The Amsterdam zoo ARTIS has completed the restoration of the oldest still functioning aquarium in the world after four years. In the coming period, the glass tanks will be furnished and the underwater life will be returned. The reopening is scheduled for 2026.
The restoration began in 2021. ARTIS calls it one of the largest restorations in the history of the Amsterdam zoo. The aquarium dates from 1882 and has been made fully future-proof.
Under the building is a filter system that has been purifying seawater for almost a century and a half. This historic Lloyd filter system has been restored and supplemented with modern technology. In addition, the building has been made more sustainable with, among other things, solar panels on the roof.
In the coming period, ARTIS will continue with the final phase of the project. The underwater worlds will then be redecorated. In addition, “aquatic life” will be returned. “From tropical fish to vulnerable coral species,” the zoo reports in a press release.
