Under control

Working with forces as powerful as large tanks of water and even the might of the ocean itself, takes a specialist engineering focus. When upgrading a large aquarium facility it makes sense to choose an engineer that has a solid grounding in that area.

Thorburn Consultants' director Craig Thorburn has had long experience in aquarium structure engineering both in New Zealand and Australia. His company wore several hats in the upgrading of Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World.

"As consultants we designed a rethink of the aquarium's pedestrian flow, introducing a central hub to the attraction that allows visitors to revisit favourite elements without having to start the linear journey again," says Thorburn. "Within the hub we designed a new exhibit, Stingray Bay, and acrylic sea windows which help orient visitors who are largely underground."

The company also project managed the overall upgrade and addressed life support upgrades for existing tanks.

"We provided aquarium specialists AAT with specifications for a life support system that could be installed in three stages, tying in with the construction program and the aim of staying open throughout the upgrade."

For further details, contact Thorburn Consultants, 81 Parnell Rise, Parnell, Auckland 1001, phone (09) 3095 339, fax (09) 308 9503. Email: craig@thorburn.co.nz. Website: www.thorburn.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas