Question about the glass in the new aquarium in Omaha

I was there last month and the curved panels in the main tank have almost no visible distortion. Anyone know what kind of glass or process they used for that?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola841mo ago

Honestly that curved glass is wild. Tbh my local aquarium did a big shark tank renovation a few years back and it's the same deal. They told a tour group it's several layers of acrylic laminated together, not glass. The way they bond it and polish the curves gets rid of that weird wavy look. Makes a huge difference for watching the fish swim by.

taylorhunt1mo ago

Totally makes sense they'd use acrylic, @viola84. It's way lighter and easier to shape than glass for those huge curved panels. The lamination process is key, because a single sheet that thick would have serious distortion. They basically build up the thickness with thinner sheets and special glue, then polish it for ages. That's how you get that crystal clear view without any weird bends in the light. You ever notice how the fish don't look warped even at the edges? That's the polish job doing its work.

stella_rodriguez1mo ago

Makes me appreciate my scratched-up fishbowl a lot less.