Aquarium Architecture’s Creative Director Roland Horne was recently interviewed by our friends at PFK for an article highlighting the increasing popularity of the aquarium as a ‘new status symbol’.

As one of the leaders in the industry, Roland contributed his knowledge and expertise on the growing trend with an insight into how we here at Aquarium Architecture conduct our business. Roland’s interview extract can be read below:

“….This point is reiterated by Roland Horne, of Aquarium Architecture, who was responsible for the design of a tank for footballer Stephen Ireland, then of Manchester City now Newcastle United. That 6,000l/1,320gal, 13′ Fijian coral aquarium tank generated great publicity in 2010.

He feels that aquarium design has really taken off in the last five to ten years and Aquarium Architecture’s business has grown 120% in the last 12 – 18 months. “Everyone wants a fish tank nowadays. They are the new ‘must have’ item that ties in fashion, trends, culture and custom electronics, while also being a sound investment.”

“They can be inspired by foreign travel to modern art and have the allure of something quite rare,” he said.

“Most people want a natural aquarium. David Saxby’s tank, for example, is like the Holy Grail! An average installation costs £50,000-£150,000 and clients have to understand that owning one is like a mini marriage. They will have to pay out not only for the initial investment, but also for ongoing maintenance. A high-end aquarium can cost £3-5,000 a month!.”

“However this is not always the case. For example, we are currently working on a £650,000 installation on the Caribbean Island of Granada for a retired Wall Street banker who intends to maintain the system himself.”

Roland’s company is currently working on aquariums for a couple of Premier League footballers, a Russian oligarch living in London, and an US internet billionaire based in California.

His staff aim to integrate aquariums into each environment so that the aesthetics, colours and sounds of a room match to fit. Employees must own their own tank so they know exactly what they are dealing with – and there’s a global network of consultants to deal with problems.

Aquarium Architecture tenks even have remote controlled pumps and filters controlled pumps and filters via an internet connection – especially useful for increasingly popular jellyfish tanks.

Roland added; “by and large most of our clients have a real passion for fish and are not just looking for an object of design. I recently visited a footballer and we discussed for hours the ins and outs of certain corals how they work. That was before we even started talking fish.”…

For the full article and opinions from other industry leaders such as our good friend David Saxby and City Aquariums Justin Muir, please see above.