Schlessman Shores at Denver Zoo represents a complete reimagining of the sea lion habitat—above and below the surface. Designed to reflect the vibrant coastal communities where sea lions and people coexist, the exhibit pairs a colorful row-home architectural facade and beach environment with a fully modernized aquatic infrastructure. Beneath the waterline, the Gene N. Koelbel Underwater Viewing Area provides guests with a chance to connect with the species like never before.

Our AV design focused on ensuring that storytelling flows seamlessly between these vertical layers of experience. One of the primary challenges was providing clear audio continuity between the main-level demonstration space and the underwater viewing gallery below. Guests observing sea lions through the expansive, 16-foot tall underwater windows needed to hear keeper narration and educational content happening above.

In addition to daily demonstrations, the exhibit regularly participates in larger campus events. During these occasions, the underwater viewing area must transition from live demo support to synchronized background music that aligns with adjacent exhibit zones. The system architecture allows the space to integrate into the zoo’s broader event audio network, ensuring music remains time-aligned and tonally consistent across multiple environments.

Sea lion demonstrations in this space utilize the zoo’s standardized iPad control interface. Keepers manage live microphone reinforcement through an integrated mic mixer, trigger announcements, and coordinate playback directly from the same intuitive platform used throughout campus. This consistency reduces training complexity while empowering staff to focus less on technical operation and more on guest engagement, sharing amazing stories about conservation, sea lion training, and caring for the individual sea lions who call Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance their home.

Denver Zoo - Sea Lions

Client:
Denver Zoo