Space Travel Meets Art Deco: Studio City’s Indoor Water Park Opens in Macau
With much fanfare and anticipation, Studio City in Macau opened its brand-new indoor water park on April 6. Together with the award-winning outdoor water park that opened in 2021, the resort is playing a significant role in helping the city transform into a top leisure destination for families in China’s Greater Bay Area.
Supplying All Water Slides and Aquatic Play Structures for Macau’s Only Water Park
A prominent resort, casino, and entertainment complex, Studio City is home to Macau’s only water park, with all of its water slides and water play structures proudly provided by WhiteWater. The indoor part of the water park is part of Studio City’s $1.3 billion Phase 2 expansion, which also includes two hotels, cinema, high-end restaurants, and state-of-the-art conference and exhibition facilities.
Working closely with the client, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, the WhiteWater team designed the attractions to integrate seamlessly with the building interior, even cleverly extending some outside the building envelope, matching the look and feel of the themes and architecture. Beyond pleasing to the eye, guests here can enjoy an excellent mix of high-thrill and family ride experiences, some of which are firsts in China or even in the world.
World’s First Custom Metallic Finishes
While gold and silver water slide finishes debuted in Studio City’s outdoor water park, metallic finishes customized to reflect the building’s aesthetics premiered in the indoor water park.
As the Phase 2 complex was designed by the renowned firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, boasting a modern interpretation of Art Deco, the water slides protruding outside the structure must harmonize with this unique style.
To match the bold geometries and rich detailing of the building’s façade, WhiteWater produced water slides finished with bold metallic colours. The effect is a stunning elegance not found in any other water park in the world.
Immersive Experience Through Theming and Fiberglass Veils
The indoor part of Studio City Water Park aims to “teleport” visitors to the world of space travel. With this in mind, WhiteWater designed every attraction to immerse guests in a sci-fi theme. For example, an AquaPlay 1050 serves as a “Command Center.” An AquaSphere + Rattler Fusion with translucent fiberglass parts and colourful AquaLucent rings through the dark flume becomes “Black Hole Slingshot.” A Constrictor + Rattler Fusion with light effects inside the ride turns into a “Flying Saucer.” A Tailspin with a geometric-patterned fiberglass veil becomes “Quantum Blast.”
Next Generation Master Blaster with Continuous Loop Path
Running along the edge of the indoor water park and circling back is the 300-meter long Infinity Master Blaster, the latest Master Blaster model, which has been upgraded to bring a more intense ride experience.
The End Is Also the Beginning
Conventional water slides start at one point and end at another. With this one-of-a-kind continuous loop Master Blaster, guests in inner tubes travel up a conveyor to start their water coaster fun. If they can’t get enough after one round, they can stay in their vehicle for another trip in the “Lightspeed Shuttle.”
Bigger Windows for More Engaging Views
This next generation of Master Blaster has larger, see-through windows along the path, giving riders exhilarating views as they traverse around the park. Not only that, friends and family as well as queuing guests can see them laughing and screaming throughout the ride, which builds anticipation and creates photo and video opportunities.
Saving Water and Energy with Smart Blast
With efficiency in mind, this Master Blaster is equipped with Smart Blast, WhiteWater’s proprietary technology that ramps down the pump speed for uphill sections when not in use. This system is engineering significant savings in power and water consumption—and of course, cost.
Firsts in Greater China
Bringing new experiences to a new audience, several water slides are making their China debut, including Brass Ring Award recipients, Tailspin and Parallel Pursuit, in addition to the newly upgraded Master Blaster. Tailspin combines the high-banking rotations of a bowl with the rapid decent of a flume, while Parallel Pursuit offers head-to-head mat racing fun.
Making Safety Beautiful: Life Floor®
Safety is a priority for Studio City, as it is for WhiteWater. With the water park housed inside such a beautiful structure, safety should look good too. That’s why the park chose to use Life Floor for its aquatic play area to reduce slips and falls. These rubber foam mat designs were completely customized to complement the park’s aesthetics.
Great Service Just as Important as Great Products
After having worked with WhiteWater for both the outdoor and the indoor water parks, Melissa Chung, Director, Spa & Leisure, Attractions, at Studio City, had this to say about the supplier:
“There are other manufacturers but I think the quality of WhiteWater slides is number one, not only in terms of the products. In terms of parts, we can easily access and order directly from WhiteWater. The timeline and the solutions they provide are met, especially the after sales service, which is very, very important to us.
“If you ask me, their products are great, but the after sales support is even better.”
Helping to Redefine Macau as a Family Entertainment Hub
Long known for its gaming scene, Macau is now looking to attract new audiences. With the completion of Studio City Water Park—outdoor and indoor—families now have an enticing reason to come now and well into the future.
Contact WhiteWater’s experts to create your indoor water paradise.
