Design In Print

6
Beach Villas and ESPA are carefully situated
on the western end, being the most private
tip of the site to ensure that the tranquility of
the retreat would not be affected by the influx
of visitors from the other attractions. The
second strategy is to incorporate a number
of sandy beaches on the site. The beaches
create a series of soft boundaries that allow
people to pass through freely while reinforcing
the natural assets of the island. In this way,
the planning allows for a multiplicity of activities
instead of restricting them, and encourages
spontaneous and intuitive exploration.
CENTRAL ZONE
Marine Life Park offers two key attractions at
its ‘wet experience’ and ‘dry experience’. The
former is Adventure Cove Waterpark which
is both an educational and leisure attraction.
The Adventure River lets visitors float
down a meandering river through fourteen
different settings including a tropical garden,
a mysterious grotto and an underwater
tunnel. This 620m-long river is one of the
longest man-made adventure rivers. Besides
a wave pool and water slides, including
Riptide Rocket which is the region’s first
hydromagnetic coaster, the waterpark also
incorporates several attractions for viewing
and interacting with sea animals, such as
Rainbow Reef where guests can snorkel with
coral fishes, and immersive programmes at
the Ray Bay where guests can feed more than
a hundred rays, as well as get up-close with
sharks at Shark Encounter.
Above: Zoning and
circulation sketch.
Much of the planning is
centrally located for VIPs
and attractions. Public
circulation is limited to
the ends.
For visitors in search of entertainment, variety
is essential. Maritime Experiential Museum
provides a variety of experiences with a
multi-sensory theatre for interactive learning.
It presents Asia’s rich maritime history and
tells the story of the ancient Maritime Silk
Route. One of the key exhibits chronicles the
journey of one of the great Chinese explorers,
Admiral Zheng He. The exhibit includes a
full-sized replica of the bow of his treasure
ship. It also recreates the sounds and scents
of the bustling bazaars of the Maritime Silk
Route where Zheng He traded. Responding
to the site’s close proximity to water, an ellipse
creates the museum’s footprint and evokes
the symbol of a boat. At a maximum span of
65m and a height of 20m, the building form
itself is highly unique and resembles a hull
with visible ribs painted red. Indirect daylight
elevates modest materials of steel, aluminium
and glass.
DP 23