The Wildlife Conservation Society, Ocean Wonders: Shark!

The three-story Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit boasts curved aquariums containing more than 500,000 gal. of seawater and a “shimmer wall” façade comprised of 33,000 aluminum tiles. More than 115 species of marine life within the exhibit are supported by a complex aquatic life-support infrastructure that includes mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration systems. 

Through Lean construction practices, the team was able to safeguard the exhibit's schedule and mitigate cost overruns. Approximately 6,600 linear feet of underground polyethylene piping was prefabricated in up to 60-foot sections, saving considerable installation time. When fabricating the acrylic aquarium windows, a just-in-time production schedule was developed that dovetailed with the concrete placement schedule. As a result, the installation of the windows did not impede critical concrete pours.