Unconventional Structures Make a Huge Impact

The key to a successful destination is more than an ideal location; it is innovation and a willingness to offer guests something they have never seen before. Unconventional structures can make a huge impact on how guests see venues and attractions, often attracting significant increases in business. OpenAire, the world’s premier designer, manufacturer and installer of customized retractable roof structures and operable skylights, has given just this kind of innovation and creativity to hundreds of clients and projects around the world. These designs have brought incredible success to many restaurants, resorts, parks and other attractions.

Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark has been a highly popular tourist destination in Frankenmuth, Michigan for over a decade. After nine years in business, however, the 20,000-square-foot family-owned waterpark’s capacity had fallen well behind visitors’ demands. OpenAire created a vibrant, energy-efficient enclosure that added 29,000 square feet of aquatic attractions housed under a double-sloped retractable roof. Converting the park into an indoor/outdoor waterpark made it an instant success upon reopening in 2014, meeting the demands for both indoor and outdoor waterpark space. Zehnder’s has since built an additional 24 hotel rooms at the resort, which have been booked consistently.

For decades, Jay Peak Resort had offered skiers and snowboarders some of the best slopes in Vermont, when the weather cooperated. But come spring, the resort received lower revenue for up to six months a year and was forced, like most seasonal resorts, to continually downsize and upsize staff. Jay Peak’s owners needed a year-round attraction to create steady growth, stimulate the economy and create year round staff positions. Working with OpenAire, they set out to reimagine what a ski resort could be. The result is the 50,000-square-foot Pump House Indoor Waterpark, a year-round family destination connected to Jay Peak Resort and housed in a stunning all-weather retractable enclosure with open views of the surrounding mountains. OpenAire custom-engineered the structure’s aluminum frame to withstand north Vermont’s very heavy snowfalls. Upon reopening in 2011, Jay Peak’s reservations for the 2011-12 season increased by 120% from the previous year. In years like 2015 where the weather was unpredictable, Jay Peak still maintained guest reservations by having additional facilities.

In Flint, Texas, the developers of Silverleaf Resort also needed something exceptional to attract more buyers and visitors to their destination. They knew that an indoor, year-round waterpark could be just the thing, but they didn’t want a conventional building that would block out the beautiful Texas climate. To solve this dilemma, OpenAire developed a breathtaking, modern-styled glazed enclosure with an operable roof, letting in the beautiful sun and big skies of Texas yet keeping a perfect indoor temperature through any conditions, whether extreme heat or inclement weather. Silverleaf’s guests and owners alike have been thrilled with the results.

OpenAire’s unique enclosure designs are more than just buildings with retractable skylights; they create entirely new environments and aesthetics. OpenAire’s retractable concepts let in the sunlit atmosphere of the outdoors and adapt seamlessly to provide shelter from changing weather, creating engaging, dynamic spaces that combine the indoors and outdoors in ways people have never seen before. Whatever your unique ideas and needs, our team of experts is ready to work with you to make your dream a reality.