BIA.studio worked with the New England Aquarium on a comprehensive exhibit master plan to improve and enhance the overall visitor experience of the aquarium’s exhibit path. The master plan was tasked with strengthening and deepening the visitor experience by re-orchestrating the layers of interaction offered by the aquarium. This included improving live animal exhibits throughout and integrating other layers of experience that engage the visitor’s senses of sight, touch, smell and sounds. The project is informed by a recently adopted “Action Plan” which calls for refocusing the aquarium around the themes of “discovery” and “lasting change.”
The master plan was also tasked with identifying the “learning profiles” of different visitor categories, and identifying how the aquarium experience can be improved to meet the desired outcomes of each group. The planning process identified and evaluated different visitor perspectives and, in response, developed rich experiences along each individual’s exploration path. By offering visitors more engaging animals and deeper layers of experience, the aquarium seeks to inspire its visitors and increase the frequency of repeat visitation and membership.
