Nearly 1,500 dead fish, two slightly injured and enormous chaos: these are the consequences of the bursting Aquadome. The 16-meter high aquarium in Berlin’s Radisson Blu hotel made headlines around the world on Friday. One question is at the forefront: how could it have come to this?
While the building owner is looking for the causes of the disaster, Plexiglass expert Hermann Schuran (64) now says to “Bild” about such a construction: “It’s a time bomb.”
Schuran is the ex-owner of the water sports company Schuran Seawater Equipment in the Netherlands. At that moment he had the request for the construction of the Aquadom on his desk. However, he refused. He did not dare to build such an aquarium.
“The Cathedral Won’t Last Forever”
A special permit was required for the construction of the Aquadom, as there are no specific building regulations for acrylic glass swimming pools. 21 years ago, the Berlin Building Senate granted this approval to ICM Concept International, a subsidiary of the acrylic glass manufacturer Reynolds Polymer.
For Schuran it is clear: “Reynolds should have said: the cathedral will not last forever.” It is difficult to say how long such a mega aquarium will last. “The entire aquarium should be heated to 80 degrees with an oven after construction and later after renovation. It is possible, but very expensive.” If you do not do this, stress cracks can occur in the glass. The expert warns: “As an operator, you have such a construction checked at least every two years. Otherwise, it is negligent.”
However, there were no specific regulations in the special permit for checking the construction. When asked, the building’s senate explained that the owner must check the aquarium regularly. Measures must be taken immediately in the event of safety-related restrictions, according to the building senate.
The police rule out crime
Meanwhile, building owner Union Investment is now dealing with the consequences of the Aquadom catastrophe. A spokesperson for the company announced on Sunday that the clean-up work on the outdoor area has been completed. Reclamation works are still going on in the underground car park. The few surviving fish were distributed to other aquariums.
According to Union Investment, it is still unclear what caused the aquarium to burst. The company said several specialist firms were active in the investigation. The company involved in building the burst aquarium, Reynolds Polymer Technology, also announced it would send a team to Berlin to investigate the incident.
Will there be another Aquadom?
The building is not currently in danger of collapsing, explains Union Investment. Structural studies are still taking place. A police spokeswoman said: “At this time, nothing indicates there is anything criminally relevant in the room.”
The future of the hotel is currently still uncertain: “It is understandable that there is no timetable for the reopening of the hotel,” said Union Investment. The priority is to record the extent of the damage and to guarantee safety during the clean-up work. The fate of the Aquadom is also unclear. “It is not yet possible to say whether the Aquadom will be rebuilt or whether an alternative use is possible.” (bab/SDA)