The acrylic viewing panel at Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre at the Dubai Mall is expected to be featured in the upcoming edition of the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010.

The viewing panel measures 32.88 metres wide x 8.3 metres high and 750 mm thick, surpassing the current Guinness World Record holder, Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan, at 22.5 metres wide x 8.2 metres high and 600 mm thick.

Designed by architects at Peddle Thorp Melbourne of Australia, the acrylic viewing panel, which weighs 245,614 kg, is built to withstand the enormous pressure of 10 million litres of water 10.5 metres deep used in the aquarium, but transparent enough to give visitors a clear view of the more than 33,000 marine animals on display.

Peddle Thorp is highly experienced in this field having already designed the Melbourne Aquarium for Oceanis and many others across the world.

Peter Brook, design director of Peddle Thorp, said the practice had been building aquariums around the world.

The viewing panel at the Aquarium and Discovery centre was commissioned under the supervision of Oceanis Australia Group, the aquarium operator.

Located strategically in the centre of the gigantic shopping mall, the 50 metre long aquarium main tank offers views into the incredible diversity of marine life from all levels of the mall. – TradeArabia News Service