The Aquarium
Albuquerque Biological Research Park
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Area: 45,000 SF
Construction Cost: $6 Million
Major Project Spaces:
• Eel exhibit with underwater walk-through viewing tunnel
• Large fish (groupers)
• Coral reef display
• School fish display
• Shark display
• Tide pool with an actual tide surge and 500-gallon tide change tank
• Diving bird display
• "Touch pool" display
• Bat/ray display
• Multiple small specialty displays
Project Architect: Van H. Gilbert Architect
The Albuquerque Aquarium encompasses seven interior aquatic displays and one 1/2-acre exterior exhibit for a total of over 400,
000 gallons of water exhibits. The facility features a wide variety of exhibits ranging from the largest display, a 276,000-
gallon shark tank, coral reef display of 34,500 gallons, and the 31,000-gallon eel display with its underwater work-through
viewing tunnel to the functioning pool exhibit, the “touch” pool, the exterior diving birds display and several other specialty
displays.
Alvine Engineering's professionals provided a life support systems design that treats the water through methods including sand
filtration, foam fractionation for reduction of micro-particulates, and disinfection through ozone injection systems. Wastewater
from the exhibits is conserved through a collection system, cleaned and recycled back into the exhibits.
An award-winning project…
The Albuquerque Aquarium project was the winner of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties 1997 President’s
Award, New Mexico chapter.
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