Designing Efficient Parking Lots for Theme Parks
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When discussing theme parks, most people envision the joyful atmosphere, pleasant surroundings, and diverse amusement experiences. However, beyond these elements, many would also mention the park’s entrance gate. This is the first visual impression and focal point encountered before entering the park. As designers and builders of theme parks, our focus should extend beyond just the facade to include everything visible or tangible. This encompasses external roads, landscapes on either side, prominent signage, clean parking facilities, and user-friendly traffic systems. Today’s creative design and sharing focus on the most comprehensive theme park parking design dynamic analysis.
Key Principles of Parking Lot Design
1. **Flat and Solid Parking Surface**: This fundamental design principle ensures that the first step into the park is not marred by a dilapidated site, enhancing the overall perception of the park.
2. **Lighting and Fire Safety**: Beyond standard requirements, these features provide safety and warmth to visitors.
3. **Separate Entrances and Exits**: Facilitates smooth traffic flow, parking area organisation, and management.
4. **Green Isolation Lines**: These not only enhance safety but also offer visitors a pleasing view of greenery.
5. **Entrance Parking Rules**: Security should be managed by a designated individual.
6. **Clear Signage and Charging Standards**: Prominent signs guide visitors to park, and publicised charging standards prevent disputes.
7. **Fire Control Management System**: In case of fire, timely reporting and safe evacuation are crucial.
8. **Intelligent Parking Information Management**: This improves the efficiency of the parking lot.
Types of Parking Lots
In planning and designing parking facilities, they are generally categorised into fixed and temporary parking lots based on different tourist traffic modes.
**Fixed Parking**: This caters to the parking needs of group and self-driving visitors. The fixed parking lot is divided into four types: bus, car, motorcycle, and VIP parking, followed by parking for internal employees.
—**Bus Parking**—
According to Chinese design standards, the length of the vehicle should not exceed 6m, and the width should not exceed 1.8m, with a minimum distance of 0.5m between vehicles and from walls or the end of parking spaces. For vehicles longer than 6m but not exceeding 8m, and wider than 1.8m but not exceeding 2.2m, the specified distance between vehicles is at least 0.7m. Typically, buses are about 10m-12m long, so a width of 4m is ensured, considering the turning radius to determine parking space length.
When planning bus parking, a rest area for drivers and tour guides (guide room) can be included on the site edge, equipped with separate toilets, magazines, computers, hot water, and other services. This is often set at a distance from the tourist experience area to avoid unnecessary interference.
—**Car Parking**—
The main passage in the car park should be at least 6m wide. The parking mode should prioritise minimal floor area, convenient evacuation, and safety assurance. Other design standards should align with relevant specifications.
If space is limited, underground parking lots and multi-storey parking buildings can be considered.
—**Basement Parking**—
Designing an underground parking lot requires attention to its location in the general plan, ensuring convenient access, separation from sidewalks, and distance from the site’s main road. The car ramp should be near the entrance to minimise noise and light interference at night. Compliance with code design involves considering the number of underground entrances and exits, car ramps, road width, clear height requirements, and civil air defence design.
—**Parking Building**—
In addition to underground parking, parking buildings can be constructed on ground space. If the parking space index exceeds 50, there should be at least two entrances and exits; if it exceeds 500, there should be at least three.
Many parks, like Changzhou Dinosaur Park, initially used multi-storey parking lots to address parking issues, later adopting ground parking after entrance adjustments.
Compared to early park parking lots, current planning and design are more user-friendly. Early planning now fully considers disabled parking spaces and charging stations for new energy vehicles.
For more insights on theme park parking design, visit Lanchao Water Park Equipment Manufacturer.
