Design concepts for public exhibition areas (the visitor route) generally fall within or between two quite different approaches:-

• Stylish and minimalist public areas: usually dark in colour, with emphasis on the aquatic display. This approach provides 2 very clearly defined environments, the public area and the aquatic display, enhanced with generally an atmospheric soundtrack, supporting graphics and interpretation material.
  
  
• Themed public areas: enhancing the visitor experience by extending the aquatic display and creature environment into the public domain, breaking down the public and creature environments and enabling a more realistic and enjoyable immersive visitor experience. Such an approach also provides the concept designer with far greater opportunity to develop a variety of contrasting area environments and experiences throughout the aquarium.

RHA generally apply degrees of both approaches, producing a varied and interesting range of display and human environments. Our general design philosophy is to create concepts that utilise all appropriate techniques and approaches that can provide aquarium visitors with an enjoyable and informative immersive experience. With detailed design information in place, we can either produce comprehensive theming works tender packages for marketplace pricing from experienced theming contractors, or ourselves and/or others negotiate fixed prices from the same contractors. RHA works with the appointed theming contractor(s) for the production of the themed fit-out concept and all its elements.