INSIGHTS

2021.03.23

R&D DISCUSSION Vol. 30

How to create a "water mass" that attracts adults
Sunshine Aquarium "Oasis in the Sky" [Part 1]

Gen Nakamura Aquarium Producer

R&D DISCUSSION TOP

Q: Since opening in Sunshine City, Ikebukuro, Tokyo in 1978, Sunshine Aquarium has been loved as a representative urban aquarium. In 2011, Nakamura-san produced the exhibits for a large-scale renovation that transformed it into an "oasis in the sky." How did this concept come about?

A: The fact that the aquarium is located on the rooftop of a skyscraper, the only one in the world, is also a major weakness of this aquarium. First of all, there is no sea nearby. Many of the successful aquariums in Japan are located near the sea. In fact, the exhibits of sea creatures themselves do not attract many visitors. Elephants and giraffes at the zoo are overwhelmingly more popular with children than fish. Aquariums are facilities where families and couples, mainly adults, stop by after visiting the sea. It is only by having the immensely attractive "sea" as a backdrop that people can gather. Also, while most popular facilities have huge aquariums and dolphin pools, Sunshine Aquarium is limited in the amount of water it can use due to the load capacity of the rooftop that was set at the time of the building's construction. The seawater must also be purchased and carried to the rooftop. The concept of an "oasis in the sky" was used to take advantage of the biggest weakness of being on the rooftop of a building, far from the sea. It is the feeling of an oasis that is easy to go to and more refreshing than the sea, in the middle of a dry city.

First, we decided to target women, an idea not seen in conventional aquariums. The area around Sunshine City is an office district lined with high-rise apartment buildings, and even on weekdays many young women come to shop. If we could attract even 10% of them to the rooftop where the aquarium is located, visitor numbers would increase significantly. If they would dress in trendy fashion and take photos in front of the aquarium and post them on social media, it would be an extremely effective form of advertising. As I said earlier, the secret to the success of an aquarium is to make it a facility that adults, not children, can enjoy, but it is actually few adults who are interested in fish, and the vast majority enjoy the world that unfolds inside the aquarium. After visiting aquariums all over Japan and closely observing visitors, I realized that what is required of an aquarium is the "unreality of the underwater world." How to express a fascinating underwater world---I define this as "Water mass Water The aquarium is called "Sunshine Lagoon" and has a low ceiling, so the main attraction was the "Sunshine Lagoon". The 240-ton tank, which is at the very limit of the facility's load capacity, is only a medium-sized tank by national standards. In the first place, tanks used in aquariums only appear to be about 70cm deep due to refraction, even if they are 1m deep. Therefore, we used visual effects to create a sense of spaciousness beyond the actual depth and height. The hint for this came from the various techniques used in theater. When I watched the musical "Phantom of the Opera", I was captivated by the way the lighting was applied to the horizon curtain and props used in the background, and the way the lighting was applied to the props, and how the sense of depth was freely expressed depending on the color. That's why I don't remember the story at all (laughs). By applying this to the aquarium, we created a lighting and color production called "Horizon Blue", which creates a background that changes gradually from bright sun-colored lighting and white coral sand in the foreground to emerald green, cobalt blue, dark blue, and dark jet black at the very back. Also, the shape of the tank is not a perfect circle but a "round rice ball type," but because the acrylic surface in the foreground is an arc, the viewer's brain perceives it as a giant perfect circle. The bottom of the tank is gently inclined toward the back, and the placement and color of the artificial rocks are ingeniously used to create a greater sense of depth. It is a "water mass" that, while keeping the amount of water low, allows you to feel as if you are diving into the endless coral reefs of the South Seas.

Oasis in the Sky "Sunshine Lagoon" (2011)

Q: The outdoor area has been transformed into a tropical resort-like green garden, and is a space where you can enjoy the aquariums scattered around, walking around as if you were strolling through an urban oasis. The donut-shaped aquarium "Sunshine Aqua Ring," where sea lions swim gracefully in the air against the backdrop of skyscrapers, was particularly popular when it was renovated.

A: The previous outdoor area was mostly exposed, hot from direct sunlight in summer and cold from the north wind in winter, and the white tent roof to protect from rain and sunlight gave a cheap impression. The symbolic exhibit that transformed it into an "oasis in the sky" is the "Sunshine Aqua Ring". After that, in 2017, when we renovated the area near the exit, which had not yet been started in the outdoor area, under the title "Oasis in the Sky Chapter 2", we used the same method to create a "sky path" that allows you to view the pelicans from below, and completed a route that allows you to reach the exit without getting wet in the rain. In fact, the exhibition tank also serves as a rain shelter, and it was a two-pronged idea that compensated for the fact that we could not install a new roof due to the Building Standards Act with something other than a roof. And since the water reflects sunlight, it also has the effect of softening the strong sunlight in summer, and the flickering light that penetrates the tank also plays a role in creating a fantastic scene.

In addition, "Penguins on the Grass" and "Penguins in the Sky" were created during the 2017 renewal. When we think of penguins, we usually think of them exhibited on rocks or ice, and they are often thought of as not moving around much, but the Cape penguins here live on the warm coast of South Africa, making their nests in grass on the coast or in flower beds in homes, and living surrounded by flowers and greenery. They are very curious and are great swimmers. "Penguins in the Sky" is a world-first exhibition method that uses the aquarium as a wall and brings out the lively, natural appearance of the penguins against a backdrop of a blue, endless sky that resembles the underwater world. A single huge acrylic wall, 13 cm thick and 12 m wide, gently curves and covers the heads of visitors, and is supported without any materials that block the view. The shallowest point is only about 20 cm deep, but the penguins swim as if they are flying leisurely through the blue sky. What was needed was not depth, but surface area. It's also interesting to be able to see the penguins up close like never before. From time to time, fish to feed them pop out from small holes in the walls on the left and right sides. It is said that the reason penguins at the aquarium only come onto land is because they are usually only fed on land, so this is a device to encourage them to dive into the water.

We also used color gradations here. The gradation of blue in the water created by the difference in depth, and the gradation of blue in the sky that spreads out above and in front as a borrowed landscape, overlap and merge in the middle, creating a sense of depth and spaciousness that is greater than an actual aquarium. It looks much more enjoyable than before, as the penguins swim around curiously gazing at the scenery of skyscrapers and visitors, just like wild penguins searching for food in the sea.

Oasis in the Sky Chapter 2 "Sky Pass" and "Penguins in the Sky" (2017)
Continued in Part 2

PROFILE

Aquarium Producer

Hajime Nakamura

Nakamura Hajime

Born in Mie Prefecture in 1956. After graduating from Seijo University (majoring in marketing), he joined Toba Aquarium. He worked as a zookeeper, then head of the planning department, before becoming deputy director and successfully renovating Toba Aquarium. In 2002, he left Toba Aquarium to become Japan's first "aquarium producer," and has been involved in the renovation of numerous aquariums, including Enoshima Aquarium (Kanagawa), Sunshine Aquarium (Tokyo), Kita no Daichi Aquarium/Yama no Aquarium (Hokkaido), and Mariho Aquarium (Hiroshima), as well as writing numerous books about aquariums. He is also an advisor for the revitalization of tourist destinations nationwide, and serves as chairman of the Japan Barrier-Free Tourism Organization and the Ise-Shima Barrier-Free Tour Center.

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Update : 2018.09.21

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