DAYLIGHTING THE DALLAS RAINFOREST

Zoos and aquariums can teach many things about the natural world, including how animals adapt to and survive in a changing environment over time. But a very special aquarium in Dallas, Texas, also shows how buildings can do the same.

A gutted, brick, industrial building, built in 1924 in what is now the city’s historic West End District, was reborn in 1992 as the Dallas World Aquarium. Originally 8,000 square feet housing ten, 2,000-gallon saltwater tanks (representing ten different, aquatic parts of the world); a walk-through, “Continental Shelf” exhibit ten times larger; and a penguin enclosure; it has since expanded to the property next door. How that two-storey, former rubber goods warehouse, also from the 1920s, grew to become a seven-storey, 45,000-square-foot, artificial rainforest is nothing short of amazing. It also demonstrates exciting possibilities for zoos and aquariums: the creation of daylighted natural environments by utilizing Kalwall's Sunwall^®.

“ORINOCO - Secrets of the Rainforest” replicates, in miniature, Venezuela’s Orinoco River basin. The “river” itself is a 200,000-gallon home to fish, 40-pound turtles, Whistling ducks, Antillean manatees, even two members of an endangered type of crocodile. From 40 feet above the water’s surface, a waterfall releases 400 frothy gallons per minute. Moving up through the dense canopy of mahogany and autograph trees (the latter so-called because messages could be scratched into its leaves), Red howler monkeys scamper as quickly as the Three-toed sloths do not. Cartoon-colored toucans and Scarlet ibises fly freely overhead. Less visible but equally exotic creatures, from diminutive Vampire bats to poisonous frogs to 19-foot-long anaconda snakes, also thrive here.

It’s tempting to forget that this entire manufactured, mini-ecosystem is completely contained and daylighted by over 16,000 square feet of Kalwall translucent curtainwall and an over 13,000-square-foot supported, shed-type Skyroof. “The illusion is complete; so real are the sights, sounds, smells, and to the same extent, the controlled daylight,” says Kalwall’s Bruce Keller. “Kalwall’s diffuse, light-transmitting properties create an ideal environment for plants and all living things. Much as the upper foliage canopy in a dense tropical rainforest filters the sunlight that reaches the jungle floor, so, too, does Kalwall.”

Kalwall also eliminates the glare, harsh shadows and accompanying eye strain of a glass installation. “The controlled daylighting is so much more comfortable for patrons,” Keller continues, “especially when they look up through the foliage. And when they glance downward, the diffuse light does not glint off water surfaces, further eliminating glare. That’s been a major advantage of Kalwall in the many zoos, aquariums, and even natatoriums and pool enclosures we’ve built around the world.”

At the same time, controlled heat gain, superior energy performance and condensation control is achieved. The panels don’t fade over time and, in terms of structural strength, acrylic and polycarbonate glazing panels cannot compare to Kalwall’s structural integrity, life cycle or daylighting performance. Adds Keller, “From the Smithsonian’s world-reknowned Amazonia Exhibit at Washington, D.C.’s National Zoo, to the famous Lied Jungle at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Kalwall has long been the preferred daylighting system.”

Even on cloudy days, an even balance of usable, natural light fills the interior; at the Dallas World Aquarium, a light transmission of 50% was specified. Highly insulating Kalwall can be used for both cladding and roofing and has been widely specified for many leisure, retail, public sector and industrial buildings. Kalwall is also used for light-diffusing roofing in various configurations including barrel, low-profile vault, pyramid and self-supporting ridge.

Kalwall is maintenance-free. The panels are self-cleaning, as the sheeting action of normal rainfall cleans the surface. Kalwall is rugged, shatterproof, vandal-resistant, and extremely resistant to the high humidity of a rainforest environment. This lowers expenses over time by reducing capital outlays for replacement.

The Dallas World Aquarium is proud of its accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and membership in the World Zoo Organization. “Their mission is to educate and illustrate the importance of conserving and protecting earth’s natural resources,” adds Keller. “That’s completely in synch with Kalwall’s environment-friendly and green building philosophy, so we’re pleased to be involved with it.”

Dallas World Aquarium

Architect: Chris Knight

Sunwall^® Specifications:
Curtainwall: 16,536 square feet
Supported Shed-Type Skyroof^™: 13,094 square feet
Light Transmission: 63%
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: 0.65
Panel U-Value: .56
Exterior Panel Color: Crystal
Interior Panel Color: Sun-Lite^® HP

For more information, contact:
Bruce Keller
Kalwall Corporation, 603-627-3861 (N. America 800-258-9777)