North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

This aquarium guides visitors through a journey from freshwater streams and swamps, through tidal habitats and salt marshes, and culminates in expansive marine displays. Each transition is choreographed by a spatial sequence of light, material, and vegetation.

At the heart of the building is a soaring atrium where curated plantings, ambient sounds, and the changing daylight form a living threshold between exhibition and environment. Tropical and subtropical flora frame the habitats, blurring the lines between constructed exhibit and natural system. The interplay of water, greenery, and transparent structure offers a moment of rest and reflection (an intentional pause in the flow of discovery.)

Fort Fisher is a dynamic threshold between land and sea, and it encourages a reverent attentiveness to fragile ecosystems.