With its official inauguration ceremony on March 29, the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in Zhuhai, China, was awarded five Guinness World Records:
• World’s Largest Aquarium—There are seven themed areas inside the theme park, each representing a part of the ocean, with a total water volume of 48.75 million litres (10.72 million UK gal; 12.87 million US gal) of salt and fresh water, making it the world’s largest aquarium.
• World’s Largest Aquarium Tank—The tank itself has a volume of 22.7 million litres (4.99 million UK gal; 5.99 million US gal) of salt water, making it the world’s largest aquarium tank.
• World’s Largest Underwater Viewing Dome—The Whale Shark Exhibit tank also features the largest underwater viewing dome, pictured below, which has an external diameter of 12 m (39 ft 4.44 in) and is placed over a cylindrical structure built inside the tank.
• World’s Largest Acrylic Panel—Situated in the Ocean Wonders area of the park, the Whale Shark Exhibit tank features the world’s largest acrylic panel which measures a massive 39.6 m (129 ft 11.05 in) by 8.3 m (27 ft 2.77 in).
• World’s Largest Aquarium Window—The massive acrylic panel also sets a record for largest aquarium window.
St. Louis-based consulting and design firm PGAV Destinations served as the product strategist, master planner, lead design consultant, and lead designer of the 125-acre attraction on Henquin Island, near Macao.
Ocean Kingdom took three years to construct, and features seven unique areas, each themed around a different part of the world’s waterways.
“Ocean Kingdom is world-class, delivering well-planned guest experiences, focusing on comfort and the quality of the experience,” says Al Cross, PGAV Destinations VP and project lead. “It has a really unique approach that blurs the lines between thrilling rides, great shows, and amazing animals–in fact, it’s one of the best efforts in Asia to create viewing interactions between people and animals.”
Ocean Kingdom is home to thousands of animals and boasts numerous rides, attractions, retail, and dining choices. More projects will come online at the park throughout 2014.
“Breaking any world record is amazing, but to become the world’s largest aquarium requires phenomenal creative vision and immense engineering efforts,” says Rowan Simons, president of Guinness World Records Greater China. “The result is an incredible attraction experience and Guinness World Records is delighted to recognize the five specific world-beating achievements that make it so special.”
The brand new theme park boasts Asia’s first winged coaster, Flying over the Rainforest, and numerous other incredible attractions such as the massive and immersive digital manta ray entry tunnel; the towering whale shark sculpture at the center of Ocean Park; and a wholly unique attraction which combines a roller coaster and a live polar bear exhibit.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom serves as PGAV Destination’s first, full theme park design in Asia, having previously master-planned and designed the Grand Aquarium at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park and an attraction at the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses in Xi’an, China. PGAV Destinations is also the master planner and designer of the world’s third-largest aquarium, The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA.
Rendering of dome
Rendering of park
About PGAV Destinations
PGAV Destinations is a global leader in the planning and design of unique destinations. Now in its fifth decade, the practice has evolved to become the ideal destination-consulting partner, skilled at developing growth-oriented master plans and translating those plans into successful projects. No other firm offers such an integrated approach to destination planning.
PGAV’s key clients include industry leaders such as Delaware North Companies, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the Biltmore Companies, Bass Pro Shops, Ameristar Casinos, Universal Studios, The Gettysburg Foundation, the St. Louis Zoo, and many others. Recent assignments include planning and design at many of the world’s “must see” destinations, including the Grand Canyon, Biltmore Estate, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, the Georgia Aquarium, the Hoover Dam, and SeaWorld Adventure Parks. www.PGAVDestinations.com
About Guangdong Chimelong Group Co. Ltd.
As one of China’s most excellent, large enterprise groups and Guangdong Province’s leading enterprise in tourism industry, Guangdong Chimelong Group Co. Ltd. dedicates all efforts to creating world-class tourist resorts, which are specialized in theme parks, luxury hotels, business conventions, high-end restaurants, and leisure entertainment. Chimelong Group currently manages two large resort areas, Guangzhou Chimelong and Zhuhai Chimelong.
Related Stories
Green | Dec 22, 2017
Green builders can use ‘big data’ to make design decisions
More and more, green project teams are relying on publicly available “external datasets” to prioritize sustainable design decisions, says sustainability consultant Adele Houghton.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Dec 21, 2017
Interactive map includes detailed information on historic New York City buildings
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission launched a new, enhanced version of its interactive map, Discover NYC Landmarks.
High-rise Construction | Dec 20, 2017
Another record year for high-rise construction
More than 140 skyscrapers were completed across the globe this year, including 15 supertall towers.
Game Changers | Dec 20, 2017
Urban farms can help plant seeds for cities’ growth around them
Urban farms have been impacting cities’ agribusiness—and, on some cases, their redevelopment—for decades.
Market Data | Dec 20, 2017
Architecture billings upturn shows broad strength
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the November ABI score was 55.0, up from a score of 51.7 in the previous month.
Public Health Labs | Dec 19, 2017
10 takeaways from SmithGroup’s ‘lab of the future’ initiative
The LAB2050 initiative digs into the scientific trends, technologies, and economics that will shape tomorrow’s research laboratory environments.
Office Buildings | Dec 19, 2017
How do we measure human performance, and what does it mean for the workplace?
There are many new tools and methods that are beginning to look more comprehensively to evaluate organizational well-being.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 18, 2017
Canada’s newest funicular makes Edmonton’s largest green space more accessible
The incline elevator is located in downtown Edmonton and was publicly funded.
Sponsored | Building Team | Dec 12, 2017
3 tips to address the top causes of budget overruns
The most cited issues are communication breakdowns, inadequate fees for the work provided, and unrealistic deadlines or schedules.
Multifamily Housing | Dec 12, 2017
Call for technical experts: Dog wash station design
The editors of Multifamily Design + Construction magazine need your expertise.