GEHRY PARTNERS / ARNELL LAB
BRINGING THE WORK OF FRANK GEHRY TO LIFE
Sentosa Island, had a reputation of being too focused on casinos. The Singaporean government was keen to change this image. They invited hotel magnate, Sol Kerzner, to put together an unprecedented team to develop a new ‘integrated resort’. Turning the gambling island into a worldwide family destination, they hoped, would boost international tourism. Kerzner enlisted architect Frank Gehry to design a resort that would offer a one-of-a-kind experience.
Inspired by its location, the team envisioned a place that would celebrate the magnificence of the sea. In addition to the futuristic design, ‘Atlantis’ would feature a giant waterpark, the biggest man-made coral lagoon, robotic gardens, deep sea diving sites and the largest aquarium museum in the world.
Unlike other aquariums that exhibit present-day sea life, the aquarium at Atlantis would allow guests to experience and interact with oceans from the past, present, and also future through the use of robotics. In collaboration with MIT it would be the world’s first resort to incorporate 21st century technologies to offer family edutainment.
In service of Arnell, together with a team I created the museum experience that transports guests to ocean worlds, otherwise inaccessible. Imagine swimming with full-size prehistoric marine reptiles, or being surrounded by sea life from the bottom of the ocean. Present-day sea life would blend seamlessly with that of the distant past and imagined future.
The Aquabrid system provided an innovative way for visitors to explore and discover the underwater world. With the system, they could create their own virtual sea creatures by selecting and combining actual attributes from the sea life surrounding them. User generated creations are saved on an RFID tag offering more personalized content, during and after the museum visit. In addition to bringing the concept to life, character research, development and visualization, we also produced proposals for the architectural video projections.
After two years of design, Gehry and the team arrived at a truly remarkable vision for the resort. Framed by towering, translucent, sail-like structures, the resort's aquarium consisted of undulating, organic-shaped tanks teaming with sea life and robotic technology that immersed guests in the wonder of our oceans.
To widespread international surprise and shock, the design presented by the Atlantis team was not selected as the winning bid. The government chose a much simpler and conventional formula, powered by a large cruise terminal. The work was eventually showcased at various exhibitions and by publications worldwide. Though never realized, the Aquabrid system won an International Design Excellence award.