Titanic Quarter: £12m augmented reality aquarium will be ‘world first’ - reefLIVE

The ‘reefLIVE’ project  - expected to the largest marine-life visitor attraction on the island - is being mooted as the first of a new generation of aquaria. It will combine live displays and digital, augmented reality to recreate Coral Reef, Irish Coast, Deep Ocean and Arctic environments while telling the stories of animals that it says cannot and should not be kept in captivity.

Organisers say the aquarium will open in 2022 and expect it to attract more than 300,000 visitors annually as part of the city’s post lockdown recovery.

reefLIVE Ltd Managing Director, Keith Thomas, said: “TV programmes such as the BBC’s Blue Planet 2 appeal across generations and strike a chord with a very wide audience, inspiring debate, engagement and activism about how we manage and protect our marine environment and wildlife. We believe that UK Aquaria have a responsibility to prioritise their role in promoting conservation of that environment through education and inspirational experiences.

“The aquarium will seek to address the public’s increased focus on environmental and sustainability issues using cutting-edge storytelling technology to showcase the importance of safeguarding and preserving ocean life.”

The 2,000 sq/m attraction will be part of a new generation of aquaria that offer a “truly unique and educational experience” of ocean life and will help influence and challenge behaviours that will shape the attitudes of a generation, he added.

Council officials have recommended that the proposal is given planning permission when it comes before councillors on Tuesday. It is planned for the Queen’s Road, a short distance from the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction and it is hoped will lengthen the stay of tourists who come to the city.

The reefLIVE team have previously been involved in setting up other international sea life centres, including the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, Blue Planet in Cheshire, Deep Sea World in Edinburgh and The Deep in Hull.

 The aquarium building has been designed by Ethos Architects, with the interior devised by a world-leading aquarium design team, led by Kay Elliott Architects and Theme 3.

The project will also create 50 new jobs, as well as construction roles and apprenticeships.

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