Aquarium Berlin reopens following €10.3 million transformation

Aquarium Berlin has completed a €10.3 million (US$12.0 million, £8.8 million) transformation designed to bring the 113-year-old attraction up to modern zoological and visitor-experience standards while retaining the character of its historic building.

The aquarium marked the completion of its three-year redevelopment with a reopening ceremony on 18 August – exactly 113 years after it first welcomed visitors on 18 August 1913.

Zoo and Tierpark director Andreas Knieriem said: “There are only a few very old aquariums left in the world, such as the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco or the Shedd Aquarium in the US – in Germany, the Zoo Aquarium in Berlin is the most famous.

“Together, we have succeeded in preserving the unique character of this monument during its careful modernisation.”

The listed building extends to around 8,100sq m (87,190sq ft), with approximately 2,200sq m (23,680sq ft) accessible to visitors.

Work began in June 2023 and was carried out floor by floor while much of the aquarium remained operational.

The programme included improvements to the entrance and visitor facilities, a new lift to improve accessibility, upgraded animal habitats and the refurbishment or complete redesign of numerous aquariums and terrariums.

One of the most complex elements was the restoration of the large circular aquarium on the ground floor.

Several tonnes of artificial rockwork had to be removed before the extent of deterioration could be assessed. The tank, which holds more than 110,000 litres of water, was subsequently restored. Its acrylic viewing panels are 14cm thick and weigh up to two tonnes each.

Visitor interpretation has also been substantially reworked, with nine new interactive learning tables combining physical and digital exhibits.

Themes include the water cycle, marine conservation, the deep sea, fish, reptiles, snakes, invasive species, amphibians and insects, while animation is used to explore issues including microplastics and the importance of water as a natural resource.

New large-scale graphics interpret corals, jellyfish, reptiles, illegal wildlife trafficking and invasive species, with information presented in more accessible formats.

The modernisation has also enabled Aquarium Berlin to introduce new species, including the inland taipan – regarded as the world’s most venomous snake – alongside critically endangered Burmese star tortoises and narrow-headed softshell turtles, the vulnerable Gaboon viper and endangered Aruba rattlesnake.

Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s senator for economics, energy and public enterprises, said: “Aquarium Berlin is one of our city’s best-known tourist attractions and has fascinated Berliners and visitors from all over the world for more than 100 years.

“With renewed infrastructure, greater accessibility and modern educational offers, the aquarium is now ideally positioned for the future.”

The State of Berlin contributed €2.7 million (US$3.2 million, £2.3 million) through regional economic development funding, with Zoo Berlin financing the majority of the €10.3 million project from its own resources.

The work highlights a particular challenge facing historic zoological attractions: how to introduce contemporary standards for animal care, accessibility, interpretation and building services without losing the architecture and atmosphere that form part of the visitor experience.

Aquarium Berlin has opted for a phased renewal rather than wholesale redevelopment, retaining the character of one of Europe’s oldest surviving aquarium buildings while renewing the infrastructure and interpretation behind it.

The attraction remains open 365 days a year and takes visitors through environments moving from water to land and air, with fish and jellyfish on the ground floor, reptiles on the first floor and amphibians and insects above.