ArchShowcase 
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Karlovac Freshwater Aquarium and River Museum in Croatia by Studio 3LHDDecember 11th, 2016 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Studio 3LHD The Karlovac freshwater aquarium is located on a site of a planned campsite by the river Korana. The building volume is partially dug into the ground and covered with earthen embankments from its outer edges. The design concept was inspired by the city’s historic center “Karlovac star” surrounded by “Šanci” – defensive earthen walls and mounds. The goal was to form a new city focal point on the right side of Korana River, to validate the promenade and make a new tourist attraction. A public square area is defined by the aquarium building surrounding it. The main pedestrian routes intercept it in three main directions: western towards the city center and the promenade, southern towards the neighboring polyvalent area used for concerts and eastern towards the main road approach and the stadium. The aquarium facilities are hidden around the square without disturbing the natural Korana valley.  The Aquarium is located on the bank of river Korana, covered with and covered with earthen embankments and embedded in the natural landscape, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic
 A square is located at the center around which all of the aquarium facilities are located: entrance spaces, souvenir shop, cafe bar, library and offices, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic
 A pigmented concrete produced by a special in-situ method was used for the façade to mimic the appearance of ground/soil, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  View of the public square and one of the building facades, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic All three parts of the aquarium building can be entered from the square: the exhibition, the reading room with a cafe bar and the office spaces. Each part has only one façade – the one oriented towards the square. The facades oriented towards the plot edges are “invisible”, their back sides and roofs are covered with earthen material and act as part of the park, playgrounds and walkways. Green roof gardens “hide” the building and preserve the natural landscape on the right Korana bank. All three parts of the building can function as separate facilities or all together as integral parts of the aquarium exhibition. The square is the starting point of the aquarium exhibition with a water surface that symbolizes the source of the karst river.  View of the facades from the river, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  View of the public square and one of the building facades, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic The aquarium exhibition displays the flora and fauna of Croatian rivers and their ecosystems, geological history, traditional culture and history of the four rivers of the Karlovac basin. The display layout follows the flow of a typical karst river – together with its flora, fauna and biodiversity. The exhibition starts outside, on the square. It continues inside the building with a system of ramps that wind like a river down into the basement level because specific plant and animal species require complete control of lighting conditions in order to survive. The exhibition layout linearly shows the different river habitats from its source to mouth, tracing its entire flow. Aquariums are placed along, above and below the visitor paths. Along the pedestrian ramps the fish are first observed from above, as they are when walking along the river; and then from the sides – they can be seen below the water surface. The visitors listen to the sounds of the flowing river, simultaneously going down the ramp system and following the river as it flows. After the headwaters (upper part of a river) the sounds quiet down, visitors plunge into caves that feature endemic species which are, in nature, often found in subterranean streams. The space expands, lighting comes from the tanks, and visitors can take a break in the central area, lay down on cushions, listen to the sounds recorded in caves, and observe the exhibited endemic species. After the cave, the visitors arrive to an aquarium with larger specimens of rare species that have disappeared from their natural habitats in Croatia. The symbolic river emerges from the underground to the surface. The visitors can observe the fish and aquatic plants that live in warmer parts of the riverbed. The aquariums are seen from the side, and then from underneath as the visitors walk into a tunnel that evokes immersion into a river. After the tunnel, visitors pass through a series of aquariums with water lilies and rushes usually present downstream, in the marshy habitats of a river. The exhibition ends with a system of cascading aquariums whose biotopes display waterfalls and a travertine barrier.  The goal of the project was to create a new focal point on the right side of Korana River and to validate the promenade, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  Aerial view of the aquarium building with the Korana River and the city of Karlovac in the background, Image Courtesy © Miljenko Bernfest Finally, a stairway and an elevator return the visitors to the entrance hall through the gift shop. A space for analysis of the technological parameters of water, a scientific research center and fish acclimatization spaces are located in the center of the layout. Karlovac freshwater aquarium is a tourist attraction based on the bio-diversity of Karlovac rivers and lakes and the rich tradition of life on the rivers Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra. It is co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund under the “Regional Competitiveness” 2007-20013 Operational Programme. The total value of the project is 36.691.939,28 Kuna’s, of which the grant from the European Regional Development Fund is 36,222,282.45 Kuna’s.  Aerial view of the green roofs that hide the building and preserve the natural landscape, Image Courtesy © Miljenko Bernfest  View from the interior of the café bar, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  The library spaces located in one of the buildings, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  The aquariums follow a system of ramps that wind like a river down into the basement level because specific plant and animal species require complete control of lighting conditions in order to survive, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  The exhibition layout linearly shows the different river habitats from its source to mouth, tracing its entire flow, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  There is a small central break area where visitors can lay down on cushions, listen to the sounds recorded in caves, and observe the exhibited endemic species, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  After the cave, the visitors arrive to an aquarium with larger specimens of rare species that have disappeared from their natural habitats in Croatia, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  A tunnel aquarium evokes immersion into a river, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  The exhibition ends with a system of cascading aquariums whose biotopes display waterfalls and a travertine barrier, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  A large space for analysis of the technological parameters of water and a scientific research center and fish acclimatization spaces are located in the center of the layout, Image Courtesy © Jure Zivkovic  Image Courtesy © Studio 3LHD  Image Courtesy © Studio 3LHD  Image Courtesy © Studio 3LHD  Image Courtesy © Studio 3LHD
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