Aquarium
The opening of the Aquarium on 10th August 1872 appropriately coincided with a meeting of the British Association of the Advancement of Science. It was built along the new sea wall between Marine Parade and the newly formed Madeira Road (now Madeira Drive) and lay below the upper promenade, so as not to spoil sea views, as insisted by Brighton Council. The entrance, on the west, was reached by a flight of steps down to a courtyard built in a Pompeian style with five brick arches and terracotta columns. An impressive entrance hall led to a 224ft corridor with vaulted ceilings and bath stone columns. The corridor, lined with large back-lit tanks, and most of the rest of the 700ft development, were built in a romantic Gothic style. Along with the largest fish tank in the world, big enough to house the largest whale, there was also a conservatory, restaurant and reading rooms. A roof terrace was completed in 1874 along with a clock tower, gateway and toll-houses in front of the courtyard.
Today, the Gothic corridor still survives and is as impressive as ever and the top attraction is the glazed walkway through the shark pool. The terraces above the building have been turned into a massive venue, suitable for a nightclub, but an operator has yet to be found. What would Eugenius Birch think if he was alive today? His West Pier is gone and his Aquarium has been greatly modified, though he does have a Brighton bus named after him. So that’s Advancement of Science!
