AQUARIUMS
THE BIG BLUE
Blue Reef Aquarium
T
he opening of the £4m (4.4m, sum. Blue Reef’s MD, Ian Cunningham,
$6.7m) Blue Reef aquarium at the now runs the enlarged Aspro UK operation.
recently opened on the
centre of Bristol’s regenerated But the opening of the Bristol site in
site of failed Millennium
Harbourside is, in many ways, business November 2009 still represents a leap into
project Wildwalk. Julie
as usual for a management team that has uncharted waters for the brand. It’s the fi rst
been developing aquariums for a decade. Blue Reef Aquarium to be situated in the
Cramer meets some of the The company’s fi rst site launched in heart of a city, and the fi rst in Europe, the
its unusual residents and
1999 in Newquay (a former Sea Life centre), company says, to incorporate an Imax 3D
then Portsmouth and Tynemouth (2001) cinema as part of the experience. To add
fi nds out why expectations
and Hastings (2007). The company now to the challenges, Blue Reef has taken over
are high that the attraction,
sits within a wider portfolio of attractions a 6,000sq m (64,500sq ft)-plus site that has
along with the existing
spanning numerous European countries, had a troubled history as a visitor attraction.
after it was acquired by Spanish leisure It occupies the former home of Wildwalk,
IMAX, will be a success company Aspro in 2008 for an undisclosed an ecological science attraction built
ABOUT EXPLORE-AT-BRISTOL
A
fter deciding to close two parts of the a medical supplier in the US, the machine Another highly popular exhibition, which
original Millennium-funded At-Bristol allows people to “see through” their skin to opened in summer 2009 and is running for
project, the charity has channelled its watch the blood running through their veins. three years, is Animate It!, which has been
energies into making Explore a lead- developed in conjunction with
ing science and discovery centre. locally-based Aardman Animations
In autumn 2009, the drip-feeding of Wallace and Gromit and Morph
of new exhibits onto the science fl oor fame. It represents the third collabo-
began, which expands on an existing ration with Aardman, but is much
area entitled Your Amazing Brain and more advanced in terms of visitor
focuses on the wonders of the human interactivity, says Explore’s Zoe Fox.
body. Financed by a £1.5m ($2.4m, The exhibition has numerous
1.7m) Wellcome Trust grant, the hands-on stations, where visitors
exhibition, All About Us, will be fully can do simple animations sketches,
operational by February 2011. control the lighting on the set of
The centre’s in-house specialist A Matter of Loaf and Death, and
prototype team will, until that time, be produce an animation fi lm that can
user-testing a range of new exhibits, Science attraction Explore offers hands be downloaded, via their entrance
including a VeinViewer. Sourced from
on activities for all age groups
ticket, to their computer at home.
64 Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010
©
cybertrek 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86