Do you think your aprtment building or condo tower is crowded with too many residents? Well try sharing your living space with 13,500 other inhabitants; that is what the aquatic creatures at the new Ripley's Aquarium of Canada will be doing soon. Currently under construction at the base of the CN Tower, the Aquarium will be the largest Toronto tourist attraction built since the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Aquarium is projected to draw an estimated 2 million visitors a year. Below is a recent shot of the construction progress.

Ripley's Aquarium with Ice Condos, image by AlbertC

Ripley's Aquarium is part of a "wave" of recent projects to colonize this area near Bremner Blvd., including Ïce Condos (seen rising in the image above), Southcore Financial Centre and Delta Hotel, and RBC WaterPark Place III. The Aquarium is strategically placed for maximum cross-traffic from tourists as well as locals next to the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre which, if Oxford's proposal for that site is approved, will certainly be drawing some huge crowds to the area.

Ripley's Aquarium Under Construction, image by Jasonzed


Ripley's Aquarium Under Construction, image by miscreant

Although our new Aquarium will not be the biggest one there is, it will still be of considerable size. When completed it will be one of the largest in North America with 1.5 million gallons of water holding 450 species of fish in its tanks. As well as being a huge cash cow for the city with an expected $35 million in annual GDP, the Aquarium will also be actively conducting breeding programs for endangered species. One of the showcase features of the new attraction will be its 315-foot moving walkway taking you through a glass tunnel below the 750,000 gallon shark tank. Also, as well as the usual Tropical, Pacific, and Atlantic tanks there will exhibits featuring our local Great Lakes enviroment (for those a little too wary to acutally swim in our lake!). The Aquarium will also include classroom space and a flexible exhibit area. Ripley's Aquarium plans to open its doors sometime this summer. Below is a rendering of the completed project.

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada Rendering, image courtesy of Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Want to know more about this project? Check the dataBase listing below or join the discussion in the Forum.

Related Companies:  Adamson Associates Architects, ANTAMEX, architects—Alliance, B+H Architects, EllisDon, Entuitive, Isotherm Engineering Ltd., Jablonsky, Ast and Partners, Kramer Design Associates Limited, LiveRoof Ontario Inc, LRI Engineering Inc., Milborne Group, NAK Design Strategies, OJB Landscape Architecture, Precise ParkLink, Rebar Enterprises Inc, RJC Engineers, Trillium Architectural Products, Urban Strategies Inc., WZMH Architects