Ines Downing, Kike Lopez & Carmen Ortiz-Cañavate Rivero express their sincerest appreciation for so kindly viewing this video – introducing the newest aquapark in Moscow. Welcome to the new GES-1, Mako Island!
If you want to escape from the routine and bustle of everyday life, there is nothing better than relaxing in a water park. Here you will not only have a great leisure time, but also significantly improve your health thanks to the incredible benefits of our thermal waters. This is a unique place in the heart of Moscow where many pleasures are surprisingly combined: a water park, bath complex, and sensory gallery. "Mako Island" has everything you need for a healthy getaway with the whole family!
The purpose of the project is to give a new use to this magnificent historical power station built between 1904 and 1908. Therefore, the project will transform this building into a space conceived as an articulated experience going from a sensory water experience, passing through a water park destined for children and coming together in a bath complex meant for relaxation. The project’s site is near a very active district on the island intended for young generations established by the Strelka Institute, an educational and research center; and the historic Udarnik Theatre, an important piece of Russian architecture. The synergies between these local components will certainly develop the cultural and multigenerational character of this part of the island, thus becoming a destination for Muscovites, Russians and international visitors.
As we are located on the riverside of the Moscova river, we intend to use this natural resource to incorporate water into the project. The water pipes collect water directly from the river and transport them to the filtering tanks so they can then be pumped and heated to reach our desired installations.
As we walk into the building we enter the welcome area, a first glimpse into the many wonders of Mako Island. This area includes the ticket counter and locker room. To our right, we cross over to the sensory gallery, which serves as a transition from the outside world to the world of Mako, the ultimate aquatic experience. We want to generate a journey for the users that merges the tangible with the sensory combining illumination and water in its three states.
The itinerary ends in the main building where we enter through the cave, a narrow and dark space that takes us to the waterfall where we can take a look at the main view of the park while enjoying a relaxing bath by the beach area which consists of a heated pool with incorporated water jets. Of course, there is also a smaller version of our pool where the youngest ones in the family can climb and play around our rock mountain.
Last but not least our adventure ends in our 12 meter high and 40 meter long water slides with access from the cave connected by a staircase.
The space is formed by hanging vertical elements which simulate stalactites and stalagmites. To achieve this irregular geometry we proceeded to cover different metallic structures with polyurethane foam which allowed us to simulate the cave-like effect which resonates well with the theme of the project.With all this, our goal is to stimulate the development of our users, paying special interest in children through the manipulation of the spaces and their heights to fit the desired programs.