Australia’s largest natural marine observatory will take the form of a whale and will be built two kilometres out to sea at the end of the Busselton Jetty, located 200 kilometres south of Perth.
The cetacean-inspired design for the Australian Underwater Discovery Centre has been conceived by British firm Baca Architects, who won an international design competition for the project. It was selected over two other design options, The Rock, which mimicked the shape and colour of WA’s Castle Rock and the, Voyage, based on the silhouette of a ship moored against the pier.
The $30 million observatory will include an “underwater trail” as well as underwater dining.
It’s being delivered by marine contractor Subcon: Blue Solutions, which specialize in building offshore windfarms and artificial reefs. Also involved is Core Marine Engineering, which worked on Snøetta’s Under restaurant in Norway, Europe’s first underwater restaurant.
Concept drawings for Australian Underwater Discovery Centre by Baca Architects.
The design team envisions an immersive experience for visitors from the moment of arrival.
“This is as authentic as it gets, because people are in the tank and the fish are looking in,” said Bustleton Jetty chairman Barry House. “By adding underwater dining, underwater sculptures, marine art and other features, this project will enhance Busselton Jetty’s 155-year-old experience.”
Busselton Jetty is the longest timber piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere and is run by a not-for-profit organization. In 2017, the organization initiated feasibility studies and market research to determine the best way to grow and meet environmental goals, which led to the proposed new observatory.
An existing observatory at the jetty, which opened in 2003 at a cost of $3.6 million, will become a marine research centre featuring “public interaction with world-class research and laboratory to educate people about ocean climate change.”
