After the huge aquarium in a Berlin hotel burst, no new fish tank should be built in the lobby. “Even without knowing the causes of the bursting of the Aquadom, we rule out a new large aquarium for the site,” said Fabian Hellbusch, spokesman for the building owner. The effort to rebuild such an object is disproportionately high.
“We are currently examining a number of alternative, economically viable usage concepts.” A decision should be made by the middle of the year.
The 16 meter high Aquadom aquarium with 1,500 fish in the hotel near Alexanderplatz burst in the early hours of December 16. As a result, a million liters of water poured out of the destroyed acrylic glass cylinder into the hotel and onto the street, among other places. Two people were slightly injured. At least six other shops in the building complex were damaged. The accident drew international attention.
The hotel is still closed and will not open again this year, Hellbusch said. One of the reasons for this is that the elevators were badly damaged and still not working. The cause of the bursting of the aquarium is still unclear. A team of experts has been examining the more than 700 fragments for several months. The investigation should be completed by mid-July. The experts cannot promise that the cause of the sudden breakup will be clearly determined.
