Brinkerhoff straddles spa and attractions with his new venture / image: kate russell courtesy of submersive
Over the past few years, our team has been seeing an increasing number of projects that straddle the attractions and spa industries in our reporting for Spa Business magazine – sister title to Attractions Management (www.spabusiness.com).
The technologies used in visitor attractions have huge potential to heighten the spa experience, while the rapid growth of the spa industry and growing interest in wellness means it makes sense for attractions to get in on the act.
On page 68, we interview Meow Wolf co-founder Corvas Brinkerhoff, who recently announced his departure from the experiential art company to create his own immersive spa experience.
Brinkerhoff plans to use his background in creating mind-bending exhibits to design spa experiences that not only entertain guests, but also deliver lasting benefits to their quality of life.
This disruptive project – called Submersive – is set to open in Austin, Texas in 2026, bringing together elements of a traditional spa with AI technology, video projection, immersive art installations, lasers and other sound and light effects.
“It’s essentially a massive ‘state-change’ machine,” says Brinkerhoff. “An art creation that you can literally submerge yourself into and that heals you.”
The Therme Group has been in on the act for a while now too, with its waterpark/spa hybrid projects that combine water-based activities with wellbeing treatments, art, nature and technology.
Canadian studio Moment Factory recently designed a unique new digital aquatic experience as part of French theme park Futuroscope’s new waterpark (see our interview with CEO Sakchin Bessette on p28).
The Louvre and the Tate Modern have hosted yoga classes, while the Area15 entertainment space in Las Vegas offers a wellness programme in a music-filled space wrapped with immersive 360 degree projection-mapped visuals.
There are also Japan’s onsen ‘theme parks’, and art collective teamLab’s work that brings together art and sauna in innovative ways. And it’s still just a concept, but many will appreciate Jellyfish Studio’s hybrid rage room and spa experience, designed to help women get over bad breakups.
The spa and the attractions industries are both filled with creativity and innovation. In the space that lies between them is a world of possibilities.
Multimedia: Sakchin Bessette
How did the team at Moment Factory go from designing visuals for raves to illuminating the Sagrada Familia and creating stage shows for Madonna? The co-founder shares the journey
Museums: Roll of honour
From the Rijksmuseum’s first family exhibition to a 4D experience that wows on a budget, we check out Museum + Heritage Award winners
Theme parks: Cecil Magpuri
Work has begun on the first Dragon Ball theme park, and it’s set to take theming to a whole new level, according to its designer
Museums: Rise up
Filled with colour, music, technology and storytelling, the John K Randle Center is a fitting celebration of Yoruban culture and history, says its architect Seun Oduwole
Experiences: Flight of fancy
Airbnb is diving into the world of immersive experiences with its new Icons initiative. What does this mean for attractions?
Immersive experience: Andrew McGuinness
As Layered Reality prepares to launch its highly-anticipated Elvis Experience, we speak to its CEO about the business of wowing visitors
Zoos: Making a difference
Visiting zoos and aquaria inspires people to act more sustainably, finds a study from the University of Sheffield and Chester Zoo
Tourism: Vertical reality
From energy-generating viewing pods to world-class art installations, a new generation of vertical attractions is shaking up the scene. Dr Terry Stevens investigates
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Brinkerhoff straddles spa and attractions with his new venture / image: kate russell courtesy of submersive
Over the past few years, our team has been seeing an increasing number of projects that straddle the attractions and spa industries in our reporting for Spa Business magazine – sister title to Attractions Management (www.spabusiness.com).
The technologies used in visitor attractions have huge potential to heighten the spa experience, while the rapid growth of the spa industry and growing interest in wellness means it makes sense for attractions to get in on the act.
On page 68, we interview Meow Wolf co-founder Corvas Brinkerhoff, who recently announced his departure from the experiential art company to create his own immersive spa experience.
Brinkerhoff plans to use his background in creating mind-bending exhibits to design spa experiences that not only entertain guests, but also deliver lasting benefits to their quality of life.
This disruptive project – called Submersive – is set to open in Austin, Texas in 2026, bringing together elements of a traditional spa with AI technology, video projection, immersive art installations, lasers and other sound and light effects.
“It’s essentially a massive ‘state-change’ machine,” says Brinkerhoff. “An art creation that you can literally submerge yourself into and that heals you.”
The Therme Group has been in on the act for a while now too, with its waterpark/spa hybrid projects that combine water-based activities with wellbeing treatments, art, nature and technology.
Canadian studio Moment Factory recently designed a unique new digital aquatic experience as part of French theme park Futuroscope’s new waterpark (see our interview with CEO Sakchin Bessette on p28).
The Louvre and the Tate Modern have hosted yoga classes, while the Area15 entertainment space in Las Vegas offers a wellness programme in a music-filled space wrapped with immersive 360 degree projection-mapped visuals.
There are also Japan’s onsen ‘theme parks’, and art collective teamLab’s work that brings together art and sauna in innovative ways. And it’s still just a concept, but many will appreciate Jellyfish Studio’s hybrid rage room and spa experience, designed to help women get over bad breakups.
The spa and the attractions industries are both filled with creativity and innovation. In the space that lies between them is a world of possibilities.
Multimedia: Sakchin Bessette
How did the team at Moment Factory go from designing visuals for raves to illuminating the Sagrada Familia and creating stage shows for Madonna? The co-founder shares the journey
Museums: Roll of honour
From the Rijksmuseum’s first family exhibition to a 4D experience that wows on a budget, we check out Museum + Heritage Award winners
Theme parks: Cecil Magpuri
Work has begun on the first Dragon Ball theme park, and it’s set to take theming to a whole new level, according to its designer
Museums: Rise up
Filled with colour, music, technology and storytelling, the John K Randle Center is a fitting celebration of Yoruban culture and history, says its architect Seun Oduwole
Experiences: Flight of fancy
Airbnb is diving into the world of immersive experiences with its new Icons initiative. What does this mean for attractions?
Immersive experience: Andrew McGuinness
As Layered Reality prepares to launch its highly-anticipated Elvis Experience, we speak to its CEO about the business of wowing visitors
Zoos: Making a difference
Visiting zoos and aquaria inspires people to act more sustainably, finds a study from the University of Sheffield and Chester Zoo
Tourism: Vertical reality
From energy-generating viewing pods to world-class art installations, a new generation of vertical attractions is shaking up the scene. Dr Terry Stevens investigates
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
