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The history of the ARTIS Aquarium

In 1882, the largest and most modern aquarium in Europe opened its doors. Built on 1,740 wooden foundation piles, it held more than one million litres of water. The Aquarium was immediately hailed as a wonder of the world, attracting visitors from all over Europe.

A glimpse into the underwater world: the origins of the ARTIS Aquarium

Face to face with the underwater world

In the mid-19th century, developments in science and technology made it possible to reveal previously unseen underwater life in specially designed aquariums. Around that time, British researcher Philip Henry Gosse published his influential book The Aquarium, sparking an aquarium craze across Europe. ARTIS did not want to be left behind and decided to build a public aquarium with both freshwater and saltwater tanks: a valuable addition to the zoo.

ARTIS for everyone

In 1877, the Municipality of Amsterdam granted ARTIS the land for the current Aquarium. The condition was that the Aquarium would also provide educational facilities for the Municipal University. At the time, ARTIS was a society, which meant the zoo could only be visited by members. The Aquarium changed that: ARTIS also became accessible to students. In addition, non-members were allowed to visit the Aquarium on certain days of the week for a fee. This marked the first step towards making ARTIS more widely accessible.

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Unique design and construction

Amsterdam architect Gerlof Salm designed the Aquarium in an eclectic style. Its classical temple architecture is unique in Amsterdam and mirrors the Concertgebouw on the other side of the city. Construction began in 1879. Ultimately, 1,740 foundation piles were needed to support the weight of 640,000 litres of seawater, 225,000 litres of freshwater and the innovative water filtration system. The Lloyd’s water filtration system in the ARTIS Aquarium is now the last working example of its kind in the world.