Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium

The Sobela Ocean Aquarium brings an incredible educational experience to the Kansas City community and its visitors. The 72,0000 square foot building within the Kansas City Zoo campus houses 34 exhibits and 650,000 gallons of water populated by species representing biomes across the world, including a 400,000-gallon shark tank. The project uses the concept of marine currents as a framework to present this diverse aquatic collection in a way that is cohesive, meaningful, and immersive. In addition to successful DBE involvement through construction, the aquarium was designed to provide engaging, accessible education to the whole community.

The Sobela Ocean Aquarium exemplifies an extraordinary level of complexity and ingenuity in its construction. Overcoming numerous challenges to create a truly unique and remarkable facility, including challenging site constraints, infrastructure integration, complex life support systems, custom exhibit theming, unique acrylic panel installation, phased turnover and early biological cycling, and complex concrete work.