COUNTY HALL

County Hall from Westminster Bridge, London. Begun in 1909 and expanded over subsequent decades, former seat of the London County Council and its successor, the Greater London Council. Since 1997 it has been the site of the London Aquarium. It is located on the south bank of the River Thames, across Westminster Bridge from the Houses of Parliament. In the late 19th century the London County Council began searching for larger premises to replace its Spring Gardens offices, and an industrial area on the south bank was finally selected. In a 190708 design competition Ralph Knott was chosen as the site's architect, and construction began in 1909. Although the building's central section was officially opened in 1922, further improvements were made to it until 1933. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the north and south wings, which were erected in 1939. Additional changes to the complex, as well as repairs of World War II air-raid damage, were completed by 1963, and the so-called Island Block was added in 1974. County Hall was the centre for local administration until 1986, when the Greater London Council was disbanded by the national government. The complex sat largely vacant until a Japanese firm bought the main section in 1993 and initiated plans for its rebirth as an entertainment centre. In 1994 British developers began to renovate the north and south wings for residential use. The London Aquarium opened in the central section in 1997. It contains about 30,000 marine animals and plants representing some 350 species. Its tanks are stocked according to different marine zones, with specimens from the Indian Ocean, European rivers and lakes, the Great Barrier Reef, mangrove swamps, rainforests, and other areas. There is a 264,000-gallon (1,000,000-litre) tank featuring species from the Pacific Ocean, as well as a 198,000-gallon (750,000-litre) tank representing the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the aquarium's viewing galleries have been enhanced with marine sounds and smells.