Expo 2020 Dubai Aquariums: Water Wonders’ Work at the Terra Sustainability Pavilion

Expo 2020 Dubai gave Water Wonders the chance to build two very different Expo 2020 Dubai aquariums for the same exhibition: a spherical live coral tank and a Kreisel jellyfish display, both commissioned by Acciona for Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion.

The pavilion largely avoided real aquatic animals and relied on sculptural, symbolic elements to make its environmental argument. These two custom tanks were the deliberate exceptions, built by Water Wonders Aquarium LLC to turn climate change and marine fragility into something visitors could see.

The Two Expo 2020 Exhibits at a Glance

Exhibit	Spherical Live Coral Tank	Jellyfish Display Tank
Message	Ocean acidification and coral bleaching	Ocean warming and ecosystem imbalance
Size	1,500 mm diameter	2,200 x 800 x 2,200 mm (H)
Design	Spherical tank on a circular plinth	Kreisel (circular, flow-regulated) tank behind a rounded viewing window
Life support	Precise temperature control, protein skimmers, chemical dosing pumps	Gentle, continuous laminar current
Lighting	Programmable actinic LED arrays for live coral	LED lighting cycling through deep blues and neon hues
Full project page	Read the coral tank project	Read the jellyfish tank project

The Terra Pavilion Brief

Acciona’s Terra pavilion used its exhibits to deliver an environmental message. For Water Wonders, that meant building tanks that were part engineering and part storytelling: each had to keep delicate marine life stable inside an exhibition hall while also carrying a clear message to visitors.

The same integrated approach – tank design, life support, lighting and installation by one team – sits behind every custom aquarium we build in our Dubai workshop.

Exhibit 1: The Live Coral Tank

A 1,500 mm spherical reef, lit by programmable actinic LEDs and supported by automated life support, placed beside models of bleached coral so visitors could see what a healthy reef stands to lose. See the full coral tank project.

Exhibit 2: The Jellyfish Tank

A custom Kreisel tank whose gentle laminar current keeps jellyfish suspended safely, lit in shifting blues and neon hues to illustrate ocean warming. See the full jellyfish tank project.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Water Wonders build for Expo 2020 Dubai?

Two custom aquariums for Acciona’s Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion: a 1,500 mm spherical live coral tank and a 2,200 x 800 x 2,200 mm (H) Kreisel jellyfish display tank. Both were built by Water Wonders Aquarium LLC.

Why did a sustainability pavilion include live animals?

The pavilion largely avoided real aquatic animals and relied on sculptural and symbolic elements. These two tanks were deliberate exceptions, designed to symbolise climate change and marine fragility through ocean acidification, coral bleaching and ocean warming.

Who was the client for the Expo 2020 aquariums?

Acciona, the company behind the Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion.

Where can I read the details of each tank?

Each exhibit has its own project page: the spherical live coral tank and the jellyfish display tank.

Can Water Wonders build exhibition or museum aquariums?

Yes. Water Wonders designs and builds custom aquariums for commercial, hospitality and exhibition settings across Dubai and the UAE. Start with our custom aquarium service or the guide to commercial aquariums.

Planning an Exhibition or Showpiece Aquarium?

Water Wonders builds custom aquariums and specialist displays across Dubai and the UAE. Browse more in our portfolio.

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Why Exhibition Aquariums Need Different Engineering

A showpiece tank in a busy exhibition hall faces demands that a typical home or office aquarium never meets. Crowds, long opening hours, vibration and fluctuating room temperatures all put pressure on water quality, so the design has to anticipate problems rather than react to them.

• Stability first: Delicate species such as corals and jellyfish react quickly to swings in temperature, salinity and pH, so life support is sized for consistency rather than minimum cost.
• Visibility from every angle: Curved acrylic or glass, from a sphere to a rounded window, changes how visitors see the animals. Lighting and viewing distance are planned together with the tank shape.
• Safe animal handling: Species like jellyfish need purpose-built flow, which is why a Kreisel design suits them better than a standard rectangular tank.
• Serviceability: Pumps, dosing equipment and filtration need to be reachable for maintenance without disrupting the display.

How a Message-Driven Aquarium Is Planned

When a tank has to communicate an idea, such as ocean acidification or warming seas, the storytelling is decided alongside the technical specification. A typical planning sequence looks like this:

1. Define the message. Decide what visitors should understand within a few seconds of seeing the display.
2. Choose the species and format. Match living animals, tank geometry and flow to that message and to what the animals can safely tolerate.
3. Design the life support. Select temperature control, filtration, dosing and monitoring around the species’ needs.
4. Shape the lighting. Use light for both animal health and visual impact, since colour and intensity affect how the display reads.
5. Plan installation and handover. Coordinate delivery, positioning, filling, cycling and ongoing care with the venue team.

Treating these steps as one process, rather than buying tank, equipment and lighting separately, helps a display look intentional and run reliably.

Questions to Ask Before Commissioning an Exhibition Tank

• What is the single idea the display should communicate, and who is the audience?
• Will the tank hold live animals, or would models and artificial elements suit the setting better?
• How long must it run, and who will look after it day to day?
• What floor loading, power, water supply and drainage does the venue provide?
• How will the tank be accessed for cleaning, water changes and emergencies?
• Is there a contingency plan for power interruptions or equipment failure?

Answering these early keeps the project realistic and helps a designer recommend a tank that fits both the venue and the story it needs to tell.

If the drifting, light-shifting jellyfish tank caught your eye, you can explore its design and life support in more detail on the expo 2020 jellyfish display tank project page.

If you want to see how the spherical tank keeps live coral stable, read the full details of the expo 2020 spherical live coral tank project.