Leading Waterparks Agree: OpenAire Retractable Roofs are the Winning Choice

Testimonials show that waterparks of all sizes benefit from OpenAire structures

Visitors to this year’s World Waterpark Association (WWA) Show will experience the open skies as retractable roof and enclosure specialist OpenAire showcases its greatest innovations from waterpark projects around the world. OpenAire’s cutting-edge operable roof technologies have given hundreds of aquatic facilities the amazing sunshine and fresh air of the outdoors along with the security and year-round reliability of the indoors. Even the record-breaking Epic Waters waterpark, part of Grand Central in Grand Prairie, TX, has already attracted a great deal of positive attention before its scheduled grand opening later this fall thanks to its eye-catching OpenAire retractable roof. OpenAire’s durable, thermally-broken aluminum frames, translucent glazing materials and fully customizable building techniques let waterparks of all sizes enjoy reduced maintenance costs, energy savings of up to 27%, and best of all, ROI as greater numbers of visitors are drawn to their unique locations all year long.

Throughout the WWA Show 2017, visitors will be able to see examples of how OpenAire’s cutting-edge designs are bringing unprecedented success to waterpark operators across many locations and climates. In the snowy mountains of Jay, VT, OpenAire’s expansive 50,000 sq. ft. retractable roof enclosure for Pump House Waterpark completed Jay Peak Resort’s transformation from a seasonal ski chalet to a four-season resort. “We wanted to be able to blend the outside and the inside … and key to that was building a retractable roof,” says JJ Toland, VP Marketing at Jay Peak, “In the summertime, we can peel the roof back and not have people feel that they’re stuck inside.” After opening the new waterpark, single-day passes shot up by 300% in the first year, while lodging reservations at Jay Peak increased by 120%.

Many other locations have earned their visitors’ admiration after choosing OpenAire solutions. “We had an expectation that [with the growth in our waterpark], in year three or four of our proforma we could get to $2 million in day passes,” says John Shelton, VP Sales and Marketing at Zehnder’s Splash Village in Frankenmuth, MI, “We were able to do that in the first year of opening.”  In Pocono Mountains, PA, Kalahari Resort and Convention Center completed a massive second phase expansion to its park with OpenAire after Phase I became a hit with guests. The park covers a total of 200,000 sq. ft. and includes a retractable roof as well as various skylights from OpenAire, bathing many of the park’s aquatic attractions in vibrant natural light. It has attracted solid bookings since opening. WaTiki Indoor Waterpark in Rapid City, SD, had such a large response from tourists when it opened a 20,0000 sq. ft. OpenAire enclosure in 2005 that it returned to the company for 2 more phases of expansion to accommodate demand.

These inviting retractable solutions also bring many operational advantages over traditional structures. OpenAire’s record-setting retractable aluminum dome, covering 61,000 sq. ft., at Aqua Sferra’s Aquapark in Donetsk, Ukraine, has enjoyed many long-term efficiencies. “The maintenance and energy efficiency benefits of the waterpark’s retractable dome have amounted to tremendous overall savings in operating and labour costs, allowing us to prioritize what’s most important: our guests,” says Natalia Shalenko, Managing Director of Aqua Sferra.

OpenAire’s combination of unforgettable, naturally lit architecture, reduced maintenance costs and substantial energy savings has made it the clear choice for many waterparks internationally. At the WWA Show 2017, the OpenAire team will invite many other waterpark owners to make that choice, too, and experience what the sky can add to their designs.