THG Creative, an agency specialising in developing attractions for theme parks, museums and brands, has partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to deliver the Temple Square Visitors’ Center in Salt Lake City, US.
The new immersive experience has been created as part of the site’s wider, multi-year transformation. Under the Church's direction, THG Creative led the creative design and complete production, handling all aspects from early concept to execution and opening.
A first-of-its-kind experience for the Church, the Temple Square Visitors’ Center merges spatial environments and global narratives to enhance understanding of the history, purpose, and significance of Temple Square, including the role of temples and the beliefs that are central to its international community.
From complex content to emotionally resonant experience
As a central orientation point within Temple Square, the experience presents a welcoming, story-driven environment rather than a traditional exhibit.
Guests move through a series of spaces that bring architecture, media, and storytelling together into a coherent journey encompassing learning, reflection, and discovery.
A variety of replicated environments and interpretive areas are central to the experience, providing rare public access to normally private spaces.
These are accompanied by interactive elements, physical models, and internationally sourced stories, for an experience that turns complex subject matter into something intuitive, accessible, and emotionally resonant.
Design highlights include a narrative-driven journey that helps guests to explore at their own pace, large-scale media installations directly integrated into the physical environment, and original content featuring lived experiences captured across several countries.
This layered storytelling approach brings together architecture, media, and narrative into a single, coherent experience.
Phil Hettema, founder of THG Creative, says: "This project was never about presenting information in a traditional way.
"From the beginning, we approached it from an outside perspective, asking how to create something that feels clear, intuitive, and meaningful for someone encountering it for the first time.
"That lens shaped everything from the storytelling approach to the design of the space itself."
Accessibility and clarity are key features of the Temple Square Visitors’ Center. This focus ensures that the experience connects with a broad international audience, regardless of prior knowledge.
The storytelling relies on real voices and lived experiences from individuals around the globe, creating a narrative that feels both personal and universally connected.
Erik Neergaard, CEO of THG Creative, says: "The challenge was balancing authenticity with accessibility.
"Our role was to help translate the Church’s story through an outside perspective in a way that feelsopen, engaging, and understandable. You see that reflected in how real stories are integrated, and howmedia and architecture work together as one cohesive experience."
Throughout the exhibit, international narratives reinforce shared themes of connection, family, service, and community. From large installations to those on a more personal scale, the experience seeks to create resonance across cultures and perspectives.
The project is the result of a deeply collaborative process that gathered together a multidisciplinary group of partners across design, media, fabrication, and technology.
THG Creative extends its thanks to Donna Lawrence Productions, Cortina Productions, Midwest Studios, Electrosonic, and 4Wall, among many other collaborators.
As the first completed component of Temple Square’s wider transformation, the Temple Square Visitors’ Center offers a preview of a new model for how architecture, media, and narrative can converge to create accessible, story-driven visitor experiences.
Last month, THG Creative celebrated the reopening of Beyond All Boundaries at The National WWII Museum following a comprehensive year-long technological and creative upgrade.
