Project Shapeshifter

Project Shapeshifter

Please note that this project is no longer going ahead. Up to date information on the future of the National Aquarium of New Zealand is available here.

Project Shapeshifter is the name of the National Aquarium of New Zealand redevelopment proposal. We submitted the project business case to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in December 2019.

The redevelopment would build a new, nationally significant National Aquarium and Oceans Centre. Such a facility would raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage visitors to support the conservation of species and ecosystems.

The detailed business case, put together by Terra Moana, to redefine the National Aquarium of New Zealand was submitted to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). This was the culmination of several months of national and international information gathering, including getting feedback from environmentalists, educators, researchers, iwi, youth and the general public as well as engaging US aquarium architects EHDD and fundraising consultancy AskRIGHT.

Click here for the Detailed Business Case, architect’s concept designs, Colmar Brunton survey and other reports.

The Project Shapeshifter proposal was to build a new, nationally significant National Aquarium and Oceans Centre. The project’s vision was creating a place where land and sea are joined, where the stories of the ocean are told by hapū, conservationists, scientists, volunteers, and most importantly by the species that make the ocean their home.

The facility would have sought to inform and raise awareness of environmental issues and empower visitors to actively support the conservation of species and ecosystems through smaller actions or larger commitments.

If the business case had been approved by MBIE, a revenue generation strategy would have sought philanthropic donations, sponsorship opportunities and grants from Lotteries, charitable trusts and foundations, and other government sources, to help offset project costs.