French theme park Futuroscope has opened its new 6,000sq m waterpark, featuring unique immersive aquatic experiences as part of a €304 million investment by the French government which supports the park as a regional wealth generator.

The new €57m Aquascope waterpark features three zones. The Thrill Zone, with eight slides including a spiral slide that winds around the building, a vertical drop launch slide and two-lane racer slide. This zone also features a wave pool, and a bar and DJ area for night-time events.

The Immersion Zone has an aquatic cinema, an underwater viewing experience and a futuristic zone with on-water video mapping, water jets and special effects.

The digital set design was created by Canadian studio Moment Factory.

The third zone – the Aquafun zone for children aged three and over – has been designed around the theme of the mascot Kraki.

Visitors will be able to float on a tube, enjoying the 350m-long lazy river that passes through the three zones. The park also features an outdoor swimming pool, beach area and dynamic river, which will open during the summer season.

Aquascope has its own ticketing system and can accommodate up to 1,700 people, up from the expected 1,500 announced at the planning stages. It deploys innovations in hydraulic, thermal and energy engineering to reduce its carbon impact.

Speaking to Attractions Management earlier this year, Futuroscope CEO, Rodolphe Bouin, said: “We’re creating a waterpark unlike anything that’s been done before in Europe. Innovation and creativity are at the heart of what we do.

"The aim of our 2020-2030 €304 million investment plan is to position Futuroscope as a destination for short-term stays – not just a theme park," he explained. "The aim is to attract more visitors from further afield, including neighbouring countries – mainly Spain, Switzerland and Belgium.

"In order to do this, we’ve divided the investment between the historic park (around €200 million) and the new area at the gateway of the park (around €100 million), with the new area featuring our two themed hotels, the Space Loop experiential restaurant, the new Aquascope waterpark and a plaza to link them all together."