Aquadom Aquarium - the beauty of the underwater world in the heart of a European metropolis

Listen to this article Travelling around the world, when we find ourselves in big, vibrant cities, we always come across characteristic building elements. I won’t look far to mention such classics as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Empire State Building in New York or the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. There are as

ByAdam Sieczkowski

Published: June 2, 2011 - 08:37

Updated: February 9, 2023 - 10:21

Aquadom Aquarium – the beauty of the underwater world in the heart of a European metropolis

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Travelling around the world, when we find ourselves in big, vibrant cities, we always come across characteristic building elements. I won’t look far to mention such classics as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Empire State Building in New York or the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.

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There are as many people as many tastes and for each of them something different will evoke admiration and delight. While the aforementioned constructions are well known on a global scale, we also come across architectural gems, which evoke a rapid heartbeat and a flush of excitement on the face, and their fame does not go beyond certain circles.

Such is the case with the Aquadom Aquarium – the largest cylindrical aquarium created by human hands. The structure, which was designed by the American company Reynolds Polymer Technology, is located in the lobby of Berlin’s four-star Radisson Hotel and is another one, after the Churaumi Aquarium, which arouses our undying admiration.

The tank, the main part of which is made of a single piece of acrylic glass, is 25m high and almost 12m in diameter, its volume is filled with about 1million litres of seawater, which makes the whole thing weigh over 2000 tonnes! The thickness of the glass walls, depending on the location, is 16-22cm. The whole consists of four parts located on a solid 9m high base. The aquarium was assembled using the largest crane in Europe!

Inside this aquarium colossus are more than 2.5 thousand animals representing 100 species. On top of this architectural gem, there is a restaurant, which can be accessed through a glass window that runs through the middle of the aquarium! Auqadom was opened in March 2004 at a cost of nearly 13 million euros.

To keep the aquarium in good order, four divers keep it clean every day between 11am and 1pm. After these procedures, feeding time comes at 2 p.m. for the Aquadom residents.

Among the inhabitants of this magnificent facility are the blowfish, hornworm, dab, napoleon, king mackerel, silverfish and many other tropical species.