Opening this spring, guests of South Korea’s Lotte World theme park will experience a brand new and fully themed entertainment zone – UNDERLAND. In a space once taken up by a shopping mall, UNDERLAND will immerse visitors into a fantastical and magical new world, encountering friendly ogres, characters inspired by Korea’s much loved fairy tale, “Ogre’s Magic Club.”
“For over a decade now there’s been talk of turning the mall space into additional theme park area, but with the spike in attendance over the last year, the idea was put on the front burner” said Taylor Jeffs, Director of Design for LA based design and themed entertainment studio and the project’s creator, the Goddard Group. Jeffs added that the project had taken just 14 months from initial concept design through to completion.
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“The creation of Underland gave us the chance to give our guests more of what they’d been asking for, including enhanced dining options and seating capacity, as well as one of our most exciting high-tech attractions to date.” added W.G. Choi, UNDERLAND’s producer.
Showcasing an immersive and interactive XD Theatre from by Triotech, together with four new food and beverage locations, the first phase of UNDERLAND has increased the Korean theme park’s guest area by over 22, 000 square feet. Furthermore, the magical ogres of UNDERLAND, designed and brought to life by renowned character designer and Goddard Group collaborator Phil Mendez, will enhance Lotte World’s already impressive and colourful family of mascot characters.
Ashley Choi, Lotte World Manager of Attraction Development, said “Up to this point, no other theme park in Korea has taken advantage of our country’s rich culture of myths and legends. We see the launch of UNDERLAND as a big opportunity to build upon a popular story and characters already well ingrained within the public consciousness.”
UNDERLAND is the third such collaboration between Lotte World and the Goddard Group further to a partnership first announced in October 2012. Working with a highly talented team of designers, many with experience in principal roles at Walt Disney Imagineering – including Christopher Smith, John Horny, and James Michaelson – Goddard Group also teamed with Singapore’s Kingsmen for the project’s on-site art direction and construction work.
