Overview: Overview: Year after year, visitor satisfaction consistently rates high at the New England Aquarium. However, during busy times of the year, some visitors report dissatisfaction with ticket wait time and the congestion of the lobby experience. Staff also identify the entrance lobby as being too small to handle entering and exiting visitors and is a major bottleneck before the exhibit experience can begin.

Details: Working closely with NEAq’s in-house design staff, BIA developed a sequence of design changes to the overall entrance experience, with the goal of improving ticketing efficiency and creating a lobby experience that will heighten a sense of anticipation and excitement for the live animal experiences inside:

• Modification of the existing freestanding ticket kiosk to serve as the new gift shop
• Elevation of the exterior plaza to be level with entry
• Modification of the existing gift shop to become the main ticketing space
• Modification of the existing lobby to be larger and more open
• Reprograming of the lobby to provide orientation and create anticipation
• Incorporation of a large-scale LED wall display to create excitement
• Inclusion of interactive “choose you own adventure” screens near entry