Hong Kong's Ocean Park is a theme park and oceanarium that has attracted millions of visitors over the last thirty years. It is comprised of two separate areas called Waterfront and Summit, which so far have been linked by two gondola ropeways. As part of a major redevelopment scheme for the park, a third link has now been added in the form of a modern funicular built by Garaventa called the Ocean Express. The journey began 2007. After various drafts the idea was born to create a new way of people transport: a fully themed funicular.
The Ocean Express is a completely underground installation and has been designed to meet highly demanding requirements in terms of availability. The whole funicular (cars and stations) is in a themed design based on the"Nautilus" in Jules Verne' s"20,000 Leagues under the Sea" . Passengers have the feeling of departing from a submarine base and diving into the sea. In the cars, this impression is reinforced with the help of a complex audio-visual offering.
The car ceilings, for example, are fitted with monitors that show underwater scenes over
the full length of the cars, while other optical and acoustic features, including wave
lights, a stroboscope and bass loudspeakers, are activated during the ride to emphasize
the thematic effect.
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Input brought the idea and storyboard (dramaturgy) for this unique theming of a funicular. Together with Kraftwerk Living Technologies International, Garaventa and Gangloff Cabins AG this storyboard was implemented with technical supplies.
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The experience has now shown, that theming will get a future dimension for passenger transportation.
Input offers solutions and ideas for theming gondola ropeways, funiculars - particular cabins, stations and trains. Design, storyboard, interactivity , …
Future will show us, that trains and ropeways can offer more than carrying people.
Links to this topic:
>> www.oceanpark.com.hk
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLnwEbIbr_k
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW-MVQ8pySU
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVL17vjLm54
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5HszVLUiQI
