From diving into the Mariana Trench to wading among sharks: the Aquarium is reborn for its 30th anniversary.

BarcelonaEurope's largest land-based digital screen welcomes visitors to the new Barcelona Aquarium. The images show the sea lapping into the Port Vell building before two impressive life-size sperm whales emerge. A clear statement of intent about what awaits visitors to a marine center that has been completely renovated now that it's 30 years old and, taking advantage of new technologies, offers an even more immersive experience, allowing visitors to admire the ocean in all its depths and be aware of its fragility.

The ramp from which this 300-square-meter screen can be seen leads to another of the facility's major new features: an immersive room that will take them on a journey to the deepest depths of the ocean. As if aboard a submarine, visitors will be able to see the Mariana Trench, the deepest known trench, through 360-degree screens. A path where you'll find whale skeletons, giant squid, and some of the most common debris found on the seabed.

The Aquarium's main attraction, however, remains the 80-meter-long underwater tunnel, which allows visitors—even those without a master diver—to wander among sharks, packs of sharks, and some of the more than 600 species found in the center. An oceanarium with a depth of 4.5 million liters. Before and after the tunnel, the spotlight is on the 80 Mediterranean and tropical aquariums, which allow visitors to experience firsthand the biodiversity of the Caribbean Sea, the Red Sea, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

In the final part of the itinerary, visitors will encounter another of the center's major attractions: the tank with 18 Humboldt penguins. The Aquarium is trying to reproduce them to facilitate their reintroduction, as it does with the sturgeons of the Ebro Delta.

The new Aquarium, which has incorporated new species, also stands out for its commitment to improving educational and interactive spaces. It does so with Aqua Protectors, an activity in which children can paint their fish, name it, and release it into a digital ocean. There's also an augmented reality game that allows visitors to play at cleaning the seabed of debris. All of this is aimed at raising awareness among children about the importance of caring for the sea. "We still have time to save it," said the center's technical director, Patrici Bultó.

Energy Saving

The renovation has also included measures to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of the space, which now consumes 21% less electricity. To this end, a solar photovoltaic system has been installed on the roof, along with low-consumption air conditioning systems, aerothermal energy and LED lighting, natural light tubes, and automatic shutdown protocols in the technical and work areas. In total, the comprehensive renovation of the space, carried out by the Aspro Group—the center's owner—has cost 15 million euros.

The remodeling of the Aquarium seeks to consolidate this city's marine center, which receives 1.5 million visitors each year, most of them from outside Barcelona. With this renovation, the facility also aims to once again attract Barcelona residents.