How do you reimagine the epic story of a 1,454-foot building? You aim high.
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 space, and create the #1 attraction in the U.S.
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.
Entering the Construction Gallery, visitors are enveloped by a life-scale video installation inspired by the evocative photography of Lewis Hine. Hot rivets and steel beams fly overhead, giving visitors a visceral appreciation for the audacity, ingenuity and sheer manpower that fueled the tower’s construction. Set to an original score recorded with a 50-piece orchestra, the World’s Most Famous Building exhibit celebrates the structure’s towering presence in the popular imagination.
Impacts
4M
Visitors32M
Instagram posts2X
Winner, Tripadvisor #1 Attraction in the U.S.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.
This seamless unfolding of tactile and digital storytelling elements, a Journey signature, is precision-engineered for virality and shareability — a core goal of the Empire State Realty Trust.
The Empire State Building is the #1 attraction in the U.S.
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.