Viking theme park takes Norse mythology into virtual reality
A Viking-themed augmented reality attraction is currently under development in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the startup project taking Norse mythology onto a virtual platform.
Blending traditional rides and attractions with augmented reality, The Legendary World of Norse Mythology: Yggdrasil will make its public debut in 2019.
The attraction will offer VR dark rides, equipping the visitors with laser swords to fight giants and dragons, while virtual reality conquest rooms equipped with VR headsets and omni multi-directional treadmills turn the landscape around the player into an explorable Norse world.
There will also be augmented reality ‘quest’ rooms, which will allow groups to solve a puzzle within a themed room filled with props. In addition to the virtual reality component, an outdoor Viking fortress will also be developed, while traditional Viking longhouses will be available for rental as accommodation.
Speaking to Fortune, Peter Franklin Wurtz, co-founder of the startup, said the concept was inspired by disappointment visitors had at a Viking exhibition in London, with complaints that the exhibit didn’t offer the mythology they were hoping for. Wurtz and co-founder Patrick Mønsted Bendix both have a professional background consulting within the film, event and entertainment industries, and want to use those skills to create what wasn’t previously on offer.
“We think that the best way to capture the look and feel of the Vikings legends, myths, and sagas is to make it virtually real using CGI, 3D domes, VR, and AR,” said Wurtz. “Since mythology is a magical and very fantasy-like world to many people, we will give the audience an immersive experience of this imaginative world of gods, dwarfs, dragons, elves, and giants.
“VR and AR saves us time because none of our employees have to dress up like dwarves, elves, or Vikings and we don’t have to run a live show, which likely wouldn’t be nearly as good as what could be done through this technology,” he continued. “Over the next two to three years we see a paradigm shift with VR technology where it will reach the economies of scale.”
The attraction is hoping to attract half-a-million visitors in its first year, drawing more than a million guests after that.
Sleepy Hollow is first VR experience to claim Emmy award
Otoy showcases exciting new VR technologies at Siggraph
VR feature film lets you choose your own adventure
Siggraph 2015 to host VR Village exploring emerging technologies
French museum launches VR surfing experience
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
Creating the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York involved meticulous planning. Its director Alice Greenwald tells us more