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- Justin is the American
- designer whose
- signature vision
- elevates custom
- aquarium installations
- to a new aesthetic.
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Shelly Eversley
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zen in Gramercy |
Client David Blaine "Dines" with Sharks
  Now, the latest feat of American illusionist and endurance artist David Blaine involves sharks -- Great Whites to be precise. Sharply clad in a dinner jacket and black tie, Blaine floated about a shark-filled tank to promote men's wear designer Adam Kimmel's brand. “I haven’t done a proper fashion show yet, so I do these presentations instead as a way to create the identity of the brand,” Mr. Kimmel told "The New York Times." In 2006 City Aquarium had the privilege of working with Blaine on another of his daring exploits, "Drowned Alive". For this event, Justin Muir and his team designed a water-filled sphere, eight feet in diameter. Muir also regulated the life support systems, maintaining proper oxygen and salinity levels. Then, Blaine did the really hard work: he remained submerged in the sphere for over seven days! At the end of the submersion, Blaine held his breath underwater in an attempt to beat the then-current record. Although he came up short, Blaine subsequently shattered the record during an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2008. For more information on "Drowned Alive" check out our Case Studies. We congratulate Blaine on his latest stunt, and wish him further success as he continues to explore the outer reaches of mortality. Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium LLC Labels: celebrity clients, david blaine, justin muir, sharks, The New York Times |
Mangrove Day!
  Earlier this month Plant A Fish launched its mangrove initiative in southern Florida. For those of you who've been living under the sea, Plant A Fish is a non-profit organization founded by Fabien Cousteau, grandson of noted oceanographic explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Plant A Fish helps local communities around the world practice sound ecological principles and restore endangered or threatened environs and species... just like the mangrove. City Aquarium principal designer, Justin Muir, frequently participates in Plant A Fish events and belongs on their Advisory Council. Sad to say, though, Justin and the rest of CA team were unable to attend Mangrove Day due to our busy schedule. Still, the turnout was fantastic, with 75 students and volunteers from South Plantation High collecting 30,000 seeds! Learn more about this exciting event by watching this video. Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium LLC Labels: City Aquarium, Fabien Cousteau, justin muir, mangrove, non-profit work, Plant A Fish |
The Descent of Clam
 No, this isn't a sequel to Darwin's momentous book. It's literally the lowering of a giant clam, a Tridacna gigas, into a tank City Aquarium designed for a prominent New York City non-profit foundation. The clam hails from Michigan, where grower Dick Perrin of Tropicorium raised it from two inches to the two-foot-long monster it is today. For more information about the giant clam please see our earlier post, "Giant Clam Joins Non-Profit." Now, grab your popcorn and watch as City Aquarium's very finest, installer Mike Rodriguez and service tech Kevin Long, transport the giant clam into the tank. Welcome to your new home! Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium LLC |
City Aquarium featured in "Capital"
  City Aquarium was recently featured in the leading Italian business magazine, "Capital." In the article, editor Andrea Torti details the recent upsurge in luxury aquariums, such as the one Justin Muir's team designed for Anna Anisimova's $10 million Time Warner Center penthouse in Manhattan (the aquarium seen in the article). The 400-gallon installation is located in Anna's bedroom and features a cerused oak cabinet, a museum-grade acrylic aquarium, and a handmade reef sculpture. Anisimova, whom some have foreshadowed the next Paris Hilton, is the daughter of aluminum-trader Marc Rich, whose estimated net worth is $350 million. Justin is no stranger to the recent craze among the wealthy for aquariums. "Some people are like, ‘O.K., $5,000 every month to take care of the tank, plus $100,000 cost of the tank — I’m cool with that,’ ” Justin recently told "The New York Times." Justin's explanation for the trend? A combination of wealth and an interest in the environment. As he told the WG News, "[The wealthy] aren't necessarily suffering from a bad economy, but they feel like they need to contribute to a greener planet, and they'll do so by buying a living piece of art rather than a car." Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium LLC Labels: Anna Anisimova, aquariums, Capital, justin muir, press, The New York Times, The WG News, Time Warner building, trends |
C.C. Sabathia's City Aquarium Tank in "Architectural Digest"
  New York Yankee C.C. Sabathia's home in Apline, NJ has it all: a spa, a salon, a basketball court, and a spacious sneaker closet. But no home would be complete without a City Aquarium custom-designed saltwater installation, which is exactly what C.C. and his wife Amber decided to put into one of the family room's walls. The Yankees pitcher's exquisite home, including the aquarium, is featured in the November 2010 issue of "Architectural Digest." The 18,000-square-foot home was built by architect James Paragano and designed by Martin P. Mitchell. The aquarium that Justin Muir and his team designed for C.C., Amber, and their three children is 11 feet long, with a sleek curved front panel and an artificial sunken reef. Discussing his motivation for choosing his NJ home, C.C. said he wanted "somewhere [he] could come home to after tough games and find everything perfect, easy, warm, and welcoming." We here at City Aquarium hope our saltwater installation has helped him do just that. Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium LLC Labels: Architectural Digest, C.C. Sabathia, James Paragano, justin muir, Martin P. Mitchell, New Jersey, NY Yankees, press, Residential, saltwater installation |
Giant Clam Joins Non-Profit
 Today, as I write this, a giant clam (Tridacna gigas), is flying from Detroit, Michigan to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The clam, which measures over two feet long and which will continue to grow (the ruler seen in the image is 7 inches long), is the latest addition to a non-profit organization's City Aquarium-designed installation. The saltwater aquarium is prominently featured in the non-profit's philanthropy building in Manhattan. The giant clam hails from our friends at Michigan's Tropicorium, the Midwest's largest marine aquarium livestock supplier. The grower, Dick Perrin, has been in the business of raising coral and clams since 1961. He considers this giant clam to be "like a son," and with good reason: he raised it for nine years, watching it grow from two inches to two feet! When I asked him if he planned to raise any more giant clams, he noted that they're hard to come by. "Chinese fishermen," Perrin said, "have fished over 95% of them, mostly for food. There aren't too many left." Our techs will be transporting the giant clam in a sturdy box which, with the clam, weighs 105lbs. Why so heavy, especially when the clam only weighs 8lbs under water? The answer: the clam must be transported in bags of water. Contact with the air would strain the clam's shell and potentially harm it. Don't worry, Dick. We'll take good care of your boy. Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium Labels: animal, aquarium, clam, coral, politics, saltwater installation, Tropicorium |
City Aquarium in the WG News
  City Aquarium was recently featured in the October 2010 edition of the WG (Williamsburg-Greenpoint) News, a paper dedicated to art and local happenings. In the article writer Elvire Camus details how Justin got his start in the business and how City Aquarium has managed to stay afloat on the unsteady waves of our economy. "[Wealthy people] are trading their Ferraris or Bentleys for huge aquariums," Justin is quoted as saying. "They're not necessarily suffering from the bad economy, but they feel like they need to contribute to a greener planet, and they'll do so by buying a living piece of art rather than a car." The article goes on to describe Justin's involvement with Plant A Fish, the non-profit conservation organization founded by third-generation oceanographic explorer Fabien Cousteau. For everything you wanted to know about Justin and City Aquarium but were afraid to ask, check out the article above. Thanks to the staff at WG News for doing an excellent and thorough job. Signing off, Brian Sanders Publicist City Aquarium LLC Labels: aquarium, justin muir, Plant A Fish, press, Williamsburg-Greenpoint News |