Locally based planning and design firm PGAV Destinations—which is behind popular Saint Louis Zoo exhibits such as the Fragile Forest and Big Cat Country—will helm the layout of the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station.
Currently in the design phase, the aquarium’s construction is expected to begin this fall, and completion is slated for summer 2019. The $45 million aquarium will be 65,000 square feet and hold 700,000 gallons of water in its tanks and exhibits, where visitors can see thousands of aquatic species from around the world. The aquarium will also offer a private, 8,500-square-foot event space that can be used for weddings and other social or corporate parties.
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“We love to work in our hometown,” says Emily Howard, PGAV’s lead aquarium designer and vice president. “We’ve designed around here with the zoo, the science center, the Cardinals—so we have a little resume here in town. We’re really excited to do something else here.”
See also: 5 reasons to be excited about St. Louis Aquarium
Howard says she can’t reveal too much just yet about the design, as they’re still generating ideas, “which is the exciting and fun part,” she adds. “We know that we want to tell a story that is uniquely St. Louis. We’ve taken a lot of inspiration not only from Union Station, but the fact that we have a really large river that defines our city. We want to tell a global story, too. It won’t just be limited to rivers. We’re going to tell stories about animals all over the world.”
PGAV is located in downtown St. Louis and has designed destination attractions across the country, including the Georgia Aquarium, South Carolina Aquarium, and Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida. The company has also completed projects outside the U.S., such as the Grand Aquarium inside Hong Kong’s Ocean Park. Closer to home, they’ve designed attractions at the Saint Louis Zoo, including the soon-to-be-open Grizzly Ridge, and the Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum.
St. Louis Aquarium is part of Union Station’s new, $100 million family entertainment complex. The center will include the St. Louis Wheel, a 200-foot-high Ferris wheel with 30 fully enclosed gondolas that seat up to six adults each. Construction on The Train Park, another component of the complex, is underway now. Located beneath the historic train shed, it’ll serve food and beverage from train cars and shipping containers, as well as the Fire & Light Show at the Lake (which opened last year).
