Workshop: Waterpark Architecture

Delve into the design of leisure pools from the 70s to the present day with artist, designer and prop maker Madeleine Famurewa. You will have a chance to discuss your experiences of waterparks and take inspiration from our 'Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style' exhibition.

In this session, explore the possibilities of waterparks as public and social spaces and how they can be designed to accommodate the needs of different users and communities.

You will experiment with the visual language and worldbuilding of waterparks through large-scale collages and projected visuals and begin to imagine what a utopian waterpark might look like. Through speculative drawings and sketches, you will start shaping how someone might experience your waterpark.

You will work on a model using simple household and craft materials and, through theatrical and artistic techniques, start bringing your prototype to life. We will then combine the models to see how their experiences can interact and create an atmosphere around them through light and sound.

At the end of the workshop, you will have a set of exploratory drawings and a model or sculpture of your imagined waterpark. This workshop is aimed at general audiences, design students and graduates, and set and theatre designers and architects seeking to expand their creative practice.

Learning outcomes:

• An understanding of waterparks as social and communal spaces

• Visual language and worldbuilding of leisure pools

• Using sketches and exploratory drawings as a starting point for a design

• Creative and speculative modelling with household and craft materials

Please note:

• All equipment, materials and light refreshments will be provided

• This workshop is suitable for adults 18+

• Please note that this workshop is for participants over 18 years old, and the content and complexity have been tailored accordingly

• If you would like to let us know about any access requirements, including neurodiversity, there is the option to notify us at the ticket checkout

• If you would like to have 1:1 support for this workshop, you are welcome to bring a companion to support you on your project, at no extra cost. To request a companion spot please email DMAcademy@designmuseum.org with your booking information.

• This session has a capacity of 20 participants, and one or two facilitators will be leading the sessions. So, the ratio of participants per facilitator will be 10:1.

• If you have any questions, please contact DMAcademy@designmuseum.org

Images: Courtesy of Madeleine Famurewa archive. Carousel includes images from: Theo Dunne, George Baggaley, and Becky Callis.