The First Aquarium in South Korea, Located in the 63 Building, is Closing Down

The aquarium ‘Aqua Planet’ located In The 63 Building, A Landmark of Seoul, Will Close Its Doors On June 30, 2024

This marks the end of 39 years since it opened. Aqua Planet in the 63 Building was South Korea’s first aquarium, which opened in July 1985. At that time, the 63 Building was not only the tallest building in South Korea for 18 years until 2003 and a symbol of Seoul, but it also housed the first aquarium in the country, attracting around 10,000 visitors daily from all over the nation. It was the first in South Korea to feature sea elephants and was filled with unique attractions such as the black piranha, which measured up to 47 cm in length, the largest in the country. 

With the closure of South Korea’s first aquarium, only two aquariums will remain in Seoul: the ‘COEX Aquarium’ and the ‘Lotte World Aquarium’ in Lotte Tower, Jamsil. Meanwhile, in place of the departing ‘Aqua Planet,’ a branch of the world-renowned contemporary art museum ‘The Centre Pompidou’ is set to open.

The Centre Pompidou, which opened in 1977, is one of the three major museums in Paris, France, alongside the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. It is renowned for its collections of works by modern and contemporary art masters such as Matisse, Chagall, Kandinsky, and Jean Dubuffet, attracting numerous visitors.

The Centre Pompidou’s Seoul branch is scheduled to open in the first half of 2025. It will feature exhibitions of the Pompidou’s collections and two special exhibitions annually, aligned with the museum’s vision. The design work for the museum involves Jean-Michel Wilmotte, a master architect who has worked on Incheon International Airport, the Louvre Museum, the British Museum, and the interior of the Élysée Palace, raising expectations among art enthusiasts in South Korea.

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