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  • Author(s): Weeks, Katie
  • Source:
    Contract. Oct2003, Vol. 45 Issue 10, p64-67. 4p. 2 Color Photographs, 1 Diagram.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      CONVENTION facility design & construction; HAMMEL Green & Abrahamson Inc.; CONSTRUCTION contracts; PUBLIC buildings
    • Subject Terms:
      DULUTH (Minn.); MINNESOTA; UNITED States
    • Abstract:
      Tapping into its surroundings in both design and content, the Great Lakes Aquarium, designed by the construction company Hammel Green& Abrahamson Inc. (HGA), celebrates Lake Superior Center through education and interactivity. Majority of projects will hardly ever go exactly as planned. Such was the case with the Lake Superior Center. Already involved in the design of the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minnesota, the project organizers found themselves stranded. Although they had partnered with a design firm to create the initial concept, they were left with a building they could neither build nor afford. But in searching for help to complete the project, they found a lifesaver in HGA, which scaled down the original plans and reshaped them to better align with the Center's goals. Since Lake Superior contains 10 percent of the world's surface water, the Center and aquarium aim to serve as lenses for interpreting the role of fresh water on the planet. The aquarium operates in two seasonal modes, entertaining and educating the public during the summer, and serving as a teaching institution during the school year.