Karlovac Freshwater Aquarium is one of the projects nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award. The award is given biennially and the candidates are nominated by a broad group of independent experts from Europe; associations members of the European Council of Architects and national associations of architects and institutions that are a part of the award Advisory board. It was first awarded in 1987 and it is co-financed by the EU culture program and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation.