PUSHKIN THEME PARK TO BE CREATED IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

BY GABRIELLE

A new Pushkin-centred theme park called Lukomorye is to be built in St. Petersburg, Russia, by Jora Vision, a leader in the design and production of themed attractions.

A contract has been signed to develop the theme park, based on the legendary Russia poet, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. For more than 200 years, Pushkin has been inspiring generations of children and adults and is widely considered to be the founder of modern Russian literature.

Lukomorye will comprise of an imagery land of fairy tales and adventure, providing guests with an immersive experience,

St. Petersburg’s Hotel Natali, named after the wife of Pushkin, will be developed to house the immersive theme park featuring Russian folklore and tradition, while bringing Pushkin’s fantasy stories to life.

A 17,000 sq. mt. indoor area will comprise of three main zones – a palace, a city and a harbour. There will also be a large outdoor area with three main zones – the swan lake, a fairy tale forest and a ‘Jarmarka’, a Russian fun fair market.

Floris van Eeden, project architect at Jora Vision, commented on the St. Petersburg theme park: “We started this project a year ago with a pre-master planning study. This early-stage study is an accessible new service that we offer to our clients, in which we provide an attractions selection, creative concepts and basic park planning, combined with a critical analysis of the project’s feasibility.

“By outlining important starting points of the business plan based on research of the local culture, competition and catchment area, together with calculations of the investment, we carefully balance all ingredients in close collaboration with the client team.

“This way we ensure a solid framework of starting points for a feasible plan that will stand the test of time. But moreover actually, we experience this early process as a great way to really get to know the client team and to be able to better understand what the project needs to become successful,” continued Eeden.

JORA VISION TO DESIGN AND BUILD IMMERSIVE MUSEUM AT CHENGDU GIANT PANDA BREEDING RESEARCH BASE

BY GABRIELLE

Jora Vision, a leader in the design and production of themed attractions, is to create an interactive experience for the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in China.

The interactive museum will be designed to offer guests an immersive experience, as they learn about the giant panda, the creature’s vulnerabilities and the work that is carried out at the Chengdu base.

The Europe-based Jora Vision has more than 25 years’ experience in designing and building for the themed attraction industry. The company was commissioned for the project by a jury of experts, who analysed designs from across the globe.

Jora Vision’s winning design featured a walkthrough experience, which tracks a comprehensive storyline and is suitable for all ages of visitors.

One challenge of the project is to develop a design that will cater for the millions of visitors the new interactive museum expects to attract each year.

Spatial immersive theming, interactive displays and digital guidance solutions will be key features of the immersive museum, designed to spread the word of the important work being carried out at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Centre.

EUROPA-PARK CELEBRATES REOPENING OF SCANDINAVIAN THEMED AREA

BY GABRIELLE

Europa-Park, Germany’s largest theme park, has reopened its Scandinavian themed area. The much-loved Scandinavian part of the resort features an idyllic village with colourful wooden houses.

Since it opened in 1992, the Nordic peninsula element at Europa-Park has fascinated visitors to the theme park, with its unique architecture and authentic Scandinavian food on offer in the area’s themed eateries.

In May 2018, a fire destroyed several parts of the area, along with the adjacent Pirates in Batavia ride.

The rebuilt land promises to provide a more authentic experience than ever to guests, with a Fjord Restaurant, a Fiskehuset fish counter, an Is Huset ice cream parlour, alongside games, shops and photo opportunities.

This autumn, a dark ride known as Snorri Touren is due to open in the Scandinavian land. Developed by Dutch attraction designers, Jora Vision, the attraction is centred on a ‘naughty octopus,’ which explores the island of Rulantica, the setting of Europa-Park’s upcoming indoor waterpark.

Europa-Park’s Roland Park spoke about the reopening of the Nordic themed area.

“Scandinavia was and still is at home in the heart of Europa-Park, with many unique memories. It has been a great desire for us to rebuild this unique place as soon as possible.

“For more than 350,000 hours, at times more than 100 construction workers were busy day and night making the impossible possible. Despite many other construction projects, today, after just 13 months of construction, to be able to celebrate this memorable event means a lot to us,” Muck added.

The rebuilt pirates ride is due to open in 2020, featuring 125 animated characters and the latest in animatronic technology.