St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) December 08, 2011

PGAV Destinations, a global leader in the planning and design of entertainment and cultural destinations, is pleased to wrap up another banner year of projects, in excess of $ 250 million in installation costs. The firm?s steadfast focus on strategic planning, business analysis and innovation continues to produce results in the ever-changing tourism and leisure industry.

The list of stellar projects includes:

The Grand Aquarium in Ocean Park, Hong Kong. PGAV Destinations was the lead designer of this state-of-the-art aquatic attraction, which is the sensational centerpiece of Ocean Park?s Aqua City development. Nearly 3 million people visited in the first six months, setting the pace for record attendance in the park. http://www.oceanpark.com.hk

Cheetah Hunt Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Florida. Florida?s first triple-launch coaster, this innovative ride was inspired by the world?s fastest land animal and uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver three adrenaline-fueled surges of speed. Riders are propelled up the iconic 102-foot Windcatcher Tower, down into four subterranean trenches, over Busch Gardens? historic Skyride, around a rocky canyon with whitewater currents, and through a heartline roll inversion. Cheetah Hunt?s 4,429 feet of steel track holds the record as Busch Gardens? longest coaster, and its 13-acre footprint makes it the most expansive thrill-ride in the park?s history. http://www.cheetahhunt.com

AT&T Dolphin Tales Gallery at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. PGAV Destinations served as both architect and experience designer for the $ 110 million expansion project, which features 1.8 million gallons (about the size of two football fields) of aquatic habitats to house trained bottlenose dolphins. The 84,000-square-foot expansion also includes a viewing theater for 1,800 guests. The project follows PGAV?s role as exhibit designer for the highly successful initial phase of the Georgia Aquarium. The Gallery was recently recognized with the Atlanta Downtown Design Excellence Award as the outstanding Community project. http://www.georgiaaquarium.org

Glacier Point at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky. This $ 24 million project showcases sea lions, polar bears, Stellar?s sea eagles, and sea otters. Designed as an imaginary town on the edge of the arctic wilderness, the Glacier Point exhibit is modeled after the Canadian polar bear capital of the world to highlight the bond between humans and wildlife. The attraction increased attendance at the Louisville Zoo to more than 890,000 visitors annually, creating a $ 33.6 million economic impact for the region. http://www.louisvillezoo.org

The Grand Reef Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida. This is the first major expansion of the PGAV-designed signature experience, which adds more than 2.5 acres to the park and offers guests the opportunity to explore and interact with thousands of tropical animals. The experience features SeaVenture, an innovative underwater walking tour along the reef floor. http://www.discoverycove.com

Boeing Exhibition Hall at the Saint Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri. This $ 9.5 million project adds a 13,000-square-foot exhibition hall to the Science Center, to support creating new exhibits and traveling exhibits that were not previously feasible. The hall also hosts special annual events like SciFest and FIRST