Attraction design stories

Attraction design refers to the choices that owners, operators, developers, architects and designers make when planning and creating a new attraction or renovating an existing one. This could be a theme park, museum, family entertainment centre (FEC), zoo, aquarium or any other location-based entertainment (LBE) experience. There are several elements to consider, from the design of the building itself to the visitor experience and layout. 

Attraction design can also refer to the design of an individual ride, attraction or exhibit. The design of zoos and aquariums is constantly evolving alongside our understanding of animals. As for theme parks, developers will need to consider what rides and attractions to include and where to put them. 

When it comes to museums and other LBE buildings, planners should make sure that they are designed to be as sustainable as possible. Examples of sustainable museum design include the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, and the Museum of Liverpool in the UK.

Many impressive attractions have opened in recent years. For example, the Sea Shell at VinWonders Phu Quoc is one of the largest aquariums in the world. It contains more than 20 million litres of water and was designed to offer some of the most technologically advanced aquarium facilities. Meanwhile, zoos such as Chester Zoo are renovating and creating habitats to enhance the wellbeing of their resident animals. 

Elsewhere, Dubai’s Museum of the Future has won awards for its design. Universal Parks & Resorts is in the process of creating several new theme parks and attractions, including a year-round horror experience at AREA15 in Las Vegas, a family-friendly theme park in Texas, and Epic Universe – Universal Orlando’s fourth gate. Venues for immersive experiences such as Meow Wolf and teamLab are made by teams of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, architects and mathematicians.