A new attraction was added to the St. Louis landscape this past spring, as Union Station’s Grand Hall Experience opened within the historic train station on May 9th, National Train Day.

By 1894, St. Louis had already been known as the “Gateway to the West” for over a century. But with the construction of the impressive new Union Station, St. Louis became a gateway to the world. On the day it opened, Union Station was the world’s largest and busiest train station, and it required a train shed with the largest roof span in the world to accommodate its 42 tracks, which served 100,000 passengers per day. Union Station’s Grand Hall, with its 65-foot-tall, barrel-vaulted ceiling, would embrace millions of personal stories, from the revelry of visitors celebrating St. Louis’ 1904 World’s Fair to the reunion of soldiers with their families at the end of World War II.

But with the aviation industry literally taking flight in the 1950s and 60s, Union Station and its Grand Hall began to fall into disrepair and neglect. In 2012, Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) purchased the property and were tasked with finding unique ways to drive visitation to Union Station’s new hotel, dining, and shopping options while still maintaining the Grand Hall’s historic character.

The solution to this challenge became the largest, permanently installed, indoor immersive projection mapping experience in the US. Projected on the Grand Hall’s ceiling, and across the entire space, this imaginative presentation is comprised of 30 vignettes, taking guests from the depths of the sea to the Sistine Chapel. Enhancing the vivid animation and music is narration provided by television and film personalities closely connected to St. Louis, including John Goodman, Jon Hamm and Bob Costas. Because the show differs slightly with every hourly evening performance, visitors have reason to experience this kaleidoscope of images again and again.

JRA provided initial concept development for this exciting project, with final design and media provided by Technomedia.

Union Station Grand Hall Experience Now Open

Mind Museum Thea

Sochi Park Opens

A New STOP for Science

In This Issue…

Studio ViewSummer 2014

Vibrant Projection Mapping Show Revitalizes National Historic Landmark

April 3-5 marked the annual Summit and Thea Awards Gala, produced by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). The TEA is an international, non-profit business association representing the creators, developers, designers and producers of compelling experiences worldwide. Considered the Oscars of the themed entertainment industry, the Thea Awards Gala celebrated its 20th anniversary, and this year, the TEA honored The Mind Museum with the Award for Outstanding Achievement – Science Museum. The 2014 Thea Award marks the first time an Asian science museum has been recognized.

The day before the Gala, each of the Thea Award recipients discussed the trials and triumphs of their projects in a case-study format. Representing the Mind Museum was its curator, Maribel Garcia, who stressed the importance of the project to a country rife with gifted scientists but somewhat lagging in general science education. She also shared some of the valuable lessons she learned throughout the process: 1) don’t trust the experts, 2) when deciding on a design partner, consider chemistry, 3) be correct, clear and beautiful in that order 4) trust your team, but “carry a whistle”, 5) have an ally who can translate your vision into ROI for potential donors, and 6) never forget your story.

In her acceptance speech, Maribel touched on the hardships that have befallen the Philippines of late, but she held up The Mind Museum not just as a beautiful building and educational center, but as a beacon of hope for Filipinos: “we would like to thank our people, the Filipinos, who have come to the museum since we opened and have told us with their numbers and their reactions that ‘it’s about time.’” For more information, please visit www.themindmuseum.org.

Sochi Park, located in the Russian seaside town of the same name, will soon celebrate its grand opening. The theme park combines state-of-the-art technology with Russian art, history and folklore, offering a wide range of attractions reflecting milestones in the nation’s history, as well as thematic areas and shows inspired by fairytales and sagas.

The park’s first 12 attractions are divided into five thematic areas, including “Avenue of Fire”, with a lake and various restaurants and souvenir shops; “Land of Bogatyr,” where Russian heroes live; “The Enchanted Forest”, which features fairies from Russian folklore; the nature-inspired “ECO-Village”; and the interactive “Land of Science and Fiction”. Several new attractions will be added in future phases.

JRA originally developed a 53-hectare park concept, with detailed sketches and designs for the five theme zones. Subsequently, JRA provided master planning, concept design, schematic design, art direction and implementation consulting for the current 20.3-hectare park. “JRA was excited to be a part of a unique theme park concept that combines fantasy with Russian history,” said Keith James, JRA Chief Executive Officer/Owner. “We congratulate Sochi Park’s production and installation teams on the opening of this historic project, which we hope will bring joy to Russian and non-Russian tourists alike.”

The Mind Museum Receives Thea AwardAward from Themed Entertainment Association is Fifth for a JRA Project

Sochi Adventure Park OpensPark Brings Fairytales, History to the Russian Black Sea Coast

5 Questions Meet the Team

Kelly joined JRA in February 2009 as part of the local production team responsible for the implementation of the Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Upon completion of Ferrari World, Kelly relocated to Ohio to continue working with the JRA team on various entertainment projects.

A Toronto native, Kelly’s diverse background includes managing accounts and day-to-day operations as an assistant office manager for a land survey firm, preparing appraisal reports and negotiating for the sale and acquisition of city-owned property as a Real Estate Appraiser for the City of Toronto, and owning and operating a clothing and gift store.

In her role as senior project coordinator, Kelly uses her strong organizational, research and writing skills to provide assistance and support to project managers and designers. From coordinating schedules and budgets to serving as liaison to clients and vendors, she has proven herself a valued member of the JRA team.

1. Best advice anyone ever gave me... If you shake someone’s hand and agree to do something, you do that something and do it the best you can.

2. My iPod is full of....Everything. If it’s ever been on the radio, I probably know it. Country, Motown, 80’s, whatever...

3. If we had recess during the workday...I would play golf or go skiing depending on the weather/season. I like being active outside.

4. If I could have any superpower...Flying for sure. I could skip traffic or if I needed a break I could “go for a fly.”

5. Best thing about the industry:All of the extremely different topics you learn about. I never thought I would know as much about the oil industry, Ferarri, Angry Birds, and children’s safety issues as I do now.

Science Centre Singapore’s KidsSTOP™, an interactive children’s science center, is now open to the public. Catering to children aged 18 months to 8 years, KidsSTOP™ is the first children’s science center in Singapore. With themed exhibition zones, hands-on activities and exciting enrichment programs, KidsSTOP™ is a facility where young children can learn about science and the world around them through play and exploration. JRA provided master planning, concept design and schematic design for this groundbreaking project.

KidsSTOP™ comprises 17 zones and feature areas designed around four themes – Imagine, Experience, Discover and Dream. These zones employ STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) principles through activity, play and exploration. Imagine uses the concept of innovative role-play to get children to practice creative and communication skills at specially designed but familiar places, thereby boosting self-confidence, intellectual growth and social skills. In the Experience area, the museum encourages young children to appreciate art and nature through interactions with live animals, stop motion animation and more. And one of the most prominent features of KidsSTOP™, the 9-metre-tall Big Dream Climber, allows children to climb and explore different unique zones, incorporating hanging leaves, fanciful doors and gears.

Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore, said, “Working with JRA on KidsSTOP™ was a natural choice, as the company has designed many renowned children’s facilities in the world. With their support, we have been able to create a children’s science center that young ones from Singapore and beyond will certainly fall in love with.”

A New STOP for ScienceScience Centre Singapore Opens Country’s First Children’s Science Museum

Rick O’ConnellSenior Project Designer

Kelly EllisSenior Project Coordinator

For more information, please contact Shawn McCoy at smccoy@jackrouse.com

Jack Rouse Associates 600 Vine Street, Suite 1700, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 USA

ph +1 513.381.0055 • fx +1 513.381.2691

Euro Attractions ShowAmsterdam, NetherlandsSeptember 23-25, 2014

SATESarasota, Florida, USAOctober 2-3, 2014

ASTC Raleigh, North Carolina, USAOctober 18-21, 2014

IAAPA Attractions ExpoOrlando, Florida, USANovember 17-21, 2014

Upcoming Events

Just A Thought…

by Keith JamesThe Promise of China, The Spirit of Cooperation

By all accounts, last month’s IAAPA conference in Beijing was a huge success, with record-breaking attendance and a very busy tradeshow floor. While delegates to the show came from greater Asia, it was clear that the Chinese market was the focus. This point was driven home in IAAPA President and CEO Paul Nolan’s opening address, when he reported that there are 59 new theme parks currently being developed in China.

Beginning in 2008 with its hosting of a magnificent Olympic Games, to its wonderfully executed Shanghai Expo in 2010, it became clear that China knew how to put on a good show. It is now apparent that the promise of an equally successful long-term leisure market in China is gaining momentum and quickly becoming a reality.

Iconic Chinese parks such as Ocean Park in Hong Kong and the various OCT parks have continued to evolve and deliver world-class guest experiences, while beautiful new parks from Chimelong prove that domestically developed projects can equal the quality and aesthetic standards of their Western counterparts.

Hong Kong Disneyland continues to grow and can certainly be viewed as a success. Building upon this knowledge and momentum, the eagerly awaited Shanghai

The initial growing pains, accompanied by two very different cultures working with one another, seem to be slowly subsiding, and an era of mutual understanding and respect is apparent. While issues such as how we work, receive payment and protect our intellectual property will continue to be discussed and refined, it is clear that both sides are realizing the benefits of finding common ground.

Early next year, JRA will celebrate the opening of China’s first stand-alone children’s museum in Beijing, a project we have planned and designed in close collaboration with the Children’s Museum Research Center, China National Children’s Center (CNCC) and Lao Niu Foundation. We are certainly excited about the opening of the museum. But perhaps more importantly, we are grateful to have been part of an enjoyable process through which the project has been developed and for the lessons we have learned along the way. From the outset, both parties placed an emphasis on collaboration, a value on communication and a commitment toward excellence.

Disneyland promises to set a new standard for attractions, while simultaneously localizing a global brand in an engaging and culturally sensitive manner. And, of course, the numerous Wanda projects and those being planned by other major developers are certainly creating a lot of buzz within our industry.

China’s cultural landscape is changing just as fast, if not faster, than the leisure market, with thousands of museums in various stages of development. And while museum construction has sometimes outpaced the availability of experienced curators, researchers and directors, that gap is slowly narrowing due to a variety of new museum programs being offered at Chinese universities, as well as partnerships between organizations such as the Smithsonian and the Chinese Museum Association to attract and develop a new generation of museum professionals.

JRA has had the great fortune to have been involved in several Chinese projects over the years, ranging from theme parks and attractions to science centers, children’s museums and expo pavilions. Over the course of our work in China, we have noticed a positive evolution in the manner in which projects of this type are contracted, planned, designed and realized.

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More and more, these philosophies are finding their way into China’s growing leisure and cultural industry. This cooperative spirit between East and West will not only result in more productive and enjoyable working relationships, but will also result in a better end product for our guests.