7 minute read
A Galactic Vision Realized
Illuminating Chimelong’s Marine-Themed Spaceship Park
When the first images of the Chimelong Marine Science Park in Zhuhai, China landed in my inbox, I was immediately struck by the scale, imagination, and luminous drama. Designed to resemble a spaceship arriving from the cosmos, this immersive marine-themed indoor park is a testament to how narrative-driven lighting design can elevate architecture from impressive to otherworldly. To understand the vision behind the light, I spoke with Ashley Yin, Principal Designer at Lighting Design Alliance (LDA), who led the project’s lighting concept and implementation over a nearly seven-year journey.
A Longstanding Partnership and a Vast Scope
LDA has partnered with the Chimelong Group since 2010, when Ashley first joined the firm. Their work spans flagship hotels, circus arenas, and a portion of the original outdoor Ocean Kingdom. In 2017, the relationship evolved again when Chimelong began developing its indoor Marine Science Park, conceived as a “spaceship from the universe landing on Earth to do research.”
The scope for LDA included the exterior façade and landscape lighting, a massive pedestrian bridge, and selected interior circulation areas, including the lobby and the children’s play zone.
“We started in 2017, and while our initial design was finished around 2020, the project kept evolving during construction,” said Ashley. “Because of COVID, they had more time to reconsider the theming, and so we kept designing almost until the park opened in 2023.”
The Challenge: Lighting the Unlightable
The spaceship structure spans 650 meters. Its curved, metallic exterior and sweeping form posed enormous challenges, both technically and conceptually.
“Our first challenge was scale,” Ashley explained. “How do you light something this enormous without blowing the budget? The second was maintenance. Everything needed to be accessible. And third, the geometry. The multi-story, curved structure required thousands of lighting calculations just to model how light would behave.”
One of the most defining features is the shimmering “star field” on the roof, achieved with over 4,000 RGBW dots, each individually controllable and mounted flush into aluminum panels. “The owner was inspired by Zaha Hadid’s work in Korea with backlit panels,” Ashley recalled, “but the maintenance would’ve been a nightmare. So, we proposed large surface-mounted dots that appear to reflect stars from space, integrated directly into the panel seams.”
Each dot consumes 25 watts and can be individually programmed. They create dynamic light shows and support the narrative of the spaceship’s celestial journey. “The dots are custom RGBW,” she noted. CK Color Kinetics only offered RGB at the time, so they worked with a local contractor to modify the CK product to exactly what they needed.
Carrying Light Through the Landscape
LDA’s influence extends far beyond the spaceship’s shell. The connecting landscape integrates themed lighting, decorative fixtures, and custom-designed posts—many with built-in slots for banners and future interactive features. “The light posts were a custom design. They went through multiple prototype rounds and were fabricated locally,” said Ashley. “They weren’t perfect, but they’re close to our vision and add to the futuristic storytelling.”
Even the plaza leading into the building is carefully lit. A cascading water feature glows under warm white illumination, with mini sculptures reflecting in a shallow pool. Ashley explained, “Chimelong loves themed sculptures. Outside the ticketing area, there’s a walking plaza with characters for kids to pose with, and each one has integral lighting.”
Subtle Layering and Skylight Lanterns
Throughout the site, LDA’s lighting works in subtle layers. For example, at the spaceship’s docking area, where guests buy tickets and souvenirs, the lighting from the main vessel carries over with consistent lines and color schemes. Overhead, curved aluminum extrusions with diffused lenses outline the building’s form in glowing arcs, mimicking the ship’s silhouette.
These weren’t off-the-shelf tape lights; they were custom fabricated to hold their form across the structure.
Ashley added, “We also created a lantern effect for the glass ridges and skylights. These are not just functional—they glow internally to create a sense of depth and life in the architecture.”
Theme Park, Aquarium, and Arena—All Under One Roof
The indoor park contains three major zones: an aquarium with live killer whale performances, a kids’ area with over a dozen rides, and a central plaza used for events and circulation. Lighting played a crucial role in distinguishing and unifying these zones.
Two large skylights—each backlighting a different area—anchor the lighting narrative from above. “The first skylight is over the killer whale stadium; the second is above the kids' ride zone,” Ashley said. “We used interior uplighting to give them that glowing presence even at night.”
And though the lighting is abundant and dramatic, it never feels garish. Most of the architectural lighting is 3000K, though it can read warmer against the blue-toned exterior and aquatic surroundings. “That contrast helps the warmth feel even more inviting,” Ashley noted.
Leadership, Collaboration, and Commitment
Ashley led the design for LDA, working closely with a team of designers, local fabricators, and client-side consultants. “Chip [Israel] was also heavily involved. The client really trusted him. We divided the work among our team to manage the massive scope.”
Commissioning was handled post-construction due to travel restrictions during the pandemic, but LDA still made an on-site visit after the soft opening to identify and correct minor issues, especially in the landscape lighting.
The lighting control system was integrated by local engineers, and although Ashley didn’t manage that phase directly, she confirmed each of the 4,000 dots can be independently color-controlled and dimmed.
The Business of Lighting Design
Payment for the Chimelong project followed a phased delivery model, similar to many U.S. projects. However, one key difference was that the design team could not bill partial phases—for example, 50% of Design Development (DD)—as is often standard in American contracts. Instead, the entire DD phase had to be completed before any payment was issued. Given the project's immense scale, this meant a single phase could take over a year to finish, resulting in extended periods without compensation.
While construction timelines in China are typically fast-paced, the sheer size and complexity of this project introduced delays that are atypical for the region. Despite the pace, the financial structure required patience and long-term commitment.
A Galactic Experience for 50,000 Daily Guests
The Chimelong Marine Science Park was designed to accommodate up to 50,000 visitors a day. Though that number is staggering, the lighting design ensures that every guest—whether entering, exiting, or waiting in line—feels immersed in the park’s cosmic narrative.
“Ultimately,” Ashley reflected, “we were creating a new world for people. That’s what the client wanted— something you’ve never seen before, with light telling the story.”
They achieved just that. Through meticulous detailing, custom fabrication, and story-driven design, LDA has turned this enormous, themed environment into a fully illuminated experience, one that glows with imagination.
