Texas State Aquarium
Located in Corpus Christi, the Texas State Aquarium‘s aim is to “engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas, and support wildlife conservation.” To keep with this mindset, after almost three years of waiting (and, an investment of $58 million) the Aquarium’s new, 71,000 square-foot “Caribbean Journey” wing was finally unveiled. Welcoming over 50,000 guests since its grand opening. Visitors were able to view the Aquarium’s dazzling Shark Exhibit, the spectacular Coral Reef display, and an exquisite, custom-made, 1,000 square-foot, seascape mosaic mural.
Tile Magazine: The Seascape Mosaic Installation at the Texas State Aquarium
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Installation Details
| Designer | Lyons/Zaremba, Inc |
|---|---|
| Client | Texas State Aquarium |
| Location | Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Tile Type | Vitreous Glass |
| Application | Artwork, Public Art |
| Industry | Education, Public Art |
| Size | 938 sqft. |
IDEA TO IMPLEMENTATION
Julie Hartunian, Senior Exhibit Designer at Boston-based Lyons/Zaremba, Inc., one of the world’s foremost leaders in the field of exhibit planning & design for public aquariums, stated, “The mosaic project actually started after the new construction of Caribbean Journey had already begun. We kept looking at this large, blank elevator wall and kept thinking, ‘What should we do with it?’”
“This wall in the Caribbean Journey Wing leads visitors right into the exhibits,” she continued. “Our vision was to have sea animals in the mural seemingly swimming right towards the main attractions.
So, we created an underwater sea design that included many different species of sea creatures. Once our design was decided upon with our clients at Texas Aquarium, we collaborated with Artaic’s designers… and began working with different sizes and colors of glass mosaic material.”
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN & FABRICATION
The Aquarium was 27 years old when the 90,000 square feet new wing addition began construction. Interestingly, throughout the older building, there were already dozens of “old, traditional” mosaic wall designs, still quite visible. “It made such sense, adding a new mosaic wall created via a new technology for the building. And, the result? It tied everything together!” exclaimed Hartunian.
“Because our company is based in Boston, we had the ideal opportunity to see firsthand, Artaic’s space-age robots in action while creating our project. What an experience! We loved working with their entire team; everyone was accommodating, professional and I must say, very creative!”
Zaremba/Lyons specified 1,007 square feet of ¾” vitreous glass mosaic tile in 28 different vibrant colors. 270,540 actual tiles were used in producing the mural. “The mosaic really made the interior pop, as if it were an actual photograph of the sea,” added Hartunian.
DESIGNING WITH A PURPOSE
The glass mosaic tile was an ideal choice for any public aquarium project. Glass tile is a non-porous material, and is 100% moisture-resistant. There is no cladding material offering a brighter, more colorful and extensive palette of brilliant hues than does glass mosaics, as well.
“Some projects just are ideal for us,” declared Dr. Ted Acworth, CEO/Founder of Artaic. “This one certainly was. It allowed us to transform the Zaremba/Lyons design into a brilliant, glass mosaic iteration. More importantly, we believe it sets the standard for future public aquarium design worldwide.
“we’re glad to be part of the movement to bring back the art of mosaic design. Our people and our robots are always ready for the next mosaic challenge!”
