2025 West Best Projects
Award of Merit, Sports/Entertainment: Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion
Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion
Seattle
Award of Merit
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.
Owner Seattle Aquarium Society
Lead Design Firm LMN Architects
General Contractor Turner Construction Co.
Civil/Structural Engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates
MEP Engineer PAE Consulting Engineers
Exhibit Design Thinc Design
Combining living habitats, hands-on exploration and behind-the-scenes functions, the $141-million, 50,000-sq-ft Ocean Pavilion differs from other aquariums by highlighting the interconnectedness of human and marine life.
Realizing this facility required early sequencing and detailed logistical planning among the project’s three major teams. The primary reef structure involved custom CNC foam formwork, 335 tons of rebar and 720 cu yd of concrete placed in a single 22-hour pour. More than 435,000 ft of MEP and life support systems were precisely modeled and installed alongside 200-plus equipment pieces.
An overlook walk was built over and within the aquarium structure, requiring careful coordination of overlapping tower cranes, bridge falsework and reshoring. Temporary steel beams were installed to transfer bridge loads around critical life support and electrical rooms, allowing work on both features to proceed safely and efficiently.
The all-electric building and its integrated MEP and life support systems reduce energy use, while semi-closed saltwater habitats recirculate 96% of seawater. Recycled rebar and low-carbon concrete helped reduce embodied carbon by 32%. These efforts helped the project achieve LEED Gold certification. It is also targeting Zero Carbon certification.
