A peek at Seattle Aquarium's Ocean Pavilion expansion that opens Aug. 29

The Seattle Aquarium plans to open its new Ocean Pavilion expansion next month, completing a key piece of long-term plans to transform the city's waterfront .

Why it matters: The new building on Elliott Bay will include a landscaped public rooftop, elevators and stairs to help connect the waterfront with Pike Place Market — a change made possible by the demolition of the Alaskan Way viaduct in 2019.

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Driving the news: The new addition will open to the public Aug. 29, featuring about 3,500 marine animals and plants.

• The expansion will measure nearly 50,000 square feet , increasing the aquarium's overall footprint by about 50%, the aquarium said.

What's inside: A reef ecosystem will showcase Indo-Pacific leopard sharks, spotted eagle rays and schools of tropical fish.

• Visitors will also be able to visit a jellyfish nursery and a shoreline mangrove forest, among other exhibits.

1 fun thing: While exploring the inside of the facility will require tickets , the outdoor plaza near the front of the building will let passersby peek into the reef habitat for free, through an oculus measuring 17.5-feet wide.

What's next: The Overlook Walk , which is designed to complete the pedestrian link between the aquarium and Pike Place Market, is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

A rendering of what the new reef exhibit at Ocean Pavilion will look like. Credit: Seattle Aquarium & LMN Architects The new archipelago exhibit will feature this shoreline mangrove forest. Credit: Seattle Aquarium & LMN Architects