March 17, 2014—Global resin flooring experts Flowcrete recently announced that the company was chosen to develop a unique flooring solution especially for the new National Aquarium Denmark, Den Bl Planet (The Blue Planet), that reflects light to create a captivating underwater illusion.
The Copenhagen-based aquarium is Northern Europe’s largest, and is set to become the country’s newest architectural landmark, having already won awards for its stylish design, notes Flowcrete. The building, by Danish architects 3XN, flows in the shape of a giant whirlpool, with organically curving walls, innovatively integrated water features, and shimmering floors—all designed to make visitors feel immersed in a marine environment.
A key part of this illusion is the swirling, watery lights cast onto the floor of the aquarium’s viewing areas. To create this required a smooth, light-reflective surface, custom designed by Flowcrete, which was installed using unique application techniques. This effect is most dramatic in the main entrance room, which is lit up with flickering lightspots across the floor. This effect is produced by lamplight falling in waves onto the flat resin surface, adding to the visitor’s impression of having been transported beneath the ocean.
The chosen floor also had to be strong, reliable, easy to maintain, and able to withstand heavy and continuous traffic from the 800,000 anticipated annual visitors, notes Flowcrete.
To create the desired finish, 6,600 m of Flowcrete flooring solutions were installed throughout the aquarium. 5,000 m of the highly resistant, epoxy resin coating Flowcoat TL was used in the public areas and technical rooms of the building, and 1,200 m of Flowseal EPW was installed in the stairwells to ensure an easy-to-maintain, dust-free environment. 200 m of the sealer Peran WW was also installed along the walls of the aquarium to provide a hygienic yet simultaneously attractive, gloss finish.
This combination of systems created a smooth, solvent-free, anti-slip floor surface with a crisp color that would be able to retain its appearance and functionality in the face of heavy use, says Flowcrete.
These high-performance coatings can also withstand chemicals and abrasions without deteriorating, says the company. The seamless, hard-wearing properties of Flowcrete’s solutions make them a hygienic but low-maintenance choice, as dirt can be easily removed from the surface without being caught in cracks or gaps in the floor.
The Blue Planet opened in March 2013 and soon won the Completed Building Display category award at the World Architecture Festival 2013. Located on the seafront of the island of Amager, the unique shape of the building connects the sea to the land, with pools of water flowing up the sweeping façade, which is covered in silver plates that reflect the sky like the sea.
Some 7 million liters of water and 20,000 animals are contained within the five circulating arms of the building—which is reportedly not only an eye-catching design but also highly functional, as each arm contains different themed exhibits and can have extensions built without impeding the other sections.
