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!