Lego bound for Istanbul as part of Merlin attractions cluster
by Jason Holland | 09 Apr 2014
Merlin is to build a Legoland Discovery Centre in Istanbul as the first stage in creating a cluster of attractions in the city
Merlin Entertainments is continuing its global roll out of Legoland Discovery Centres having signed a deal with shopping centre developer Multi to bring the popular attraction to Istanbul.
It will be Merlin’s second visitor attraction in the Turkish capital, following the acquisition of Turkuazoo Aquarium in September 2013, and forms part of its objective to build a series of attractions in the city.
“We have identified Istanbul as an exciting, vibrant, and populous city in which we are looking to build a cluster of our attractions – and this is the first step,” said Glenn Earlam, MD of Merlin Entertainment’s Midway Attractions Operating Group.
Speaking to Attractions Management recently, Merlin CEO Nick Varney said the company was planning a rollout of its Midway brands, which includes the Legoland Discovery Centres as well as Madame Tussauds, Sea Life and its Dungeons, into suitable locations across Europe, the US, Asia and beyond, while creating clusters of attractions in key locations. The company aims to open at least one, and possibly two, more Midway brand attractions in Istanbul in the near future.
The new Legoland Discovery Centre, an indoor playground offering a “fun, interactive and educational two- to three-hour experience” for families with children aged three to ten years old, will be located close to the Turkuazoo Aquarium in Forum Istanbul, Turkey’s largest shopping and leisure centre. It will also feature Lego rides, a 4D cinema, an interactive Lego ‘Factory Tour’, building workshops and a Lego Miniland exhibit.
The attraction is scheduled to open in late spring 2015, with construction expected to begin this summer.
There are currently nine Legoland Discovery Centres in the Midway portfolio, with the most recent opening in Winchester, New York state, US. Another one is due to open in Boston, US later this year, with several others already in development.
Read more about Merlin here.
Merlin Entertainments is continuing its global roll out of Legoland Discovery Centres having signed a deal with shopping centre developer Multi to bring the popular attraction to Istanbul. It will be Merlin’s second visitor attraction in the Turkish capital, following the acquisition of Turkuazoo Aquarium in September 2013, and forms part of its objective to build a series of attractions in the city. “We have identified Istanbul as an exciting,
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