SHEDD AQUARIUM
CHICAGO, IL | 2020–PRESENTCOLLABORATIVE PROJECT | THINC DESIGN
The Shedd Aquarium renovation reimagines the visitor experience, emphasizing biodiversity, conservation, and accessibility while honoring the character of its historic galleries. Visitors explore the extraordinary adaptations of aquatic species, fostering curiosity, empathy, and action for the natural world.
As lead designer for the Rivers, Lakes, and Amazon Rising galleries, I developed and executed immersive environments that balance modern enhancements with the preservation of historic architecture. My work included scenic design, anchor and focus tank habitats, physical and digital interactives, and thoughtful FF&E integration to enhance the visitor experience.
Amazon Rising: New tanks, including habitats for electric eels, arapaima, and giant river turtles, highlight the seasonal transformations of the Amazon River basin. Scenic enhancements foreground animal habitats while maintaining the gallery’s iconic look and feel.
Rivers: Flowing scenic elements and a new streams exhibit celebrate the biodiversity of global river systems. Interactive and interpretive updates are complemented by lighting and ceiling projections, which also highlight the gallery’s historic architecture.
Lakes: This gallery showcases global and local lake habitats with serene scenic elements, physical interactives, and lighting updates that enrich the experience while preserving the original design.
I collaborated closely with Thinc’s team and partners, including Pepper/BMI Construction LLC, Valerio Dewalt Train, and others, to align content, design, and fabrication processes.
Thinc Team: James Pase, Eric Lindveit, David Lazenby, Shahira Hammad, Jesse Loosbrock, James Hollingsworth, Lukas Thorn, Eric Hoffman, Melanie Feaster