Heron Tower, London, England
Installation of the world’s largest stand-alone acrylic aquarium. The tank itself was shipped on its side then moved upright with two cranes. Once upright, the tank was moved into the Heron Tower with specially designed air skates onto a specially built deck in front of its final resting place, then moved into place by hand. At the completion of the project, the Heron Tower is the tallest building in London, England.
American Sealants Inc. has had the privilege to go back to the tower to maintain the tank with expert sanding & polishing.
Installation of one of Europe’s largest privately-owned acrylic aquariums. The tank itself was shipped on its side then moved upright with two cranes. Once upright, it was moved into place on a custom-built deck using specially designed air skates, with final placement completed by hand. American Sealants Inc. provides ongoing maintenance services, including expert sanding and polishing to keep the acrylic crystal clear.
The tank holds 70,000 liters (roughly 18,500 gallons) and measures 12 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 4 meters high, with acrylic walls 230mm — about 9 inches — thick. It was manufactured by Reynolds Polymer Technology in Colorado as the largest complete acrylic unit the company had built at the time.
Getting a tank this size into central London came with its own logistics challenge: bridge height restrictions along the route meant the tank had to travel lying on its side, exactly as described above, before being rotated upright once it reached the tower on Bishopsgate.
Today the tank is home to more than 1,200 fish across over 60 species, many sourced from the Heron Island area near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef — a fitting echo of the tower’s own name.
When Heron Tower was completed in 2011, it became the second-tallest building in the City of London’s financial district.
https://www.herontower.com/