery prototypes ideas which the Aquarium may develop further in the next planned expansion. Interactive multi-touch tables invite visitors to explore multimedia articles and current news, and to view the ‘top of the world’ overlaid with changing ice coverage, animal ranges, shipping lanes, and international territorial claims. Touch screens display blog posts from Aquarium researchers’ current Arctic trips, and invite visitors to pose questions and engage in conversations with researchers and with one another.
Current research exhibits reveal how little we still know about the Arctic and its living systems, even as those are quickly changing. Mechanical and media interactives allow visitors to view and ‘participate’ in this research, by counting growth rings on fish ear bones under a video microscope, comparing beluga vocalizations with and without intrusive noise from passing ships, or conducting a lab study on the diet of a Greenland shark.
Design team lead, concept through production documents and fabrication supervision; with the Vancouver Aquarium.