Client
Empire State Realty Trust
Location
New York City, USA
Collaborators
Thinc Design
Antfood
Sector
Attractions & Theme Parks
Location-Based Entertainment (LBE)
Services Provided
Story
Filmmaking & Animation
Design
Immersive Media Design
Interaction & UX Design
Sound Design
Technology
Immersive Media & Projection Mapping
Digital Twins & Real-Time Engines
Virtual Production & 3D Visualization
Delivery
Installation, Integration & Commissioning
QA/QC, Documentation, Training & Handover
Challenge
To reimagine the visitor experience for one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, creating a new generation of exhibits that could bring the Empire State Building’s story to life for millions of visitors every year.
Solution
Working alongside Thinc Design and Antfood, Journey helped transform more than 35,000 square feet of exhibition space into an immersive, multi-sensory experience. Through interactive media, projection mapping, sound and digital storytelling, we reimagined how visitors engage with the Empire State Building, turning the journey to the top into an attraction in its own right.
Welcoming four million visitors every year, the Empire State Building Observatory is among the most popular attractions on the planet. To meet the elevated expectations of a new generation of visitors, the structure’s view and Art Deco décor could no longer do all the heavy lifting. Journey helped reimagine the nearly century-old tower’s exhibition experience, contributing to the creation of the world’s #1 attraction.
“The Empire State Building is the #1 attraction in the world.”
Across more than 35,000 square feet of permanent exhibition space on two floors, and 40+ individual exhibits translated into nine languages, we painstakingly crafted a seamless visitor journey that stakes out new frontiers in immersive experience design. Complementing exhibition designers Thinc Design and creative audio studio Antfood, our innovations ranged from large-scale projection-mapped experiences to single-user virtual viewers.
Guests to the Kong exhibit, housed in a 1930s-era office space, encounter a life-size King Kong who eyeballs viewers as he dodges bi-planes. Clambering into an outstretched palm, visitors feel the rumble as Kong roars, while lights flicker overhead.
“Our visitors from around the world are thrilled by the quality of the work, its natural flow, and its accessibility. Personally, I was impressed with the combination of their enthusiasm and excitement for the project, as well as their ability to deliver excellent work within timeframe and budget.”
– Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Empire State Realty Trust.
Impact
#1
Attraction in the World, Tripadvisor
4M
Visitors per year
35M+
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