Projects

Expanding a world-class waterpark at Atlantis The Palm

Determined to provide a memorable guest experience for the entire family, Atlantis, The Palm has expanded its renowned Aquaventure Waterpark in Dubai – re-establishing the attraction as a world-leading waterpark destination.

Key information

Client Kerzner International Development

Location United Arab Emirates

Project type Real estate

Services Cost and commercial management, Project management

Project timeline 2019 - 2021

Aquaventure World waterpark with family on large inflatable using slide, Atlantis The Palm Dubai

Contact

Gyles Hunton

Project Director, Dubai

World-class expansion

The Aquaventure Phase 3 expansion involved the extension of the main waterpark zones and associated facilities. Works involved the installation of several ‘world-first’ waterslides and water-coasters. Construction of the new Trident Tower also saw the attraction become home to the longest family ride in the MENA region.

The outline land reclamation scope of works required the placement of 208,000 m3 suitable fill material, to increase the useable plot area by around 22,500 m2. Works involved:

Dredging of fill material at an approved dredging location and the transportation of the material (via barge), to the Phase III project
Placement of suitable fill material below the beach fill layer to re-profile the existing beach
Vibro compaction – placement of stone columns, to address ground stability concerns.

The Aquaventure phase 3 project took 24 months to complete (from schematic design through to project handover). Construction work on the attraction ran from February 2020 to March 2021.

project story

Collaborating

We supported Atlantis The Palm with project and cost management services throughout the entire project lifecycle – from design consultant selection to project delivery and handover. Our key deliverables included site enabling works, land reclamation works, construction, and the installation of amenities, fixtures and fittings.

We implemented rigorous time management, stakeholder coordination and general best practices, to successfully coordinate over 1,200 onsite workers (at peak). The project attained over 2.8 million man-hours without a single lost-time incident, all the while being delivered in a live, fully operative, five-star environment.

Achieving the project vision and objectives

We successfully led the delivery of both the land reclamation and main works packages within budget and ahead of schedule. The project was executed in a live hotel environment and involved coordinating numerous services closely interlinked, across a confined project plot with various trades and contractors.

We procured the right consultants and contractors, implemented quality and cost-driven value engineering options, used building information modelling to verify designs, promoted collaboration amongst stakeholders, and used industry best practices to ensure the client’s objectives were consistently achieved.

We also optimised the use of drones and timelapse cameras, to maintain accuracy and allow progress and logistics to be monitored remotely.

The project, which was successfully completed under budget in March 2021, has ultimately allowed the resort to stay fundamentally true to its reputation – a leading, all-encompassing, elite, tourism destination.

“Atlantis the Palm is extremely proud of the addition of the extension to its already globally recognised waterpark and brand. It has been a challenging 24 months transforming the project into a truly magical experience. Turner & Townsend has played a key role in the overall success of this project.”

Shawn Adams
Vice President, Special Projects
Atlantis The Palm

We have been supporting Atlantis The Palm across various projects since 2015. Aquaventure Waterpark was named World’s Leading Water Park in the 2021 World Travel Awards.