ESTATE
London's immersive hospitality heavyweights are going global
Takes the reins at Merlin
The creative team behind the massive new theme park
The adventure zoo that lets visitors climb with the animals
The iconic curator leads the Studio Museum in Harlem into a new era
A podcast about the legendary people, ideas and strategies that have redefined how we think about storytelling across every medium: from books to the board room, film to physical spaces.
16 OCTOBER 2025 QEII
VAC – the Annual National Conference of Visitor Attractions – will once again take place in its recognised home, the fantastic QEII Conference Centre opposite Westminster Abbey in London.
Over 5,000 attractions owners, managers and officers have attended VAC over the 21 years since the very first one at the QEII Centre in 2004. If you work in the visitor attractions sector, VAC gives you the chance to learn about the very latest innovations, thinking and news from practitioners and the top consultants across the sector – whether your interest lies in parks and gardens, historic or heritage centres, theme parks, museums and galleries, zoos or science and discovery centres.
We already have 25 top speakers confirmed for VAC – see them here: vacevents.com/speakers
Book your place today!
Follow us on @vac_conference or for more information visit our website at www.vacevents.com
The past decade has seen a huge explosion in the popularity of scare attractions. Once confined to the Halloween season, demand for immersive, fear-based experiences has led to increased investment by the attractions industry and ever-more creative and imaginative offerings.
At the long-awaited Epic Universe theme park in Orlando – which we explore on page 40 – Universal Destinations and Experiences has dedicated a whole land to horror. Its monster-themed land, Dark Universe, uses advanced animatronics, dynamic projection mapping, ride system integration, live actors and strong theming to create a palpable feeling of dread... and visitors are lapping it up.
Horror has been fundamental to the success of Universal Studios, of course, with its monster movies arguably saving the company from collapse during the Great Depression. Back then, people were desperate for an escape from their tough lives and fear of the future, and they enthusiastically embraced the safe scares of Universal’s horror movies.
Research shows that experiencing fear in a controlled environment allows people to build coping mechanisms for real-world anxieties. Immersive horror experiences, haunted houses and horror films can help people build psychological endurance against actual fears and anxieties.
Perhaps high levels of anxiety about the state of the world is driving today’s appetite for horror films and experiences. In any case, Universal is betting big on this trend – hot on the heels of the opening of Epic Universe came the launch of Universal Horror Unleashed in Area 15’s new zone in Las Vegas. This year-round attraction builds on Universal’s hugely popular Halloween
Horror experiences can help people to build coping mechanisms
Horror Nights, and the company has already announced that a second Horror Unleashed venue will be opening in Chicago in 2027.
Immersive multi-media studio Moment Factory has almost 25 years experience in themed attractions, but hasn’t created a scare attraction... until now. On page 70, Virginie Valastro explains why the horror market is so attractive to the company.
Whether the industry can translate the recent huge success of seasonal Halloween experiences into sustainable year-round businesses remains to be seen. It is certainly going to be interesting to watch.
Magali Robathan, editor magalirobathan@leisuremedia.com
05 Editor’s letter
Year-round horror experiences are a fast-growing trend, but will the companies betting big see their investments pay off?
10 People: Thelma Golden
As the Studio Museum in Harlem prepares to reopen, its CEO explains why the institution is more important than ever
14
A driving force behind the creation of the International Centre for Life, CEO Linda Conlon has seen massive change over the past 25 years. So what’s next for the science centre?
With a passion for the industry, the new CEO of Merlin Entertainments says she is ready to lead the company to a new era of expansion and growth
The top international news stories curated from the Attractions Management news feed
30
As the design fabrication studio celebrates its 50th birthday, we speak to co-founders Michael Blau and Tom Lloyd, and production art director Lara Brunelle
The first major US theme park to open in almost 25 years, Universal Epic Universe is big news for the industry. We hear from the creative team that made it happen
The creators of new Vegas immersive experience Hope Road have partnered with Bob Marley’s children to tell the story of his life and music
Billed as Asia’s first adventure-based zoo park, Rainforest Wild Asia lets visitors experience animals in a whole new way. We find out more
Fairytale magic meets traditional grand hotel at Efteling’s newest accommodation offering. Its designer shares the vision
As immersive music and hospitality company the Lost Estate announces its latest production, co-founder Eddy Hackett shares its global expansion plans
A dramatic ancient canyon made for an amazing starting place for the creation of a spectacular new scare attraction, says its creator
The recently-opened National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, was one of architect’s Rafael Vinoly’s final projects. His son tells us what the project meant to his father, and how he intends to continue his legacy
A flying theatre attraction offering unique views of Niagara Falls, Maurer’s latest indoor coaster and a new film starring the Europa-Park mascots... We check out the biggest launches
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In the process of revamping our popular ride, Red Raion’s specialization in CGI content for the attractions industry has been invaluable. Their quality work ensures a seamless collaboration and exceptional results. We look forward to continuing our innovative partnership with Red Raion to create memorable experiences for our visitors.
Arun K Chittilapilly, Executive Chairman & Managing Director, Wonderla Holidays Ltd.
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The Studio Museum was born in a moment to learn from history
Thelma Golden, the Studio Museum director and chief curator,
The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, has announced the opening date of its new home, after closing its old building for demolition in 2018.
The museum is set to open on 15 November 2025 with a celebratory community day that will take over the whole building, and four inaugural exhibitions including an exploration of the work of Tom Lloyd, whose work featured in the museum’s first show more than half a century ago.
The Studio Museum was founded in 1968 by a group of artists, activists and philanthropists as a space for artists of African descent and for work inspired by Black culture. Since then, it has become a hugely influential institution in the development, promotion and showcasing of work by artists of African and Afro-Latinx descent, and is renowned for its Artist-in-Residence programme.
The Studio Museum’s Creating Space campaign has raised more than $300 million for the design and construction of its new home.
The new seven floor 82,000-square-footbuilding – which increases the exhibition space by more than 50 per cent and public areas by around 60 per cent – is designed by Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson. David Adjaye, the founder of the architecture group Adjaye Associates, stepped away from the project in 2023 following sexual misconduct allegations.
The design has been inspired by the local area – the composition of a façade with windows of various sizes and proportions echoes the masonry-framed windows of Harlem’s apartment buildings, while a top-lit interior gallery pays reference to the area’s churches. A set of glass doors, which can be opened in different configurations, welcomes people to descending steps that evoke the ubiquitous stoops of Harlem’s brownstones. The steps can be used as benches for watching lectures, performances, and films presented on the building’s lower level, or just for relaxing on. The building also includes a rooftop terrace with landscape design by Studio Zewde.
“Our breathtaking new building is more than just a space; it is a monumental testament to the museum’s mission and the vitality of artists of African descent,” said Thelma Golden, the museum’s director and chief curator.
“This moment is deeply rooted in the collective vision of our founders, whose aspirations continue to guide us. As we take this historic step, I look forward to welcoming our communities into a transformed museum – where we will continue the work that defines us on a scale that reflects the magnitude of our mission.”
l A major presentation of the work of Tom Lloyd. Based on extensive new scholarship and intensive conservation work, Tom Lloyd will explore the artist’s prescient contributions to the interplay of art and technology and will be accompanied by the first publication dedicated to the artist.
l The first instalment of a collection, which holds almost 9,000 artworks. Works will span from the 1800s to the present –highlighting more than 200 years of artistic achievements by artists of African descent.
l A presentation of new works on paper by more than 100 alumni of the Artistin-Residence programme.
l A presentation of archival photographs and ephemera of the institution’s history, offering visitors an opportunity to discover the host of exhibitions, events, and programs that defined the Studio Museum throughout nearly 60 years of cultural and political change.
The institution reopens at a politically fraught time for museums and culture in the US. Speaking to The New York Times, Golden said that the challenges faced by cultural organisations under the Trump administration highlight the importance of institutions like the Studio Museum.
“I’ve been trying to learn a lot from history,” she said. “The Studio Museum was born in a moment like this. So I have been trying to lead with the wisdom that comes from those who have had to create a sense of a future in an awful time before.
“This is also a moment which continues to create real clarity about our missions. We need to
be the space that allows for artists in this moment to make their work, present their work, be in conversation with each other and audiences. And it makes it clear that we want spaces that allow for conversations about truth and democracy, that are invested in complex narratives and give form to our ability to narrate how we all see the world through our eyes… It feels like a moment where what we do is incredibly necessary.”
Free admission will be offered on Sundays, as part of the museum’s Studio Sunday programme, and children aged 16 and under can enter for free at all times. The suggested admission price is $16 for adults and $9 for seniors, students, and visitors with disabilities at other times. l
One thing that bugs me is how science centres do not have a
Linda Conlon, CEO, Life natural champion in government
Operating under an innovative model that combines visitor attraction, public health services and cutting-edge research, Newcastle’s Life Science Centre has welcomed millions of visitors and seen major medical breakthroughs since its launch. As the centre celebrates its 25th birthday, we speak to CEO Linda Conlon about how the original vision has evolved.
Back in the 1990s, leading geneticist Professor John Burn, Linda Conlon and the former Tyne and Wear development corporation chief executive Alastair Balls drew up plans for the Centre for Life.
The vision was for a science hub combining research facilities, medical treatment and a visitor attraction with a focus on integrating education, research, and public engagement with science and technology. The vision became a reality when the Centre for Life was opened in 2000 by the late Queen of England in a building designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell. Since then, the centre has seen numerous breakthroughs in medical research, notably becoming the first place in the UK to produce human embryonic stem cells. More than 6,000 babies have been born through the NHS facility
Life aims to make science accessible, relevant and fun
clinic based there, and the sight of more than 30 people has been restored. The visitor attraction, meanwhile, welcomes around half a million people per year, and features exhibits, a planetarium, a play area and hands on making studios, and hosts a variety of live shows.
As part of the 25 years celebrations, Life has launched a new £1.5m exhibition exploring sound, colour and light. Lightbox is the result of two years development and features 14 hands-on interactive exhibits created by artists and specialists. At the centre of the exhibition is an eight-metre-high moving string sculpture created by kinetic artist Paul Friedlander.
Here Linda Conlon discusses the highs and lows of the past 25 years, as well as the future for the Centre for Life.
After 25 years, I think we are stitched into the fabric of the city and dare I say, a much-loved part of life in Newcastle. We reckon about half a million people every year access our services and activities. It’s an exciting, imaginative and eclectic mix: from clinics to a science centre
We live in a world that is driven by developments in science and technology, and the pace of change has accelerated hugely since Life opened
and from cutting edge medical research to a vibrant programme of events in our outdoor space, rather grandly called Times Square. Life has impacted the lives of many, and is a source of great regional pride. I think it has also ‘normalised’ science, as it’s situated right in the middle of the city and not tucked out of sight in some out of town, anonymous business park. Maybe if Life was a band, it could be the Beatles. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I think that describes us rather well!
What have been the highest and lowest moments since launching?
Thankfully, there have been more highs than lows. I still remember with great fondness meeting the Queen and showing her round when she formally opened Life in 2000. And, in 2005, scientists at Life were the first in the world to achieve therapeutic cloning to create human stem cells. The global media descended, and it was a frantic, exciting time.
From what looked and felt like a very low point initially, the pandemic forced us to rethink how we engaged with our visitors. I was so proud of the way we reinforced our relationship with the North East autistic community, at a particularly challenging time for them, and to this day the bonds remain strong. Another unexpected bonus was working with our on-site NHS colleagues to repurpose the visitor attraction as a large vaccination centre. It was good to play a small part in the fight against COVID-19.
What do you see as the role of science centres? Has that changed since the Life Science Centre launched?
We live in a world that is driven by developments in science and technology, and the pace of change has accelerated hugely since Life opened in 2000. There is a real need to engage more actively and effectively with people, to explore science in a non-threatening environment and to encourage debate on a whole host of critical subjects that affect the lives of us all. Science is for everyone, and it’s people from poorer backgrounds, and those with special needs that are often left behind.
In tandem with this, social media has grown to the point where everyone is now able to communicate and share information at the touch of a button. That information isn’t always accurate, nuanced or checked. Science centres, therefore, have an important role to play in helping people of all ages and backgrounds to think critically, by asking questions and checking facts before sending information flying around the world.
What are the biggest challenges facing science centres right now?
The external landscape has never been more challenging: ongoing cost of living worries, shifts in leisure habits post-pandemic, global uncertainty and a glut of alternative experiences to choose from. It’s a long list. But one thing stays the same: people are still looking for memorable experiences in memorable places with family and friends, so we must up our game and respond to that.
One thing that does bug me, and has done so for many years, is how science centres do not have a natural champion in government. Unlike cultural institutions that have regular access to public funds for both capital and revenue support, science centres are not even eligible to apply for this money. Seems crazy to me,
when it’s science and technology that is shaping the world we live in and is so important to the prosperity and future growth of this country.
Life is financially self-sustaining. How is the money raised and has that changed since the early days? How much of a challenge is it to fund the attraction?
The basic business model has stood the test of time. In a nutshell, we raise money from commercial sources, including property rental, and that helps to keep the science centre going. It gets harder as time goes by, because buildings get older and nothing stays the same forever. I remember a wise person telling me that property is an asset until it becomes a liability. That’s very true.
The centre is celebrating its anniversary with a range of events and exhibitions
How are you celebrating the 25th anniversary?
Big time! We aimed to do it on our 20th, but Covid got in the way and ditto for 2021. We had to wait for the 25th, so it’s extra special for the Life team. We’ve launched Lightbox, a collection of fantastic exhibits created by recognised artists and specialists and a smaller exhibition charting Life, its history and achievements. We’ve held great debates on where genetic medicine might take us in the future and, as a special thank you to the people of the North East, we’ve discounted all our ticket prices by 25 per cent. We even got a birthday message from Ant and Dec who so generously fronted our TV ad free of charge back in 2000.
But for me the best bit was asking people to share their stories about Life and how it had
Newcastle’s Life Science Centre has been recognised for its work supporting and welcoming neurodivergent visitors with a number of awards, including Ecsite’s Mariano Gago Responsible and Responsive Award and the Gold Standard Autism Acceptance Award by the North East Autism Society. These awards recognised the innovative threeyear partnership between Life and NEAS which has led to improvements in the visitor experience for autistic people, as well as increasing staff’s understanding of autism and neurodiversity through on-going specialist training.
impacted their lives. The stories were incredible, and many brought a tear to the eye. Some reported that the treatment they’d received at Life literally saved their lives, while others talked about how we’d ignited a spark of interest in science that had never left them. One of my favourites was about a young woman called Ella Joy, born in 2000, following treatment her parents received at our IVF clinic. She is now a midwife, helping to deliver other IVF babies.
What will the next five years bring?
I have absolutely no idea! For me personally, I will hang up my boots during that time and take with me fantastic memories of a place that I was in on from the very beginning. The centre, I have no doubt, will go from strength to strength. It’s as relevant today as it was 25 years ago. ●
The partnership began in 2018, with families from NEAS’s community forming an advisory group to ensure that the Life Science Centre experience, from its exhibitions to its cafes, is accessible and welcoming to autistic people. The partnership has received widespread recognition and attention and has been hailed as an example of best practice by the science centre community globally and other attractions. Linda Conlon, chief executive at Life, said: “This partnership is a great example of what can be achieved when two organisations work together. It’s been a real two-way street in terms of collaboration and learning.
Eastwood was appointed CEO of Merlin earlier this year after a decade spent working at the company
for this business
I have a true love and passion and its people
Fiona Eastwood, CEO, Merlin
In July 2025, Merlin Entertainments CEO Fiona Eastwood attended the opening of Legoland Shanghai – the first Legoland Resort in China, and the largest in the world. Located in Fengjing Town, Jinshan District, the 318,000 square metre park features eight lands with more than 75 interactive rides, shows and attractions, as well as thousands of models built with more than 85 million Lego bricks.
The park features themed lands including Lego Ninjago World and Legoland’s first Monkey King-themed land, exclusively themed around the Lego Monkie Kid IP, as well as a live theatre and a 250 room hotel.
New rides for Legoland Shanghai include the 530m-long Big Lego Coaster – a steel inverted Bolliger & Mabillard rollercoaster wrapped around a giant 26m-tall Lego Minifigure – and the Journey to Flower Fruit Market shootthe-chute ride. The Legoland Boat Tour is a world first, exclusive to Shanghai, which takes guests on a cruise around the park, including through a Chinese water town build from Lego and a model of the Shanghai skyline.
“From the first sketches to the final Lego brick, this resort is the result of years of vision, collaboration, and passion,” said Eastwood. “By blending the globally beloved Legoland experience with rich Chinese cultural storytelling, we’ve created a destination that is both globally iconic and locally meaningful.
Shanghai features eight themed lands and more than 75 rides and attractions
I
remain focused on bringing our global attractions together into one united business – a business built for ongoing success and sustainable growth
“At Merlin, our purpose is simple yet impactful: to bring people together and create unforgettable experiences for families around the world. With Legoland Shanghai, we’re taking that purpose to new heights. This resort is more than just a theme park, it’s a celebration of imagination, culture, and connection.”
In February 2025, Fiona Eastwood was appointed CEO of Merlin Entertainments, after leading the company as interim CEO since the departure of previous CEO Scott O’Neil in November 2024.
In her new role, Eastwood is responsible for leading the implementation of the business’s transformational strategy, ensuring that Merlin is well placed to grow at scale and deliver a sustainable, thriving future.
“It’s an honour to be chosen to lead Merlin. It is a truly world class company, with remarkable global reach and impact,” said Eastwood following the announcement of her appointment as CEO.
“Over the past decade, I have seen first hand what the business is capable of. My task, as CEO, is to lead Merlin to new heights, with a focus on performance, creativity, operational excellence and guest experience. I am grateful to the Board for their support – and look forward to continuing to work with an exceptional management team and our colleagues worldwide to implement the business’s transformational strategy. Together, we will drive growth at scale and help Merlin reach its full potential.
“I have a true love and passion for this business and its people, and am excited to lead Merlin into its next phase of growth. I have seen first-hand the wealth of magical experiences our attractions and teams have to offer.
“It brings me immense pride to visit our attractions and witness how we bring joy, create connections and make memories for families, adults, and children all over the world.
“I remain focused on bringing our global attractions together into one united business – a business built for ongoing success and sustainable growth.”
Eastwood joined Merlin in 2015 as global marketing director for Gateway Attractions, responsible for driving strategy and marketing across an expanding portfolio of brands.
Before being appointed CEO, she was chief operating officer with responsibility for gateway attractions, including Madame Tussauds, the Eye brand and Sea Life centres, along with Merlin’s resort theme parks.
Prior to Merlin, Eastwood worked as managing director of consumer products at BBC Studios, leading the successful turnaround of the division through organisational restructuring, digital transformation and international growth. l
Following the May 2025 announcement by The Walt Disney Company and Miral of plans to build a Disney theme park and resort on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, new details have been released by Disney and Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism department.
Located on Yas Island, the new Disney Park will be developed, built and operated by Miral, while Disney’s team of Imagineers will lead the creative design.
Speaking in an episode of Disney’s We Call It Imagineering YouTube series, Walt Disney Imagineering’s senior VP of global creative strategy Zach Riddley revealed details of the design of the castle, explaining that it will include features unique to Abu Dhabi.
“Abu Dhabi is a city on the water and so we’re really
excited about being able to incorporate water for the first time in the design of one of our castles,” he said.
When the plans for the park were announced, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said the theme park and the castle would be different to any previous Disney parks.
“The design of this resort will redefine what's possible in a theme park, showcasing groundbreaking technology and visionary architecture, including a modern castle unlike anything we’ve ever created,” he said.
The park will be “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati,” according to The Walt Disney Company CEO Robert A Iger.
While an opening date for the park hasn’t been released, the Department of Culture and
states: “Disneyland Abu Dhabi is still in the early design stages. While no dates have been officially communicated, expect the opening of Disneyland Abu Dhabi to be sometime between 2030 and 2032.”
More: http://lei.sr/j8q0d
We’ve shared artwork very early in terms of what we think the vision of this could be Zach Riddley
Thermal baths and spa complex Thermen and Badewelt Sinsheim in Germany has opened an immersive cinematic experience called Breathing Planet to offer multi-sensory guided breathing meditation.
Thermengruppe's Josef Wund, strategic partner at Therme Group, developed the new experience following the launch of a similar offering at sister resort Therme Eurskirchen last year called Forest Bathing Lupuna.
The addition of a second multi-sensory experience
suggests the roll-out of these facilities to other thermal bathing complexes within the portfolio.
Breathing Planet is an immersive multi-sensory experience that offers a 10-minute screening of artistic visuals, a
The opening date for Disneyland Paris’ new World of Frozen land has been announced, along with more details about the Frozen-themed land.
The new land will be part of Disneyland Paris’ Walt Disney Studios Park, which is undergoing a major redevelopment to become Disney Adventure World. It is set to open in spring 2026, and will feature the Frozen Ever After boat ride, Immersive dining and shopping experiences, and views of Arendelle Castle and Elsa's Ice Palace.
meditative soundscape and natural scents.
The filmic experience draws on real global wind data from space agency NASA between January and February 2020, showing a visual landscape that gently moves and pulsates like breath.
The projections were created in collaboration with London-based artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast.
The screening takes place in a new space designed by Atelier522 called Immersive Horizon.
More: http://lei.sr/0F8O1
The opening date was announced at this year’s D23, Disney’s fan event in Florida.
The design of Arendelle Castle and Elsa’s Ice Palace was also unveiled in a new video featuring Walt Disney Imagineering designer Michel den Dulk. “Arendelle Castle is inspired
by traditional Scandinavian architecture,” Den Dulk said.
Disney Imagineers have just completed the installation of Elsa’s Ice Palace on top of the North Mountain, he added.
“With its height and scale, the Ice Palace will become a beacon that guests walk towards as they approach
this new immersive area.”
The world’s first Frozen land opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in November 2023.
Tokyo DisneySea’s eighth themed port, Fantasy Springs, also contains a Frozen area called Frozen Kingdom.
More: http://lei.sr/i2G4Q
The galleries are housed within a mound, whose form is an abstraction of the topography of the Emirates
+ Partners
Following a five year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) has announced that its popular sleepover experience is returning this autumn.
The experience is available for children aged six to 12-years-old and their caregivers, with sleepovers taking place once a month.
Activities include torchlight tours of the museum’s third and fourth floor exhibition galleries and self-guided explorations of the museum’s first and second floor. The evenings will also include
live presentations, scavenger hunts, group games in the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, karaoke sessions and bedtime stories.
Visitors will receive a commemorative keepsake, a voucher for future admission and a private shopping
Photos of Zayed National Museum have been released ahead of its planned opening in December 2025.
The Zayed National Museum will act as the centrepiece of the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, which is currently home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and will also house the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi by Frank Gehry, the National History Museum Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.
Designed by Foster + Partners, Zayed National Museum will showcase the history and culture of the UAE. Its form has been inspired by a winged falcon in flight, and it features six permanent galleries, one
temporary exhibition space and an outdoor gallery.
"Architecturally, the aim has been to combine a highly efficient, contemporary form with elements of traditional Arabic design and hospitality to create a museum that is sustainable, welcoming and culturally of its place," said Foster + Partners when the design was revealed.
The six permanent galleries will cover the beginnings of the UAE, evidence of its ancestors, the region’s wildlife and landscapes, the development of its coastal settlements, Emirati identity and past and present connections with the rest of the world.
More: http://lei.sr/z9u8h
experience in the gift shop. Tickets cost from $225, and include an evening snack and a continental breakfast.
“We are excited to reintroduce this celebrated programme that provides a rare opportunity for guests to experience the wonders of the museum long after visitors
have gone home,” said AMNH president Sean Decatur.
“Whether it’s the thrill of encountering Tyrannosaurus Rex by flashlight or the awe of sleeping beneath the massive blue whale, the experience is sure to create memories that families will treasure forever.”
More: http://lei.sr/i8u3D
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"Now
It’s been phenomenally successful with over 500,000 visitors since opening Graham MacVoy
The founders of the Wake the Tiger attraction in Bristol, UK and the Boomtown music festival have announced plans to open ‘Europe’s largest immersive art experience’ at Westfield London.
The new Wake the Tiger experience will be housed in an 80,000 square foot space, and is set to open in 2026.
According to the Wake the Tiger team, the new West London venue will build on the ‘surreal, story-rich universe of Meridia, offering visitors a deeply interactive journey through a parallel world designed to inspire, provoke, and delight’.
Billed as Wake the Tiger’s most ambitious project to date, the venture will transform one of Westfield London’s major anchor spaces into an ‘expansive,
interconnected world of imagination, transformation, and otherworldly art.’
Dubbed ‘the world’s first amazement park’ Wake the Tiger was created by the team behind Boomtown music festival. It launched in a former warehouse in Bristol, UK in July 2022, featuring 27 different spaces, including ice chambers, secret passageways, underwater worlds, mechanical chambers and psychedelic forests. Since its launch, it has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors.
Created by more than 100 installation artists, robotic experts, costume-makers,
architects, videographers and prop-makers, Wake the Tiger is part of a growing trend for immersive art experiences.
“When we conceptualised Wake the Tiger we knew we were taking a risk to create something unique, utilising decades of experience and working with hundreds of creatives at the cutting edge of storytelling,” said Graham MacVoy, co-founder and CEO of Wake the Tiger. “It’s been phenomenally successful with over 500,000 visitors since opening and now is the time to bring Wake the Tiger to the capital.” l
More: http://lei.sr/P9k7h
n 1975, three young theatre enthusiasts launched a set building company in the Adirondack Mountains near New York City. Fifty years on, Adirondack Studios is a global design, fabrication and installation studio, with clients including Disney, Universal and the Metropolitan Opera. We speak to co-founders Tom Lloyd and Michael Blau, as well as production art director Lara Brunelle, about what makes the firm special
Making it to 50 years has been a pretty spectacular achievement
David Thomas ‘Tom’ Lloyd FOUNDING PRINCIPAL ADIRONDACK STUDIOS
What is Adirondack Studios and how did it start out?
Adirondack Scenic, Inc. was incorporated in February 1975 in New York State as a fabrication and production resource outside of New York City. The three owners – myself, Chris Detmer and Watler Blake – were versed in theatre, opera, special event and corporate theatre staging.
The move from New York City to Warrensburg, New York State was for better production space and exploration of new frontiers outside the NYC rat race. It was also due to a love for the Adirondack Mountains, originating with a 1960s connection to the summer Lake George Opera Festival.
What were the early days of ADKS like?
Early projects were few and far between, but in 1977 we were connected to two breakthrough projects, the Bugs Bunny Follies (a touring arena kids’ show) and GE 100 (a touring celebration of General Electric’s first 100 years). Both were immensely successful and led to multiple productions of Bugs Bunny and over 30 years of GE’s corporate events worldwide. These projects opened the doors to expansion into rock and roll, ice shows, magic shows, theme park attractions and a global clientele.
What is your philosophy? What unites all of your projects?
A quote from GE Staging Services in 1980 states that we always “do what we say we will do”. Our corporate philosophy has always been to care for our employees while encouraging creativity throughout the organisation, to behave ethically and appropriately in all cultural and business relations, to follow all regulatory requirements in the production and delivery of our creations, and to always pay our bills. Entertainment is the unifying criteria for all our endeavours. We thrive on storytelling and focus on the essence of the guest experience. To this day, all our projects are still called ‘shows’.
How did your theme park work begin?
We began working for Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 1977, primarily for their live entertainment venues. We worked occasionally for Charley Wood at his Storytown Park here in Lake George, NY tuning up his UV effects, and occasionally repainting ride systems. Some of our GE work took us to EPCOT and their Horizons attraction, as well as to many of the Disney resorts in Orlando, but it wasn’t until Universal Studios decided to move to Florida and needed qualified vendors in 1988 that we fully engaged in rides and attractions. We ended up with seven projects for the initial opening in 1990, and more than 50 for
Universal globally since then. It set us on a course toward the attractions business becoming one of our four anchor entertainment sectors, the other three being live entertainment and special events, museums and interactive exhibits / public art, and real property development (resorts, casinos, restaurants, retail, and performance venues).
How did your relationship with Disney come about?
Disney was a tough nut to crack; however, once they hired us and spent time with us developing their projects, we have grown the relationship to be mutually interdependent. They have
become a stalwart of our amusement attraction portfolio. The sense of collaboration and pragmatism that we demonstrate in our projects together has contributed to this longevity.
You are independently owned. Why is this important?
At a time when consolidation and corporate mergers seem to be in fashion, we have chosen to remain independent. It was the closely held ownership spirit that kept us focused and motivated over the years, and we feel particularly proud of our partnership. It has helped us to survive and maintain our personality.
Michael Blau PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL ADIRONDACK STUDIOS
What role do emotions play in your work?
ADKS is a company that consistently looks for projects that fill our creative souls. If it doesn’t excite us, we will most often disqualify it. When we become emotionally engaged in the storytelling and placemaking, we do our best work and deliver the highest level of care and service to our clients.
What do you consider to be your biggest achievements?
I’d say making it to 50 years has been a pretty spectacular achievement. It’s been so fun celebrating with our clients, partners and team all over the world. We started our celebrations in upstate New York where it all began, and we’ve since hosted two anniversary events in Dubai, a party in Shanghai at IAAPA Expo Asia, a happy hour in Pasadena and a closing celebration in Orlando.
What are you currently working on?
We continue to produce scenic elements for Thea Award-winning location-based entertainment provider Level99, and 2025 marks our fourth year designing and producing haunted houses and scare zones for Hersheypark Dark Nights. Never forgetting our theatrical roots, we’re designing scenic drops for South Carolina Ballet and renovating the orchestra pit at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. In the Middle East, we’re transforming the Candylicious store at Dubai Mall with a fresh new look in partnership with Retail is Detail. Meanwhile, ADKS ME is collaborating with the SEVEN team to bring Saudi Arabia’s vision to life, aiming to make it a global entertainment and leisure hub through signing a new contract
with MBL and Al Ramsat to deliver themed spaces within the Makkah entertainment complex. And our strong relationship with ALEC Fitout continues as we near completion on scenic works for the Natural History Museum of Abu Dhabi and Aquarabia Qiddiya City.
There are lots of other projects with top brands and top theme parks worldwide in the pipeline, but unfortunately top projects means top secret.
You launched new company culture, recruitment and employee recognition initiative Make a Scene last year. How does it work?
Make A Scene was the brainchild of our director of global marketing, Clara Rice. At its core it’s a company culture initiative.
We realized that after 49 years, being a ‘best kept secret’ was probably not the smartest longterm growth strategy. So, to get the word out about our projects and processes, we decided to leverage our greatest asset, which is our people. We’ve produced over 100 employee spotlight and behind-the-scenes videos in the last 18 months, and we’re constantly creating
We realized that after 49 years, being a ‘best kept secret’ was not the smartest long-term growth strategy!
more content for our new YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/@wemakeascene). Beyond that, it means having craftspeople like Lara Brunelle [see following page] contribute to articles like these instead of just Tom Lloyd and I all the time. It also means introducing new faces at tradeshows and conferences.
Our graphic designer, Jason Ortega, used to work in marketing for a professional basketball team. Once a year, the team do a media day with their players – where they interview the players about the season, get footage of them in action, and take their headshots. We thought, what a fun concept to bring to our Adirondack Studios. So, in April 2025, we launched our own media day in our Dubai shop. Everyone, regardless of title or role, was invited to be star for a day. We have 17 nationalities represented in that location, so we even agreed to shoot their interviews in their native language and have translated captions. The shop team loved it. You should have seen how dressed up they got for their headshots. We’ve since done a media day in Orlando and will eventually host one in each of our worldwide locations.
Lara Brunelle PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR
STUDIOS
When did you join ADKS and what have you worked on since then?
I joined ADKS in 2009 when a Universal Studios art director happened to see a large painting of mine at a local art show. He suggested that I submit my portfolio to ADKS. Since then, my role has progressed from the paint shop to onsite scenic painter to scenic paint lead for the Little Mermaid Attraction at Walt Disney World. That led from me running the paint shop to serving as the creative director for scenic paint for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley. After completing Potter in 2014, I came back to upstate New York as production art director. In this role, I am ultimately responsible for every scenic finish on every job we create in our upstate New York shop. Projects and clients include Pandora: The World of Avatar, Citrovia Brookfield Lemon Garden, Meow Wolf Convergence Station, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Aulani Resort, The Metropolitan Opera, Transformers: The Ride and more than 300 other projects over the last 12 years.
What does your role as production art director at ADKS involve?
In my role as production art director, I am responsible for leading the painters and scenic artists of the ADKS scenic art department, establishing all character paint and sculpting techniques, and providing creative direction to execute 2D and 3D art for all ADKS project deliverables in the US. I closely collaborate with the design and project delivery departments, as well as the client, to understand what is important to the show and to deliver the best possible aesthetic quality within the allotted time and budget.
We are typically involved in anywhere from 6-20 shows at any given time, ranging in size from a single prop cart to $40 million bicoastal theme park attractions. It’s a lot!
The best part is the people: the enjoyment of working with passionate, creative individuals as well as with clients and end customers –the theatre audience and theme park guests who clearly enjoy the imaginative and magical environments that we create for them.
Which project are you particularly proud of?
The year I led 40 painters to paint every square inch, inside and out, of Diagon Alley at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort was truly magical. We were everywhere – from the chimneys on the rooftops to the darkest corners of Knockturn Alley, and it was the most chaotic fun with the best team of people for a solid year.
I got to be there when it opened, and watching people come into the attraction for the first time and seeing actual tears of happiness on their faces made all those long hours on a sweltering construction site worthwhile. A core group of that team of painters still works together for ADKS in Orlando to this day, and I am super proud of all they have achieved in the past 10 years.
Do you have a personal favourite project?
I love all the black light paint projects that glow in the dark. Pandora: The World of Avatar gave us a chance to grow our sculptural skills as well as truly master the art of integrating glow-in-the-dark paint with sculptural plants that were illuminated from within, so that was a solid contender, but I am also a big enough nerd to have really enjoyed working on the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge project.
Seeing actual tears of happiness on their faces made all those long hours worthwhile
What are the biggest issues facing Adirondack Studios, and the attractions industry more widely?
There is a generational gap for skilled artisans who can take an idea and turn it into a real, physical object, artfully done and utterly believable, no matter how fantastic the subject matter. A wave of old-school scenery designers, carpenters, welders and artists is aging out of the business, and a good number of younger people coming into the industry have terrific computer design and modelling skills but have minimal experience with the real-world tools and techniques with which we build these worlds of entertainment. Companies like ADKS, with our 50-year, multi-generational history of experience, are increasingly rare and valuable to keep the world of themed entertainment vibrant and exciting.
Adirondack Studios collaborated with The Franklin Institute and MDSX on the new Body Odyssey exhibit – an immersive journey through the human body ADKS was brought in as a consultant to work with MDSX during the schematic design phase of Body Odyssey to assist with practical solutions for creating three new galleries, one of which includes new exhibits and interactives designed to complement TFI’s popular walk-through heart exhibit.
BAVARIAN BLAST WATERPARK –
BAVARIAN INN LODGE, MICHIGAN, US
Opened in March 2025, this new waterpark was designed and constructed by Aquatic Development Group. Adirondack Studios provided creative design, sampling and mock ups, fabrication, installation and project delivery services.
THE
Adirondack Studios collaborated with the Luna Entertainment Group and Universal Orlando Resort to create immersive attraction
Wicked: The Experience, which opened in November 2024.
The
Experience features themed spaces, film costume replicas and Wicked merchandise
Non-profit Florida resort Give Kids the World Village offers free week-long vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families from around the world. ADKS acted as general contractor for the creation of Mayor Clayton’s WonderLab, a hands-on, immersive STEAM activity centre designed to inspire curiosity and foster collaboration. ADKS collaborated with specialist lighting designers and other artisans and builders, and created a range of activities and exhibits for the centre, which opened in July 2025. l
Epic Universe is the culmination of what we’ve been working on for nearly a decade
Following the long awaited opening of Universal Epic Universe, we take a look at the park and hear from some of the creative team that made it happen
Earlier this summer, Universal Epic Universe opened to a fanfare of lighting, fountains and fireworks set to music. The first major US theme park to open in almost a quarter of a century, the opening was big news, with the park described by Universal as “the most ambitious theme park Universal Destinations and Experiences has ever created.”
The park features five themed lands: Celestial Park; The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic; Super Nintendo World; How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk; and Dark Universe. Anchoring the park is Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel – a 500-room hotel with its own dedicated entrance into Epic Universe for hotel guests. The resort also features the new cosmos-
themed Universal Stella Nova Resort and space themed Universal Terra Luna Resort.
“Epic Universe is the culmination of what we’ve been working on for nearly a decade. Our teams have poured so much passion, vision and dedication into this new park and there is truly nothing like it in our universe,” said Karen Irwin, president and chief operating officer of Universal Orlando Resort.
Epic Universe is part of a strategy that Universal hopes will transform Universal Orlando Resort into a week-long holiday destination. With the opening of Epic Universe, the resort will offer four theme parks, 11 destination hotels and a huge range of themed lands and dining options.
The resort features three hotels – the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel; Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort.
“With Universal Helios Grand Hotel, we always knew it would be linked to the park in design given its placement as the backdrop to Epic Universe,” says Meghan Hudak, assistant director of projects for resort development. “Universal Helios Grand Hotel is the palace of Helios, with motifs referencing Greek mythology and the transition from day to night just like Celestial Park. The guestroom design is a calming atmosphere, giving you a respite before another epic day in the park.
“For Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort, we got to extend the Universal Epic Universe theme a little further, leaving the constellations and mythology at Universal Helios Grand Hotel and focusing on the cosmos and terrain.
“For the three Epic Universe hotels, we pushed the boundaries of what we have done before in other Universal hotels. We incorporated new technologies with the projection mapping at Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel and a floating planet Pepper’s Ghost illusion at Terra Luna Resort, adding show elements never done in our hotels before. We used materials in new and creative ways, like the stainless steel shingles on the exteriors of Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort used to create galaxy image façades.”
Celestial Park sits at the centre of the park, and features landscaped gardens, water features, the Universal Helios Grand Hotel and a range of retail and dining experiences. It also features three rides: the Constellation Carousel, the Stardust Racers dual-launch rollercoaster and the Astronomica water play attraction. From Celestial Park, visitors can enter the four other themed lands through ‘magic portals’.
This land combines the Fantastic Beasts and original Harry Potter IPs, and is themed around 1920s Paris, as featured in the Fantastic Beasts movies, and the 1990s British Ministry of Magic. Guests pass through a Muggle park in Paris to the hidden wizarding shopping district Place Cachée. This impressive area features Parisien style architecture with Grand Haussmannian buildings, historic Parisian domes and detailed artwork, and features themed shops and cafes. From here, guests are transported to the start of the Potter-land’s major ride Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry via Metro-Floo, which takes them from the Paris Wizarding World to the British Ministry of Magic Atrium.
This cavernous space features green-tiled walls and ceiling and projections featuring news about Dolores Umbrage’s trial. The ride blends
Populating the themed lands with characters has been a key focus for Universal
storytelling, immersive environments and unique ride technology to tell the story of Umbrage’s trial, and features a lift ride system that travels up and down, forwards and backwards at speed and uses special effects, projection mapping, animatronics and high resolution screens.
“Across the wizarding world books and films, there are so many incredible environments and locations that we’ve drawn from for the existing wizarding world experiences across our parks worldwide, but more than ever, we’re leaning into populating the environments with living magical creatures and characters,” says Scott Verble, assistant director and executive producer of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ - Ministry of Magic.
“Place Cachée and the British Ministry of Magic are such wondrous environments to visit, but filling these environments with life takes the guest experience to a new level of immersion. From Aurors and international wizarding students to Mooncalves, Bowtruckles, and even a house-elf, the world is full and populated with witches, wizards, and magical creatures to directly interact with. Guests getting the opportunity to have individual interactions with magical creatures and characters that they know and love will bring them yet another step deeper into the wizarding world.”
ALL THE RIDES AT EPIC UNIVERSE:
CELESTIAL PARK
Constellation Carousel
Classic family carousel ride featuring a unique figure-eight path by Universal Creative Stardust Racers
Duel-track coaster by Mack Rides
DARK UNIVERSE
Curse of the Werewolf Family spinning rollercoaster by Mack Rides
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
Dark ride featuring technology from varied manufacturers including a ride system using KUKA arm technology and animatronic figures by Roush Industries
ISLE OF BERK
Dragon Racer’s Rally Dueling Sky Fly ride by Intamin AC
Fyre Drill Interactive boat ride by Mack Rides
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
Family multi-launch rollercoaster by Intamin AC MINISTRY OF MAGIC
Battle of the Ministry of Magic
Technically advanced dark ride manufactured by Simtec Systems
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
Dark ride by Dynamic Attractions
Donkey Kong Mine
Cart Madness
Family coaster
Yoshi’s Adventure
Slow moving omnimover attraction by Sansei Technologies
Guests enter Super Nintendo World via the iconic green pipe, stepping straight into Mario’s universe
Guests enter Super Nintendo World via the iconic green pipe, where they are immersed in a vibrant themed space. Rides include Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, a kart racing attraction which uses augmented reality to immerse guests in the world of Mario Kart, and family friendly ride Yoshi’s Adventure.
Super Nintendo World also includes Donkey Kong Country, a themed area inspired by the Donkey Kong video games featuring the Mine-Cart Madness family coaster, which uses an “unprecedented ride system and innovative technology.”
This 15.5 acre land features with a central lake with two 40 foot statues, a training camp and a theatre. The attractions include the family thrill coaster Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, the Fyre Drill boat ride, the Dragon Racer’s Rally ride, and the Viking Training Camp play area.
The theatre plays host to a 20-minute-long live show called The Untrainable Dragon, featuring Hiccup, Toothless and other Vikings from the How to Train Your Dragon IP. The show incorporates music, full scale puppetry, animatronics and special effects including theatrical fire and Toothless flying over the audience.
This land is aimed at horror fans, and focuses on Universal Classic Monsters, including Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man.
The area is themed around a gothic village setting, with a graveyard, catacombs and a well that turns red at night. It features the dark ride Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, as well as the Curse of the Werewolf spinning family coaster. Visitors can also meet their favourite monsters, including The Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster and his bride.
“One of the most exciting parts of developing Dark Universe was the amount of reference material from over a century of Monsters storytelling,” says Frances Franceschi, production designer, Dark Universe.
“A key design language we continually referred to was the lab equipment and set design from the early 1930s Frankenstein films. The designs served as the foundation for much of our set design across the land, but particularly within Monsters Unchained. We used this classic aesthetic as a starting point, then modernized the equipment to reflect the evolved experiments of Dr Victoria Frankenstein. With my background in architecture, I also focused on ensuring that the built environments within the attraction felt grounded in reality. Even as
we explored fictional catacombs beneath the Frankenstein Manor, we worked to ensure the rockwork, arches, and structures felt authentic and scale-appropriate — so the world we invented still felt real, tangible, and dense.
“Our design team had a common goal: to honour the legacy of the Universal Monsters while pushing their stories into new territory with a fully immersive, visceral guest experience. Developing an original character, Dr Victoria Frankenstein, played a major role in shaping Dark Universe. Every set design decision for Monsters Unchained was made through her eyes — guided by her ego, her pride, and her ambition to evolve her great-great-grandfather’s life’s work. Thinking about the world through her perspective helped keep the entire show design deeply cohesive and emotionally connected.” l
As the first phase of a new immersive experience celebrating the life of Bob Marley launches in Las Vegas, we go behind the scenes to find out how it came together
When production company
Fivecurrents teamed up with music rights company Primary Wave Music to create an immersive Bob Marley experience for Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, they knew they were entering an incredibly competitive market. Visitors to the city already have an enormous range of high octane shows and cutting-edge immersive offerings to choose from, whether that’s awe-inspiring visual and immersive experiences at Sphere or mind-bending interactive art and technology attractions like Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart at Area15.
Rather than trying to set themselves apart with technical wizardry and spectacle, they made the decision to focus on authenticity.
“We wanted to hang our hat on the intimacy of emotions, rather than spectacle,” says executive producer Scott Givens. “You’re three feet away from the performers, if you choose to be.”
Two of Bob Marley’s children, Cedella and Ziggy Marley, were brought on board as executive producers to ensure that Marley’s life and spirit are portrayed as
producer
authentically as possible. Their involvement was crucial to the credibility of the project.
“Bob Marley Hope Road is a profound celebration of my father’s legacy,” said Cedella Marley, speaking to Las Vegas Magazine
“When you come to Hope Road you’ll feel his spirit. You’ll say, ‘I felt Bob. We invite everyone to feel the resonating power of his music and message.”
The attraction consists of a daytime experience and an evening show. The evening show is the first part of the project to launch, with the daytime experience set to launch later this year.
The daytime experience is self-guided, and transports guests virtually to the streets of Trench Town, Jamaica. Visitors start their journey in a recreation of Hope Road – a hall filled with the history of Marley’s life and music via LED projections. A series of six rooms and various experiences offer visitors the chance to learn more about Marley, including the wooden Jammin Tree, which features
Bob Marley Hope Road EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS:
Cedella Marley: Eldest child of Bob and Rita Marley and CEO of Bob Marley Group of Companies and director of the Bob & Rita Marley Foundations. In April 2021, Cedella also launched Tuff Gong Collective in partnership with Universal Music Group, dedicated to carrying on Bob Marley’s legacy
Ziggy Marley: Eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, musician and
producer and activist. Ziggy was also lead producer and force behind the highly successful Bob Marley: One Love biopic in 2024.
Larry Mestel: Founder and CEO of independent music publishing company Primary Wave Music.
Scott Givens: Chief creative officer and CEO of live entertainment company
FiveCurrents and chief creative officer of London immersive art experience Frameless
The experience and live show take play across six rooms featuring varied sets
vibrational netting and interactive drums that illuminate the tree canopy. Guests can mix their own music in a recreation of the Tuff Gong recording studio, watch rare concert footage in a Jamaican dancehall and feel the vibrations of the music in the multimedia Cathedral room.
At night, the venue transforms into a performance space hosting a 75-minute show that sees guests guided from room to room, with colourful sets and visuals acting as a backdrop for the performances.
The immersive show starts in the Dance Hall, where visitors learn about Jamaican culture, and moves through the various rooms, with the sets brought to life via projections and performances. In the final room, guests are given 3D glasses to watch a performance by Bob Marley on a huge LED videowall.
Larry Mestel, CEO of Primary Wave Music, said, “Bob Marley’s music is more than just sound — it’s a movement, a message and a source of unity that has transcended generations.” l
Billed as Asia’s first adventure-based wildlife park, Rainforest Wild Asia aims to immerse visitors into the rainforest ecosystem, with invisible barriers, elevated walkways, flexible habitats and chance encounters with animals
The design of the park and walkways maximises the chance of animal sightings
In most development projects, the architecture is the hero. Here the trees are the real heroes
When the Mandai Wildlife Group began planning Rainforest Wild Asia in 2017, their vision was to create a park that made visitors feel more like they were trekking through a living rainforest than visiting a zoo.
To create this new addition to Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore – which also includes Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and Bird Paradise – they teamed up with landscape architecture practice Grant Associates, and animal conservation and zoo design specialists CLR Design. Together they came up with a concept that would allow visitors to choose how they explored the park, with the options of rugged trails, raised wheelchair-accessible walkways and adrenaline-fuelled climbing adventures.
The 13-hectare park, which opened in March 2025, features open, naturalistic habitats where 36 species of animals – including sun bears, Malayan tigers and bearded pigs – roam freely, without visible barriers, and flexible habitats that see animals rotating through different enclosures at different times of the day.
It was important to work with nature in the design of the park, explains the Mandai Wildlife Group’s Michelle Yik, lead designer of Rainforest Wild Asia.
“In most other development projects, the architecture is the hero,” she says. “But in this case, we worked around getting the buildings to disappear seamlessly into the landscape, because the trees are the real heroes.”
The project team retained more than 300 existing mature trees and planted more another 7,000 new south east Asian trees and palms across the park.
Animal habitats have been designed to resemble natural ecosystems as closely as possible. The Karst enclosure, which features 20m-high jagged artificial limestone formations, houses the park’s Francois’ langurs, and is based on the cliffs of Vietnam and southern China where the langurs originate. Visitors can observe the monkeys from the Karst Lookout viewing platform, or from the more adventurous Karst Loop Trek. Those wanting a high adrenaline viewing experience can take part in the Wild Apex Adventure, a guided tour that involves scaling cliffs via tricky scrambling paths and a roped climbing route.
Viewing spots have been designed to coincide with attractive animal locations
One of the differentiating factors of the park is the introduction of flexible habitats, says Yik.
This allows species such as the babirusa, bearded pig and red dhole to be exhibited in the same habitats at different times of the day, creating opportunities for visitors to see the animals in a more dynamic setting and leading to unexpected encounters.
Yik explains how the chances of viewing animals are maximised by the design of the visitor routes through the park.
“Take the tiger habitat,” she says. “We have designed viewing spots that coincide with interesting or more attractive locations for the tiger to be at. Whether it’s from a bridge or from the elevated walkway, visitors have that opportunity to see the tiger close up.
“The whole idea of not really knowing where the tiger is adds to the level of excitement and idea of trying to spot animals in the rainforest.”
Another differentiating factor of the attraction is the ability to experience it in three different ways, continues Yik.
“You can experience it through an elevated walkway. It’s Universal Design friendly –whether you’re in a wheelchair or a parent with a stroller, it’s very easy and accessible.
“For someone who is a little bit more adventurous and wants to get off the beaten path, we have treks where you get to climb across logs, explore streams and come closer to the ficus trees.”
The paths are designed so that they intersect at different point, allowing parties to split up and then meet up again further along the trail. The park’s Canopy area – which houses Philippine spotted deer, Javan langur, Siamang and redshanked douc langur – features the Langur Walking Nets – 180 square metres of walking nets suspended across the spiral elevated walkway, allowing guests to get a taste of what it might be like to be a monkey high up in the trees.
Visitors also have the option of taking part in ‘black adventures’ – harnessed tours that allow them to observe the animals and surroundings from a unique viewpoint. These include the Wild Apex Adventure, which combines hiking and climbing and encompasses ladders, suspended bridges and tricky rock faces. The Wild Cavern Adventure offers visitors the chance to explore the Cavern by climbing rock formations and scaling ladders before traversing a cable line and abseiling down the walls of the artificial cavern in darkness.
Every stalactite and stalagmite is made with incredible accuracy
The Cavern represents one of the most complicated design elements of the park. Based on the Mulu Caves in Sarawak, Malaysia – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – this 220m-long finale to the rainforest adventure was created using 3D scanning and digital modelling.
“To make sure that we captured every intricate detail, we 3D scanned the real caves, then we stitched them together digitally before passing the whole model to the contractors for construction,” says Yik.
“Each panel was faithfully reconstructed and prefabricated in an off-site factory in Johor, Malaysia before being brought on site and reassembled, sort of like a jigsaw puzzle. When you step into the Cavern, it’s hard not to feel a sense of wonder, because every stalactite and stalagmite is made with incredible accuracy. It’s quite breathtaking.
“One of my favourite parts of the Cavern is the oculus. There’s a certain time of the day where the light just streams through that small gap, and when you walk up the steps, it feels unreal and heavenly. It’s the hero shot for the entire cavern, and it’s something you don’t see very often in a city like Singapore.” l
Mandai Wildlife Reserve: THE
Client: Mandai Park Development Ltd
Client: Mandai Park Development Ltd
Architect: CPG Consultants
Architect: CPG Consultants
Master planner/zoo specialist: CLR Design
Master planner/ Zoo Specialist: CLR Design
Landscape Architect: Grant Associates
Landscape architect: Grant Associates
C&S Engineers: AECOM
C&S engineers: AECOM
M&E Engineers: Squire Mech
M&E engineers: Squire Mech
Quantity surveyor: Arcadis Singapore
Quantity surveyor: Arcadis Singapore
Adventure Specialist: Stretchmarks Asia
Adventure specialist: Stretchmarks Asia
Irrigation Specialist Water
Irrigations specialist: Water
Equipment Technology
Equipment Technology
Lighting Designer: Lighting Planners Associates
Lighting designer: Lighting Planners Associates
Signage Designer: Acacia Design
Signage designer: Acacia Design
Arborist & Biodiversity Specialist: Camphora
Arborist & biodiversity specialist: Camphora
Main contractor: China Jingye
Main Contractor: China Jingye
Engineering Corporation
Engineering Corporation
Design Consultants: DP Architects & DP Green
Design consultants: DP Architects & DP Green
As Efteling opens its most ambitious hotel yet, we speak to head designer Sander de Bruijn about combining the romance of a traditional grand hotel with the fairytale magic of the Dutch theme park
On 1 August 2025, Dutch fairytale-themed park Efteling opened its first hotel within the park grounds, allowing visitors to stay next to the House of the Five Senses and the Fairytale Forest, with views of the Aquanura water show.
The theme park, which is an hour from Amsterdam, and which opened in 1951, has ambitious growth plans, set out in the World of Efteling 2023 masterplan. Increasing accommodation to help boost multi-day visits is a key part of the masterplan, and the new seven-storey Efteling Grand Hotel adds an extra 644 beds across 140 rooms and suites, as well as two restaurants, two souvenir shops and a swimming pool and spa.
The design of the hotel was inspired by traditional Scandinavian grand dame hotels, as well as by Efteling and its history. Head designer Sander de Bruijn was particularly inspired by one of the park’s smallest scenes – the Golden Goose tableau by Dutch artist Anton Pieck, which has stood in Anton Pieck Plein Square since 1958. The hotel façade incorporates elements from the Golden Goose, in particular the clock and ornamentation from Pieck’s original artwork, and the interior colour palette and flooring has also been inspired by the tableau.
As Efteling CEO Fons Jurgens told Attractions Management during a recent interview, the location of the hotel was chosen very carefully. “The hotel is in a prominent location in the heart of the World of Efteling – where all visits to our park start and end,”
The lobby opens the doors into a world of wonder and enchantment that captures the true essence of Efteling – it is where visitors’ Efteling journey begins Fairytales
he told us. “The square between the main entrance and the new hotel is where guests really get into the Efteling atmosphere. We’ve had plans for a long time for this square, where every 10 years, something is added to complete the experience. With the Efteling Grand Hotel, we’re taking another big step.”
Efteling has always had a strong commitment to protecting and preserving the natural environment – it is wholly owned by the Efteling Nature Park Foundation, which was established in 1950 and which has mandated that no more than 11 per cent
of Efteling’s footprint can be given over to buildings, with the remainder left for trees, shrubs and water.
The landscape design around Efteling Grand Hotel features trees, plants and water features, with plant choice influenced by the changing climate.
Efteling aims to be to be climate neutral by 2030 and climate positive by 2032 – in keeping with these aims, the hotel is temperature-controlled via the geothermal heating and cooling system installed in Efteling’s Anderrijk park area in 2023.
“It’s important that we take sustainability seriously, ensuring that Efteling is still here in 70 years’ time, and we can pass on our beautiful park to future generations,” Jurgens told Attractions Management.
Here designer Sander de Bruijn answers our questions about the latest addition to Efteling
What was the vision for the new hotel?
Efteling Grand Hotel was the natural next step for us – it was important to create a unique concept for our hotel, offering a new level of premium accommodation. We wanted to evoke the romantic atmosphere of a traditional grand dame hotel with all its iconic elements, while also making sure it was in keeping with the feel of the theme park.
What were your main design inspirations for the hotel?
The park itself provides a range of inspiration. The Anton Pieckplein Square, for example, with the fairytale of the Golden Goose, was inspiration for the architecture. These elements were combined with the aesthetics of a grand-dame hotel such as those found in Scandinavia. This combination formed the basis for the development of the design concept of the Efteling Grand Hotel.
I most liked combining the romantic world of a Grand Hotel with an Efteling storyline, which really delivers a unique experience that you won’t see anywhere else in the world
How has the atmosphere of Efteling been incorporated into the hotel?
As soon as guests arrive at Efteling Grand Hotel, they will feel that the rich history of the theme park and its stories are subtly woven into the hotel.
The lobby is an atmospheric, inviting reception area with elegant interiors and sophisticated design elements. A bellhop greets guests on arrival, a grand piano plays in the corner, and the ceiling glimmers with the light of countless magical keys. Fairytales and storytelling inspire every element of Efteling and this hasn’t been forgotten with Efteling Grand Hotel. Brasserie 7 for example, pays homage to familiar fairytales in a unique way by incorporating seven magical ingredients into its menu, such as Dragon’s Breath, Princess Tears and Fairy Dust. As the icing on the cake, we publish all of these beautiful elements in the form of a fairytale book about the hotel, which is available in the guestrooms.
How has sustainability been taken into account in the design of the hotel?
Since 2023 the Anderrijk Park area has been heated and cooled gas-free using geothermal heating and cooling. Efteling Grand Hotel will also be connected to this system.
What were the biggest challenges of this project? And what did you enjoy the most?
The biggest challenge was creating a new addition right in the heart of Efteling, with all its logistical challenges and different visitor flows. I most liked combining the romantic world of a Grand Hotel with an Efteling storyline, which really delivers a unique experience that you won’t see anywhere else in the world.
We have created a new grand residence designed to capture the essence of Efteling as well as the hearts and imaginations of our beloved visitors
Do you have a personal favourite part of the hotel?
The lobby is my favourite part; it is the beating heart of Efteling Grand Hotel, providing guests with the most welcoming atmosphere. The lobby opens the doors into a world of wonder and enchantment that captures the true essence of Efteling – it is where visitors’ Efteling journey begins.
What are you proudest of with this project?
I am incredibly proud of the team and everyone who helped make Efteling Grand Hotel a reality. The project has been years in the making, completed alongside the reopening of our original hotel Efteling Wonder Hotel – it has been a real challenge, and I am proud to have completed the project. We have created a new grand residence designed to capture the essence of Efteling as well as the hearts and imaginations of our beloved visitors. l
Efteling has also just opened its 31st fairytale attraction, based on the Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen
The new pavilion was designed by Efteling’s head designer Sander de Bruijn in the style of the Efteling Grand Hotel, which acts as a backdrop. It is located in Fairytale Forest and features Flemish singer Geike Arnaert performing the 1835 fairytale to music by Efteling composer René Merkelbach, with lyrics by Merkelbach and Karel Willemen. Efteling Grand Hotel features a private entrance for hotel guests leading into the Fairytale Forest via the Princess and the Pea pavilion. Efteling has also announced that it will be opening a new family attraction in the summer of 2026, with construction due to begin later this year. Named Hooghmoed, the free fall attraction will be situated next to the Baron 1898 attraction, a Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster, and will feature similar theming. It is designed to be accessible for younger guests and those wanting a less intense ride.
It started with a few thousand pounds and a desire to bring classical music to a wider audience – now experience creator The Lost Estate has hired former Merlin CDO Mark Fisher to help it go global. Magali Robathan finds out more
Welcome to 1890s Paris and Le Chat Noir, the world’s first cabaret club. Show-stopping theatrics, decadent hautecuisine, exotic pleasures, set in a world of absinthe, art, and anarchy...’
This is the promise from immersive heavyweights The Lost Estate for their recently-announced new show, and it is part of a business plan backed by ex-Merlin chief development officer Mark Fisher designed to take the company to the next level. Fisher was appointed non-executive director of The Lost Estate in March 2025 to help develop a growth strategy for the group, which is eyeing further locations in the UK and then the US.
Founded in 2017 by Royal College of Music graduates Rowan Bell and William Kunhardt, and Royal Academy of Music graduate Eddy Hackett, The Lost Estate combines theatre, live music and fine dining to bring historical stories to life. Shows include Cuban spectacular Paradise Under the Stars, Charles Dickensthemed Great Christmas Feast, 1930s New York jazz production 58th Street and immersive Swan Lake experience The Great Masked Ball.
As The Lost Estate enters the next stage of its growth, Attractions Management speaks to Eddy Hackett about the Tropicana, time travel and boot strapping the business:
What are you currently working on?
Our 1950s Cuban immersive experience Paradise Under the Stars is currently running in our West Kensington site in London. It launched in April 2025 and runs until the end of September 2025. It features a three course Cuban feast, live music and cabaret inspired by Havana’s legendary Tropicana nightclub. We are also running 58th Street, a 1930s New York jazz club experience in Peckham, London. Our inspiration for that show was a real life speakeasy entrepreneur called Belle Livingstone who ran a speakeasy called 58th Street Country Club in New York. We are also mid production for a remount of The Great Christmas Feast, our immersive event inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. This will be the eighth year of that production, which will run from 14 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, also in West Kensington.
Our latest production, launching in March 2026 in West Kensington in London, is called Le Chat Noir. The show is a fantastical take on the
Percussionist and producer Eddy Hackett co-founded The Lost Estate in 2017
birth of cabaret in turn-of-the-century Paris at Le Chat Noir – the club where cabaret was born. We are developing the concept further, but it will feature a cast of four cabaret performers who will perform a mix of physical theatre and mime, burlesque, contortion, song and spoken word. It will also feature a violinist, cellist, pianist, clarinettist and percussionist, and will feature romantic and impressionist French music such as Satie, Debussy and Ravel, transposed onto a rag-tag gypsy band. Art director and set designer Thomas Kirk Shannon is responsible for the design, and it will be staged in the round with satellite stages, and a capacity of 220.
What is the history of The Lost Estate?
I studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, and spent 20 years performing as a freelance classical percussionist with the Royal Opera House and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
From classical roots to Cuban cabarets –it’s been quite the journey
The productions bring together spectacle, music, design and hospitality
I met [The Lost Estate co-founders Rowan Bell and William Kundhardt] in 2012 when I became the principal percussionist for the Arensky Chamber Orchestra, which Rowan and Will had formed with the aim of making the presentation of classical music more accessible.
At the same time, I had started to get involved with English National Opera, and was asked to be the chair of a new board that they set up to advise on how to make the institution more accessible to under 30s.
It was a time when Punch Drunk, Secret Cinema and Gingerline were emerging – we were really interested in the new presentation format of immersive experiences coming through. There was no-one was doing that for classical music, and we could see that there was a huge opportunity there.
It also became apparent how fractured the experience of going to a concert of a West End show was in London – rushing to get to the West End after work, grabbing something quick to eat before going to sit in a cramped, uncomfortable theatre. During the interval, you’re queueing to get a drink, which is often overpriced and not particularly fantastic. It’s all very rushed. The whole experience of hospitality and performance and place felt very fractured.
We decided to bring all of these three elements under one roof to create the perfect audience experience.
How did you fund the company?
We bootstrapped the business, putting in a couple of thousand pounds and focusing that money entirely on social media marketing. We created a website and marketed that, and used the revenue from the initial ticket sales to fund the production. We did that for a number of years, just gradually building the company and reinvesting any profits back into it. Today we are a profitable and entirely independent company.
Our first experience took place in 2018 – it was called In Night’s Darkling Glory, and was inspired by Richard Wagner’s tragic opera Tristan and Isolde. We rented a fantastic three-storey Victorian leather tanning factory and hired exMasterchef champion Natalie Coleman to create a medieval style banquet, and design team Darling and Edge, who transformed the warehouse on an absolute shoestring. The experience started with the dining experience, followed by a storytelling experience with an orchestra on the middle floor. On the top floor, we performed 45 minutes of this Wagner score with a beautiful singer and then the audience came back down to the ground floor for a fantastic mixology experience. It was very homespun and kind of fringy.
We bootstrapped with a few thousand pounds and built from the ground up
The Great Murder Mystery launched in 2021, and we have also created The Great Christmas Feast and 58th Street. We launched Paradise Under the Stars in April 2025.
Over the years, the production values have improved hugely. The level of immersion and depth of detail we go to has really grown.
With The Great Murder Mystery and The Great Christmas Feast, we had moved away from music-productions to theatre experiences. We wanted to return to our roots as musicians. My background is as a percussionist, and I played a lot of Cuban music with musicians of African heritage when I lived in New York – that music is very special to me.
All of our experiences are inspired by something that actually happened, so we started looking for an amazing, compelling, real-life story that we could draw from. We settled on the Tropicana club in its heyday in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, when it was this amazing, cool club showcasing incredible Cuban spectaculars. We read a book about the Tropicana club at that period, and it was ripe to turn it into a production.
your collaboration
From those starting points, we built the production layer by layer, with the music, the foods, the mixology, the entrance experience all the way down to the after experience.
We were introduced to Mark Fisher through our finance director, who previously worked at Merlin. We met him last summer and instantly hit it off. When I first met him, I was project managing the fit up for our Peckham space – I was in a hard hat and steel toecap boots, filling a skip. I think he liked the fact that we were building our company in very hands-on way, and we had loads of conversations over the ensuing six months, culminating with him coming on board as a non executive director. He is helping us to mature the company in its current operation.
Our ambition is to become the number one experiential hospitality provider globally.
Our five-year growth strategy, developed with Mark Fisher, sees us start by solidifying our existing products and really maxing out London. After that, we will look at the rest of the UK for more venues – we are currently looking at Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh as potential targets. After that, we will start looking at the US – initially the East Coast, possibly Boston – and then Chicago or Austin. That will take us to the end of our five year plan, when we should be in a position to do a full on equity raise to a much bigger expansion into the States and globally over the next five to 10 years. l
Expect show-stopping theatrics, exotic routines and the anarchic energy that made the original club the talk of Paris
Opening in London’s West Kensington in March 2026, The Lost Estate’s new show Le Chat Noir promises to turn the clock back to 1890s Paris
he Lost Estate’s 30,000 sq ft venue in West London is being rebuilt as a 360-degree recreation of original Paris cabaret club Le Chat Noir, complete with flickering gas lamps. A roaming house band, Les Enfants Vagabondes, will weave through the crowd, while ‘ToulouseLautrec’ sketches club-goers and absinthe fountains drip into waiting glasses. Expect show-stopping theatrics, exotic routines and the anarchic energy that made the original club the talk of Paris.
The design is by art director and set designer Thomas Kirk Shannon. Tickets include a three course French meal, and cost from £99 for a table with views of the stage to £199 for the luxury package, which includes a VIP booth in front of the stage, a glass of champagne and aperitifs on arrival, VIP coat check and an off menu vintage nightcap. Between courses, guests can sample Belle Époque cocktails at the emerald-lit Bar de Absinthe – fuel for an evening the producers promise will be “one of love and madness.” l
As scare attractions continue to grow in popularity, Moment Factory enters the market with the transformation of a heritage attraction in a prehistoric canyon. Producer Virginie Valastro tells Magali Robathan about the creation of Ghost Boat
Horror attractions have seen a huge growth in popularity over recent years, evolving beyond niche Halloween events to year-round, increasingly creative immersive experiences. From haunted houses and scream parks to escape rooms and immersive scare attractions, visitor spend has risen hugely.
As spend has risen, so has visitor expectation, meaning many operators are having to up their game. In Wisconsin, US, Dells Boat Tours – the operators of 20-year-old fright attraction Ghost Boat – decided it was time for a change.
While the attraction had the advantage of a dramatic setting in the form of narrow twisting pathways through an ancient canyon, its operators always felt that it held more potential. They called in Canadian immersive multi-media studio Moment Factory to bring the attraction up to date.
The team behind Moment Factory have been creating immersive experiences for more than two decades, with a particular expertise in creating spectacular outdoor multi-media environments that include the Lumina Night Walk Series. They had not, however, designed a scare attraction before.
“Multimedia and horror are a natural match — they heighten sensations, build tension, and turn spaces into living nightmares, “ says Virginie Valastro, producer, Moment Factory.
“When the Dells team introduced us to the canyon and their original experience, we couldn’t wait to see how we could amplify it.”
Leveraging the dramatic natural setting, the revamped night-time attraction features immersive storytelling, live actors, dynamic lighting, video projections, spatialised audio and programmed scare moments. The experience takes visitors on a ‘terrifying journey’ that includes a spooky boat cruise and immersive walk along a 1.5 km path through a ‘haunted canyon filled with evil forces’, culminating at the canyon’s edge with a climactic show moment.
Here Virginie Valastro talks us through the creation of this unique attraction.
Could you sum up what makes this attraction special?
What makes Ghost Boat stand out is the spooky setting of the canyon — a narrow, winding path through ancient sandstone formations. It’s eerie enough on its own, but when you layer in multimedia storytelling, immersive technology, and staging of live actors, it becomes something that hits you right in the gut.
What was your brief for this project?
What was your starting point?
The initial brief was to enhance some of the key zones, maintain the existing storyline, and integrate multimedia elements to reduce reliance on actors. But when the Dells Boat team introduced us to the canyon’s dramatic natural setting and their existing scare attraction, we were truly inspired. It was a real creative collaboration between our teams and theirs, and the project quickly evolved into a brand-new storyline and a complete re-imagining of the experience.
Are there any particularly imaginative parts of the attraction that you could pick out?
One of the moments that really stands out for me comes just before the final scene. Without giving too much away, it features video projection directly onto the towering rock formations, showing a young character in a suspenseful moment deep in the forest, holding a flashlight. To heighten the immersive quality of the scene, we created an effect where the beam of light escapes the projection surface – breaking past the natural canvas and appearing to pierce through the real forest. It’s a simple yet powerful idea that momentarily blurs the line between fiction and reality.
Can you highlight any particularly interesting use of technology in this project?
One particularly fun technological innovation we developed for this project was what we called our ‘scare kits’ – an interactive system designed to enhance the atmosphere and timing of the live performances. Since the attraction features actors, we wanted to empower them to control lighting, sound and environmental effects in real time, increasing the impact of scare moments for the audience. To achieve this, we
Actors are able to control the lighting, sound and environmental effects increase
created standalone devices triggered directly by performers to heighten the spooky ambiance. Eleven of these custom-built independent control boxes were installed throughout the experience, each programmed with distinct lighting and sound cues to support the performances.
was the biggest challenge of this project?
The biggest challenge was the exponential growth of its scope. What began as a plan for a few enhanced zones expanded into a 1.5-km-long project, requiring us to adapt on the fly and collaborate with teams who gave their all to deliver it. The installation itself was further complicated by our April delivery deadline, which meant working through icy and overflowy conditions in the canyons.
This is the first scare attraction for Moment Factory. What excited you most about entering the world of scare attractions?
Stepping into a universe with its own rules, rich culture, and passionate audiences is truly thrilling for us – especially since some of our creatives are long-time fans of scare attractions.
In the realm of horror, timing and atmosphere are everything. This is a true playground where our expertise in multimedia synchronisation and orchestration can make a strong impact, and push fear to new extremes by amplifying tension, setting moods, building momentum, and tightening immersion through precise choreography of multimedia elements.
Today’s thrill-seekers expect innovative immersive experiences that fully transport them to alternate realities. What makes multimedia story-worlds so powerful is their ability to create visceral emotional connections between visitors and their environment.
What elements of Moment Factory’s previous projects translate well into this type of attraction?
Our experience creating immersive outdoor environments was a huge asset, especially since the canyons in this experience are central to the horrifying effect. Over the years, we’ve learned how to integrate technology into all kinds of landscapes – from forests to heritage sites – without taking away from their character, and that really came in handy here.
The drama of the
setting is heightened with special effects and lighting
THE CANYON’S DRAMATIC NATURAL SETTING INSPIRED A COMPLETE REIMAGINING OF THE EXPERIENCE
Also, our extensive portfolio in themed entertainment allowed us to draw from our storytelling toolkit to help develop the rich narrative behind this experience. For over 25 years, we’ve been building worlds, developing characters and creating emotionally driven stories. It’s always exciting for us to dive into the stories and local legends of a place and find creative ways to bring them to life.
That said, we did have to approach a few things differently. Horror comes with its own rules. We had to put even more focus on pacing, building tension, and delivering unexpected scares – which meant being incredibly precise with timing, lighting and sound design. It was a great challenge, and honestly, a lot of fun.
The most important elements of a scare attraction are unpredictability, illusion, and surprise. The goal is to make guests question what’s real and what’s not, triggering strong, instinctive emotions. Timing is absolutely essential – a scare delivered too soon or too late loses its impact.
The location itself also makes a huge difference. In this case, the canyon already has a naturally spooky atmosphere. Just the idea of getting on a boat and heading into an unfamiliar, isolated site creates tension before anything even happens.
Sound design and music play an important role too. A carefully crafted soundscape can suggest things lurking just out of sight,
leaving the audience’s imagination to fill in the gaps – and often, what you imagine is far scarier than what you actually see.
Did any other attractions inspire you?
One of the most inspiring horror attractions is Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, an annual event hosted at Universal Studios parks around the world. Every year, the parks are transformed with terrifying haunted houses, immersive scare zones, and live shows.
For us, this is really just the beginning in the world of scare attractions, and we’re excited to keep pushing that knowledge even further.
Maybe we could develop universes where visitors actively influence the story themselves, with interactive elements that turn them from passive guests into actual characters within the experience. That could be disturbingly fun, don’t you think?
In any case, we’ll definitely keep exploring this genre. After contributing to the new waterpark at Aquascope in France, creating content for Sphere Las Vegas, and rolling out our augmented games worldwide, we’ve got several new projects already in the works, with more set to be revealed this fall.
And with our 25th anniversary coming up in 2026, it’s going to be a year to watch — one where we’ll be looking back, but more importantly, looking ahead with bold new projects we can’t wait to share.
Astra Lumina Istanbul has launched in the Turkish capital, becoming the first Astra Lumina Night Walk in Europe.
Created by Moment Factory and presented by Devin Entertainment, the experience is set in the new Istanbul Light Park within Maskak Forest and is designed to evoke a sense of wonder and connection with the stars, blending light, projection, and sound to create an enchanted journey.
Astra Lumina Istanbul is the latest addition to Moment Factory’s Lumina Night Walk series, which has welcomed more than five million visitors across 26 locations in eight countries, demonstrating a continuous demand for revenue-generating solutions for tourism and cultural attractions worldwide. Each Lumina night walk is unique, bringing to life local stories and highlighting the natural beauty of its surroundings. l
Each Astra Lumina night walk is designed to enhance its unique natural surroundings
The $300m National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas was Uruguayan-born architect Rafael Viñoly’s final project. Román Viñoly tells Magali Robathan why the project meant so much to his father
This may be my father’s most poetic work
The inspiration for the design of the National Medal of Honor Museum came to the late Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly in the form of one of the small slabs of steel used to stabilize the architectural models at his studio in New York.
As he pitched his vision to the National Medal of Honor Foundation in 2019, Viñoly passed around the steel slab so that everyone could feel its weight.
“The slab was incredibly heavy,” Viñoly explained in a video for the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation in 2020. “It immediately made me think of the extraordinary acts of valour that distinguish the Medal of Honor recipients, as though an individual was miraculously lifting a heavy burden in support of their brothers and sisters in arms… The material itself was appropriate to the symbolic meaning, because the strength of steel forged in fire is akin to the strength of character forged in the fire of battle. The building’s symbolism hinges on the idea of this huge slab of steel that appears to float over a field of honour.”
The board were impressed, and in 2000 Rafael Viñoly Architects were selected as chief architect along with landscape architects MPFP.
Following the unexpected death of Rafael Viñoly in 2023, directors and employees of his studio, including his son Román, pledged to continue his work and honour his legacy.
Partner Bassam Komati stepped in to lead the National Medal of Honor Museum project, and in March 2025, the museum – which celebrates the recipients of the US Army’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor – opened to the public.
The museum comprises a large 200ft by 200ft exhibition hall housed inside a metalclad structure lifted into the air, supported by five large columns that each represent one of the traditional branches of the US Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy). The sixth branch, US Space Force, is represented by a large oculus that pierces the suspended volume and brings natural light into the core of the building.
The visitor journey starts in the Rotunda of Honor, a shaded, sunken open-air public courtyard. Two spiral staircases lead up to the main exhibition hall, with an orientation gallery leading into a large exhibition space. Visitor are welcomed with a film tribute in a circular theatre at the centre of the building.
The exhibition design is by experience design studio Gallagher &Associates. Exhibits include a restored Vietnam-era Huey helicopter, interactive panoramic scenes, displays of personal artefacts, a virtual helicopter flight simulation and largescale graphics depicting the biographies of Medal of Honor Recipients. An interactive display features interviews with 61 Medal of Honor recipients, while the More than a Medal exhibit explores the ordinary lives of recipients.
“As stewards of Rafael Viñoly’s vision, our greatest challenge was ensuring the museum stayed true to its symbolic and monumental intent – honouring Medal of Honor recipients
with a structure that embodies both the weight of their sacrifice and the inspiration of their legacy,” said Bassam Komati, partner at Rafael Viñoly Architects. “Its completion stands as a testament to what is possible through dedication and collaboration, and it was a true honour to work alongside an extraordinary team to bring his vision to life.”
Here Román Viñoly, partner, Rafael Viñoly Architects, shares his thoughts on the project with Attractions Management.
What did this project mean to your father? And what does it mean to you?
For my father, this project represented a kind of ultimate arrival into the United States – a country to which he was very grateful. Coming from Argentina in the late 1970s, he never took for granted the opportunities that he found here, for himself and for our family. Rafael always embraced the chance to give something back, and in this case, it was through a living monument to heroic individuals who made the greatest sacrifices for their fellow citizens.
My father saw architecture as an act of service to users, to the public realm, and to a future that would inevitably see the building differently than its creators
The floating hall reflects the strength and selflessness it was built to honour
I share many of those feelings, even though I was quite young when we arrived in the US. What I feel most vividly when I experience this building is that it may be my father’s most poetic work. It captures not only his deep respect for the nation that welcomed us, but also his belief that architecture can – and should – always serve some civic mission. In this case, that mission is to inspire people to a life of commitment to our fellow human beings, which is fundamental.
The design is centred around a bold and symbolic gesture: a massive, almost miraculously suspended volume that houses the exhibition hall, floating 40 feet above a green Field of Honor. Supported by five monumental columns, the hovering structure appears to defy gravity, echoing the extraordinary, selfless efforts that the Medal of Honor recognises. Two elegant helical staircases provide a ceremonial ascent and descent, guiding
visitors into and out of the exhibition with a sense of reverence and procession. The structure is clad in metal, evoking fireforged steel – strength shaped through adversity – an expression of the resilience and fortitude of the recipients themselves.
The greatest challenge was engineering the suspended exhibition hall – a massive 200ft-by200ft-by-35ft volume lifted 40 feet into the air on just five slender column capitals. From those five points, 50 foot cantilevers extend to support the corners of the floating structure against enormous forces. Remarkably, the configuration of the primary steel girders that transfer the entire load onto the five mega columns resolved into a pentagon inscribed in a five-pointed star – an exact match of the shape of the Medal of Honor itself. It’s a detail that no visitor will ever see, but it captures the integrity and meaning
At night, light is projected through a large oculus to create a beacon in the
embedded in the building from the inside out.
It was also challenging to route all mechanical systems through the limited space of the column capitals, and to proportion life-safety systems and egress – via the two sculptural helical stairs – in a way that meets and exceeds code requirements while preserving the purity of the floating volume.
Finally, we also had to defend the materiality and conceptual integrity of the design throughout the long and complex process of fundraising and construction.
The suspended volume had to be uniformly clad with a natural metal on all six sides –including the roof, which few people will ever see – to preserve the clarity, unity and symbolic power of Rafael’s original vision.
What are you proudest of?
I’m incredibly proud that we were able to bring my father’s vision to life in a way that resonates with people. The museum isn’t just visually striking – it invites reflection, learning, and connection. It honours the legacy of Medal of Honor recipients while encouraging visitors to
find those same values in themselves. To be part of something that bridges architecture, memory, and moral aspiration is deeply meaningful.
I’m also proud that our entire team – and especially my partners Bassam Komati and Stephanie Tsang – ensured that this building was able to extend and strengthen the legacy of my father’s extraordinary career: work defined by logic and rationality that still manages to raise the purpose of a building to the level of inspiration.
How would you describe your father’s philosophy in terms of his work?
My father understood that architecture has certain moral and ethical obligations – to society, to the culture, to the community… and yes, to the client as well. These are huge, enduring, capitalintensive things that should be considered on far longer time-scales than people are accustomed to. That means they should be sustainable not just from the perspective of energy and emissions but, crucially, from the perspective of how a building can evolve with its community to sustain new and often unexpected uses.
The common thread in all his work is an unbiased, first-principles approach to every project on its unique site, with its unique constituencies.
He never imposed a predetermined style or visual language. Instead, he pursued clarity, performance, and coherence – rethinking basic assumptions and allowing form to follow the logic of use, structure, and context. He believed that architecture should reveal, not obscure; that it should respond with precision but aspire to meaning. His work combined intellectual rigour with a belief that even the most pragmatic solution can achieve a kind of poetry.
He saw architecture as an act of service: to users, to the public realm, and to a future that would inevitably see the building differently than its creators. That’s why so many of his projects, even the most complex ones, still feel immediate and generous and are beloved by their communities. They were designed to matter, to function, and to last. That these qualities also result in more valuable assets in the long term was not lost on him either.
The next chapter of our practice builds on the values that have shaped our work for decades, while also reflecting a new phase in the life of the firm. The completion of the National Medal of Honor Museum marks an important milestone – one that reinforces our belief in what architecture can accomplish when approached with discipline, purpose, and civic intent.
Exhibits include displays of personal artefacts and a restored Vietnam-era Huey helicopter
He believed that architecture should reveal, not obscure; that it should respond with precision but aspire to meaning
We are currently working on a diverse range of projects across the US, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe, including cultural institutions, academic buildings, and large-scale urban developments. What connects them all is a first-principles approach: design grounded in logic and performance, shaped by context, and responsive to the needs of those it serves. As we move forward under a new partnership structure, our focus is on expanding the creative and technical capacity of the firm while remaining committed to the integrity that defined our work from the beginning. The aim is not to replicate the past, but to build on it — to continue producing architecture that performs, endures and contributes meaningfully to the public realm. l
President & CEO: Chris Cassidy – former NASA astronaut and retired US Navy SEAL
Honorary directors: Barack Obama, George W Bush, William J Clinton, Jimmy Carter
Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Exhibit designer: Gallagher & Associates
Landscape architect: MPFP
Lighting designer: One Lux Studio
Theatre planning consultant: Schuler Shook
Acoustics consultant: Cerami
Wind and climate consultant: CPP Wind
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German rollercoaster designer and manufacturer Maurer Rides is installing what it describes as the world’s first interactive indoor rollercoaster featuring Spike technology at the new Hi Space indoor amusement
park in Chongqing, China.
Unlike traditional coasters, this attraction allows riders to take control of their own speed, thanks to Maurer’s Spike drive system. Spanning 290 metres of track, and reaching speeds of up
to 80 km/h (50 mph), the ride allows riders to speed up and slow down at any point on the track.
“Every rider becomes a pilot,” said a spokesperson for Maurer Rides.
Suspended 11 meters (36 feet) above the ground, the coaster is being designed as the centrepiece for the new park. The track will wind through the park, weaving around the other attractions and encircling a towering drop ride in a thrilling tight curve.
Located within the 489,000-square-metre Chongqing shopping mall complex, the Hi Space indoor amusement park will span 28,000 square metres and feature 22 attractions.
attractions-kit keyword Maurer Rides
A new $25m flying theatre experience has launched near Niagara Falls, New York State, exploring 13,000 years of Niagara’s geological and cultural history.
Developed by experience design firm FORREC in collaboration with The Niagara Parks Commission, Niagara Takes Flight allows guests to soar high above Niagara Falls, experiencing the sights from a unique perspective. Brogent Technologies acted as the turnkey provider for the attraction, integrating digital content creation with advanced dynamic simulation. Using the latest advancements in drone technology and a huge 180-degree domed screen, the experience takes passengers on a thrilling 56-kilometre journey, celebrating Niagara’s geography, history and people.
Filmed over the span of six months using custom-built drones, Niagara Takes Flight sees
guests suspended in gondola-style seating, simulating flight through motion programming, sensory effects like wind, mist and scent and a 17-metre-wide dome screen.
Disney Imagineer Rick Rothschild, who was a principal creator of the world’s first flying theatre attraction, Disney’s Soarin’ Over California, served as creative director on the attraction, which transports guests along the Niagara River corridor with stops spanning all four seasons and transitioning the scenery from day to night.
Media-based attractions manufacturer Brogent Technologies oversaw the ride construction and overall attraction development.
“Niagara Takes Flight offers guests the extraordinary sensation
of soaring above Niagara Falls, an unparalleled experience that sets this attraction apart on the global stage,” said Chih-Hung Ouyang, chairman and CEO of Brogent Technologies at the launch of the new attraction.
“This project merges technology and storytelling to deepen the emotional connection that people have with one of the world’s most celebrated destinations.
“We are proud to bring this innovation to Ontario in partnership with Niagara Parks Commission, creating an attraction that will inspire millions of visitors for years to come.”
attractions-kit keyword NiagaraTakesFlight
Feature film animation studio
Mack Animation has released an animated film featuring German theme park EuropaPark mascots Ed and Edda.
Grand Prix of Europe was produced by Michael Mack, managing partner of Europa-Park and founder of the entertainment company MACK Magic, and
was released to coincide with the park’s 50th anniversary.
The film follows Ed and Edda on a high speed racing adventure around some of Europe’s most beautiful cities and most exciting attractions.
The launch coincides with the 50th anniversary of the park and marks the Europa-
Park mascots’ first feature film.
The film was made at MACK Magic’s studios in Rust, Germany and Strasbourg, France, with animation from the Mack Animation studio in Hanover in Germany.
Previous films created by the studio include Konferenz der Tiere and the Happy Family franchise.
The film follows on from the launch of the interactive 3D dark ride Grand Prix Edventure at Europa-Park.
“With Grand Prix Edventure, we’re bringing the world of Grand Prix of Europe into Europa-Park and achieving a unique, immersive brand experience,” said Michael Mack.
“The combination of interactive theme ride, film and numerous other products shows the enormous potential of our story worlds and brings together the competences of the whole Mack Group in one innovative entertainment concept.” l
attractions-kit keyword MackAnimation
ADVANCED WATER PLAY SOLUTIONS WITH CUSTOMIZED DESIGN: WHEREVER THERE IS WATER MYRTHA CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
