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Between the mass of form and the detail of texture, window openings define a middle realm and focus the building toward the lake. To maximize views, the building has been elevated at the shore's edge, where it creates a landscape of its own.

A ramp leads up from a lakeside boardwalk, and above, a large bay window in a cantilevered exhibit area looks out over the lake and Duluth's Ariel Lift Bridge and downtown. Along the building's sides, cantilevered forms project visitors out from the building and into the site.

Inside the 62,000-square-foot (5800-square-meter), $34 million facility, large volumes and the exposed steel structure high overhead express the drama and scale of the landscape. At the human scale are details in stainless steel, copper, and Lake Superior granite — all materials of the region. Their colors reflect the natural colors found year-round in the Lake Superior landscape.

In awarding HGA an American Institute of Architects Honor Award for the Great Lakes Aquarium, judges commended the interpretive strength of the construction methods and materials. They also commended the vigor of form-making and effective use of color that link the building to the region.

Inside the Exhibits

In the lobby, a 28 by 50-foot (8.5 by 15.2-meter) wall of sandblasted glass panels covered with cascading water greets the visitor. "We wanted to make an immediate, powerful statement about the overwhelming scale of water," says Hill.

Symbols used by the region's diverse cultures have been left clear in the glass and serve as windows into the exhibit spaces. "Connections are made throughout the exhibits to historical, geological, natural, and cultural issues," says Hill, "They include the importance of geology in forming Lake Superior, and the stories of the different peoples who have lived here — how they have transformed the lake, and how the lake has transformed them."

To reach the main exhibit areas on the second floor, visitors take the "Immersion Experience." This escalator ride through a darkened space separates the visitor from outside distractions, and highlights key themes of the Lake Superior region. Wood panels create virtual rock walls to simulate the craggy cliffs of the lake, and video projections provide dynamic images of seasonal changes. "It's a quick ride," says Hill, "but it cleanses the sensory palette and prepares visitors for the experience ahead."

The focus of the main exhibit hall is its habitats, five large tanks that form pools and ponds interpreting the lake's natural conditions, wildlife, vegetation, and geology.

Since it opened in July, 2000, the Great Lakes Aquarium has hosted some half-million visitors, establishing itself as a major destination on the Duluth waterfront.

"It's a very distinctive building that's interesting on the lakefront. That's what we're hearing from people," says executive director David Lonsdale. "And on the inside, the building has perfectly accomplished what we wanted it to do. The architecture is simple and low-tech, so the exhibits take center stage."

One of the central purposes of the building and its program is to create a heightened sense of compassion for nature and the environment. In this context, says Hill, the building becomes a secondary piece of a much larger mission: "I think the center will help people see, in a physical way, conceptual ideas about stewardship of the lake and freshwater issues on a global scale."

Katharine Logan is an assistant editor of ArchitectureWeek.

View of the building from the rocky shore of Lake Superior. Photo: Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. The main exhibit hall's five large tanks highlight the lake's wildlife, vegetation, and geology. Photo: Richard Barnes Photography Main entry at dusk. Photo: Richard Barnes Photography Ground floor plan Image: HGA Upper floor plan. Image: HGA Section through exhibit hall. Image: HGA Section through circulation hall. Image: HGA A bay window cantilevers out toward the lake and Duluth's Ariel Lift Bridge. Photo: Richard Barnes Photography   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.