Polin Waterparks is providing its award-winning waterslides to Coventry City Centre’s much anticipated new water park and leisure centre.
Designed by renowned architects, FaulknerBrowns, the centre will occupy a restricted, historic site close to an ancient church tower.
“Over the years, the site’s space became smaller and smaller as history left its marks,” explains Bilge Pakis, Design Manager of Polin Waterparks, who described the building’s design as a game-changer.
The small footprint was not the only challenge facing Polin:
”The floorplan ultimately put the waterslides on the third floor, an especially unusual proposal,” says Senior Architect at Polin, Zeynep Canbaz.
“That meant Polin needed to specially adapt its rides to fit within the specific limitations of the building’s mostly round layout and its constricting ceiling height. It wasn’t an easy design but it was incredibly fun to work on.”
Accommodating six slides into such a tight space required particularly delicate design skills. For instance, the bowl of one ride – Polin’s Space Hole – sits slap bang in the middle of the building, exiting riders into a plunge pool on the floor below. Riders walk back up to the third level via a spiral ramp.
Several of the waterslides had to be redesigned to accommodate the unique nature of the space. Â A Mini Tsunami and a Navigatour were specially created with three uphill sections – one with, and two without, waterjets.
All the slides, apart from the Space Hole, had to incorporate dry-out exits without pools. Plus, all slides had to allow for the restricted height of the indoor space.
A key benefit of Polin’s pioneering Light Resin Transfer Molding (L-RTM) technology is that it allows for stronger yet lighter waterslides that are easier to install – a real advantage at a facility such as Coventry’s where weight is a major consideration.
“It was challenging yet exciting to see the puzzle pieces of the slides match the required size needs and, finally, fit perfectly within the restrictions of the facility,” adds Canbaz.
Coventry’s new waterpark is expected to open late next year or early 2019.
