A scenery of wall collage and light allows visitors to immerse themselves in the underwater world upon entering the foyer. Attuned to the ocean environment, they then walk into the historic, two-story circular building. The ‘variety in the sea’ can be admired in the surrounding tanks and basins: seahorses, corals, jellyfish, fish with a plethora of fins… But which fin belongs to which fish? You can find out by using two turntables at the exhibit under the flight of stairs. In the upper section, sharks circle the round tank. Isn’t it amazing how their rough skin produces less resistance than smooth skin?

A lock leads to the deep-sea research station. In front of the ‘windows’ (screens), plenty of floating activity can be observed. The rounded shapes of the ceilings and frames as well as the metallic surfaces resemble nautical vessels: Similar to a submarine gliding through the furthest reaches of the ocean, visitors can explore the fascination of the deep sea here. By cranking the rotating wheel, they reach deeper and deeper realms, let bioluminescent organisms light up, experience how intense the pressure under water is, and take a close look at microplastics in the laboratory.

The panoramic basin with its disc and rounded shape arching towards the ceiling creates a flowing transition to the ‘water world’ – the freshwater area of the aquarium. Wave lights on the ceiling of the historic main building encourage people to fully immerse themselves in the underwater mood. The cartesian diver, known to many as the ‘bottle devil’, demonstrates how fish sink and reappear using their swim bladders. As we break surface, we leave the aquarium and go ashore, ready to explore the terrarium.