Kawasaki Aquarium

Japan's first urban aquarium located within an existing commercial facility

  • Commercial Spaces
  • Pantanal Area: A recreation of the waterside of the Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetlands, located almost in the center of South America. Video of the Amazon River basin flowing in the background are combined with the scenery inside the aquarium, creating an experiential space of Video and sounds that makes you feel as if you are actually there.

    Pantanal Area: A recreation of the waterside of the Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetlands, located almost in the center of South America. Video of the Amazon River basin flowing in the background are combined with the scenery inside the aquarium, creating an experiential space of Video and sounds that makes you feel as if you are actually there.

  • Prologue: With each step, the space transforms into another tropical world, heightening the sense of anticipation as you head into the entertainment space.

    Prologue: With each step, the space transforms into another tropical world, heightening the sense of anticipation as you head into the entertainment space.

  • Tama River Zone: A reproduction of the familiar Tama River, where diverse environments are condensed. A hybrid diorama space where you can experience the ever-changing waterside environment through Video, light, and sound.

    Tama River Zone: A reproduction of the familiar Tama River, where diverse environments are condensed. A hybrid diorama space where you can experience the ever-changing waterside environment through Video, light, and sound.

  • Zone sign: Animals appear from the shade of the leaves in the chalk art, giving the impression of living animals outside the tank, intuitively conveying the rich nature of the entire aquatic area, which is the theme of the exhibition.

    Zone sign: Animals appear from the shade of the leaves in the chalk art, giving the impression of living animals outside the tank, intuitively conveying the rich nature of the entire aquatic area, which is the theme of the exhibition.

  • Lençóis Area: A combination of real sand and water, monitor backgrounds, and local sounds allows Spatial Production to experience the detailed landscape and topography of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil.

    Lençóis Area: A combination of real sand and water, monitor backgrounds, and local sounds allows Spatial Production to experience the detailed landscape and topography of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil.

  • Kawasaki Aquarium
  • Pantanal Area: A recreation of the waterside of the Pantanal, one of the world's largest wetlands, located almost in the center of South America. Video of the Amazon River basin flowing in the background are combined with the scenery inside the aquarium, creating an experiential space of Video and sounds that makes you feel as if you are actually there.
  • Prologue: With each step, the space transforms into another tropical world, heightening the sense of anticipation as you head into the entertainment space.
  • Tama River Zone: A reproduction of the familiar Tama River, where diverse environments are condensed. A hybrid diorama space where you can experience the ever-changing waterside environment through Video, light, and sound.
  • Zone sign: Animals appear from the shade of the leaves in the chalk art, giving the impression of living animals outside the tank, intuitively conveying the rich nature of the entire aquatic area, which is the theme of the exhibition.
  • Lençóis Area: A combination of real sand and water, monitor backgrounds, and local sounds allows Spatial Production to experience the detailed landscape and topography of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil.

Photo: Taichi Misonoo

About the Project

Overview This urban aquarium is the first in Japan to be opened within an existing commercial facility as part of a large-scale renovation project for Kawasaki Le Front, a commercial facility in front of Kawasaki Station. The exhibition zones are divided into areas themed around the world's beautiful waterfronts, from the Tama River that flows through Kawasaki City to Asia, Africa, and the Amazon rainforest in South America. The facility offers an unprecedented nature entertainment experience, incorporating Spatial Production of living creatures, light, sound, and Video, and a two-part system that creates different spatial Spatial Production during the day and at night.
Issues/Themes Since the facility will be located in an existing commercial facility, how can we adjust Equipment Layout within the limited space while creating a spatial Spatial Production that puts the creatures at the center?
Coordinating information sharing and the overall Spatial Production within a limited time frame amid the impact of COVID-19.
Space Solution/Realization By Spatial Production an AI exhibition system and effectively using on-site Video, we were able to recreate the feeling of being there. We also handled all of the environmental Spatial Production effects ourselves, effectively highlighting the presence of the creatures. As the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to share information in person, we introduced online communication tools and created a scheme to share the latest information with stakeholders.

Basic Information

Client MOFF Co., Ltd.
Services Provided Content creation: PICS
Spatial Production planning cooperation and production: TANSEISHA Co., Ltd.
Project Leads at Tanseisha Display Planning: Atsushi Takayanagi
Project Management: Yohei Ito
Design Direction: Mai Tsurutani
Design, Layout: Kenji Takahashi, Isamu Kobayashi, Miki Ishiai
Production, Construction: Fujisawa Manabu
Location Kanagawa, Japan
Opening Date July, 2020
Website https://kawa-sui.com/
Tag

*The shared information and details of the project is accurate as of the date they were posted. There may have been unannounced changes at a later date.