PROJECT TEAM:
Scott Sickeler, AIA: Architect Of Record
Liz Neiswander AIA: Interior Design Principal
Scott Morris, AIA: Architecture Principal
Peter Green, AIA: Architecture & QC Lead
Jared Davis AIA: Project Manager
Tim Keepers: Architecture
Jonathan Massie: Architecture
Max Neiswander: Architecture
Sunny Blount: Architecture
James Patrick: Architecture
Lucinda Aaron: Interior Design
The project is the first of its kind, contemporary indoor/outdoor water park, at a large convention center hotel. The client wanted to strengthen their appeal to the family and leisure market by adding a waterpark facility to supplement the hotel occupancy that is driven by their convention business. At the same time, they were concerned that a design that adopted a typical approach to a water park would be a downgrade to their property and not compatible with their other business.
The design team developed a unique solution, arranging the park on three separate levels, tied together by a continuously ramping circulation path. The vertical arrangement of the design allows for the creation of distinct programmatic spaces while still maintaining visual connections between spaces. The lowest level is the wet deck, with the largest water features. The second level holds the main food and beverage outlet and the features geared toward toddlers and young children. The top level holds the adult pool, exterior terrace and adult bar.
The hotel is well known for its lush interior gardens, so the design team drew inspiration from that, integrating typical water park rides into an oasis of sorts. Sculptural wood and concrete walls, vertical gardens and water falls are the predominant elements a guest experiences and they conceal the less attractive aspects of the rides, like stair towers and pumps. An ETFE roof makes it appear as though the water park is open to the sky and allows the interior space to be washed with daylight. The palette was carefully selected to be modern and fresh, while still being appropriate for the corrosive water park environment. The result is a complex and interesting three-dimensional sculpture, which is fun to explore and where each new vantage point gives the guest a dynamic view.
This project represents a game changing shift in the water park industry. It is the first of its kind contemporary water park in the United States and the first vertically organized water park. Its sophisticated, contemporary look broadens the clientele for this project type, taking what was once a project type focused solely on families and making it a venue for adults as well.