SAN SEBASTIAN AQUARIUM. INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS

Architect：Indissoluble

Location：San Sebastián, Spain; | ;View Map

Project Year：2024

Category：Museums

Exploring the seabed, diving among fish, and discovering the secrets of the Cantabrian Sea are the main objectives of the proposal conceived by Indissoluble for the Aquarium of San Sebastián.

This project unfolds in an area where physical aquariums originally exist. Indissoluble’s proposal aims to enrich this space with interactive installations that, in a playful and educational manner, convey to visitors the knowledge accumulated in this museum with more than a hundred years of history. The main objective is for users not only to learn but also to enjoy and become aware of the immense natural and cultural heritage of the Cantabrian waters.

Indissoluble’s museum intervention focuses on three key installations. Firstly, the Plankton Game, a six-stage game where the basic concepts of the marine microscopic world are learned in a playful way. Secondly, a virtual aquarium, located next to the physical aquariums, which showcases the extraordinary diversity of the Cantabrian Sea. Lastly, Indissoluble transforms the ceiling of the room through an RGB lighting system, pixel by pixel, inspired by the bioluminescent plankton that illuminates some beaches around the world at night.

Plankton Game: Interactive Educational Game

Plankton Game is an educational experience designed for users to intuitively and enjoyably explore the microscopic world of plankton. The main objective of this interactive installation is to convey the fundamental importance of plankton within the delicate balance of the marine ecosystem.

The installation consists of two basic elements: on one hand, a steel cabinet serving as a control station, equipped with four touch screens, and on the other hand, 24 acrylic spheres located on the wall, which light up as users overcome the challenges presented in the interactive.

Regarding user experience and game usability, it is specially designed for children, although any visitor can interact with the installation regardless of their age. Upon starting the game, the user selects one of the four available languages (Basque, Spanish, French, or English) and is then assigned an avatar that will represent them during their participation in the interaction. The game is divided into six different levels, each designed to instruct users about various aspects related to the world of plankton.

Virtual Aquarium: Interactive Installation

Located next to the physical aquariums, Indissoluble has created an interactive installation that simulates an aquarium, bringing together the most representative marine animals of the Cantabrian Sea, such as bluefin tuna, basking shark, mackerel, or cod, among others.

This virtual aquarium consists of two large vertical touch screens. On them, a video with 3D animations is played, recreating the seabed of the Cantabrian Sea and the different species that inhabit it. When the user touches one of the represented animals, an informative card about that particular species is displayed, along with a realistic 3D model that rotates 360 degrees.

RGB Lighting System: Pixel by Pixel

The last intervention proposed by Indissoluble in this area of the Aquarium of San Sebastián is the dynamic RGB lighting system. The room is immersed in colors thanks to the ceiling lamps made of laser-cut metal sheet, which integrate a pixel-by-pixel RGB LED system. These lighting structures are inspired by the effect of bioluminescent plankton which, at night, emits flashes of blue color in the sea. This bioluminescent phenomenon is generated by planktonic algae when they feel threatened. Its light attracts fish that feed on crustaceans, the natural predators of algae. In this way, algae are freed from their predators by attracting other predators.

Indissoluble’s intervention at the Aquarium of San Sebastián seeks to enrich the museum experience by integrating interactive and dynamic elements alongside traditional exhibition. This allows visitors to playfully explore the depths of the seabed and invites them to reflect on the importance of preserving the seas and the species that inhabit them.

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