Immersive theming

Storytelling in Aquatics

When people think of themed entertainment and attractions that tell strong stories, they often picture immersive lands and the iconic dark rides of traditional theme parks. Aquatic attractions are occasionally designed with themed elements in the foreground, but they're usually treated as spaces to gather rather than to explore.

Some of the most successful waterparks function like theme parks with flowing narratives and creative details that spark imagination and bring stories to life.

Photo Credit: Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Take Disney’s Blizzard Beach for example where an unexpected snowstorm landed in central Florida leading to the state’s first ski resort. Or Universal’s Volcano Bay with its backstory rooted in the Waturi discovering a new island to call home. Similar to traditional theme parks, these aquatic spaces benefit greatly from imaginative storytelling and cohesive design elements. 

Photo Credit: Universal’s Runamukka Reef

While Life Floor functions primarily as an aquatic surfacing solution, our projects are often featured within a broader context and designed to match specific themes, stories, or aesthetics. These installations are found on cruise ships, within water parks, at resorts, and at municipal facilities worldwide.

As each of these projects come to life, we consider the stories our floors tell. We think about how they contribute to theming, how they can add dimensionality to create a more immersive environment, and how specialty elements add play opportunities for guests. Throughout each of these design exercises, we contemplate the overarching role of storytelling in aquatic environments.

Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Adding a story or a theme to a space creates an immersive experience that transports guests to a different world. While the vast majority of aquatic spaces trend toward underwater or beach themes, the diversity of design potential is endless. From forest-themed splash pads to outer space-inspired waterparks, we’ve witnessed spectacular ideas come to life.

Themed elements inspire imaginative play and create engaging experiences for guests. Starting with an overarching narrative, intentional design decisions can be made to truly create an environment that aligns with any vision.  

So how exactly do designers of aquatic spaces execute on a story or a theme? Large 3D elements are often the main focal points. Spray features, play structures, slides, and sculptures draw guests’ attention immediately. Curated considerations like furniture, landscaping, and rockwork tie into these elements as well. Surface designers craft the appearance of signage, vertical panels on play structures, themed walls, and artwork around facilities to create enhanced visuals throughout. Sound and lighting bring an environment to life by creating an ambiance keyed into the senses to illuminate storytelling details. Setting the scene with the right tone is critical to completing an atmosphere and achieving the right effect.

From a flooring perspective, stories are told through themed Inlays, life-sized objects, game boards, and even character IP. Sometimes it involves including a certain color palette or geometric element that ties a design together or evokes a certain environment. We always look for ways to create a thematic scene or blend our floor into the rest of the aquatic setting. Together, all of these design considerations have the potential to tell a story at each facility, no matter the scale. 

Throughout the coming year, we look forward to exploring these elements in further detail. We’ll feature stories that take a peek behind the curtain to describe the design and engineering processes of iconic projects. We’ll also illuminate the ways that other suppliers and designers consider storytelling when specifying certain components to craft these themed spaces. Exploring this topic within the aquatics industry wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the actual stories of many of the key leaders within this space. Overall, we look forward to engaging with the larger community and sharing more about how our partners continue to innovate as they design these themed aquatic attractions. 

We’d love to hear from other creatives within the industry. If you’d like to join in on the conversation, please email our VP of Design, Kelsi Goss, to get involved!

Introducing Murals: Revolutionizing Iconic Design in Aquatics

Life Floor creates engaging aquatic experiences through imaginative design and standardized safety surfacing. Innovation is core to the company as its tiles shape highly immersive and thematic vacation destinations while pushing the limits of design.

Since Life Floor’s inception in 2011, intentionally designed surfacing has been rapidly adopted a feature in aquatic facilities worldwide. Blank slabs of concrete as well as other traditionally unsafe flooring options are losing favor as safety standards recommend materials with slip-resistance and cushioning for aquatic play.

Life Floor already offers a high degree of design capabilities such as logos, surfacing play features, and unique concepts that engage guests. As a result, innumerable stories demonstrate how beautiful design draws visitors in while safety surfaces lengthen guest stays. Together these benefits create accessible and inclusive spaces, while encouraging repeat visits and popularizing facilities.

Immersive Theming

Integrated Games

Imaginative Inlays

Hopping Activities

Elegant Designs

Guided Pathways

As the aquatic industry continues to shift towards highly thematic surface design, Life Floor is thrilled to announce its newest product release: Murals.

With this new line of tiles, designs and patterns that were once too complex to install as aquatic safety surfacing are now a reality. Murals empower brands that dream of creating iconic, highly immersive, themed aquatic environments from the ground up. This innovative flooring tile product tailors custom design with highly intricate details that delight guests of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. In addition to their limitless design potential, Murals utilize Life Floor’s industry-leading proprietary safety surfacing for positive guest experiences. 

CURATING ICONIC DESTINATIONS

Each Mural tile comes custom cut and pre-assembled as a 24”x24” square, maintaining the integrity of the graphics while streamlining installation. 

Surfaces cover between 50-90% of any aquatic facility. Reimagining the floor as a detailed design feature transforms that canvas into an engaging, playful, and imaginative space. Mural tiles can be combined with our normal products or can be selected to comprise an entire installation.

MODULAR DESIGN

Just like Life Floor’s standard products, every color seen on a Mural is a different piece of tile. Nothing is ever painted, coated, or applied to create the custom imagery.

Modular tiles facilitate easy installation, eliminating the need to piece together small custom cut shapes on site. They also streamline replacement, if ever needed. Since every tile comes as a 24” square, operators won’t ever need to deal with tiny custom parts and pieces. Attic stock Murals can be pre-ordered when desired.

HAND-CRAFTED QUALITY

All Murals have precision cut pieces that are then assembled and quality checked by human hands. Each tile receives intensive care to ensure exact design replication that meets each customer’s unique brand standards.

Once assembled, tiles are shipped to the project site and Certified Installers meticulously install the project according to specification.

The launch of Murals extends Life Floor’s vibrant history by improving aquatic environments for all people. Together with their limitless design potential, the team is excited to witness how this new product transforms facilities worldwide.

Collaborate with the Life Floor Studio to bring your next imaginative project to life.


No other flooring product can accomplish this level of custom design while adhering to the rigorous safety standards that improve guest experience and immersion at aquatic facilities.

In addition to the limitless design potential, Murals utilize Life Floor's industry-leading proprietary safety technology that features slip-resistance, cushioning, and more for positive guest experiences. 

Explore Life Floor’s Certifications


Designers, architects, and creatives of all kinds are invited to test the limits of imagination.

Questions? Connect with Life Floor Experts

Gwen
Ruehle

VP, Specification +
Strategic
Partnerships

Holden
Bigler-Johnson

Regional Account Executive, West Coast, AK, and HI

Lindsay
Fetzer

Strategic + Cruise Line Sales, Midwest Account Executive

MaryAnn
Eifert

Regional Account Executive,
East Coast