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Impact at A Glance
- 15,000+ tickets sold
- 200 visitors per day at capacity
- 3,000+ mobile app downloads
- 35 minutes combined average voluntary VR use
- 200+ PR articles across Europe and beyond, including tourism and innovation press
Can You Build a Zoo Without Cages
15,000+ people said yes.
Between September and December, Zoo of the Future became Brussels' most talked-about attraction—not despite having zero live animals, but because of it.
200+ press articles. Visitors from 5 to 90 years old choosing to stay in VR for 25 minutes and asking for more.
This wasn't just an exhibition. It was a proof point that immersive experiences can drive awareness, change minds, and generate revenue— all at the same time.
The Challenge: Are There Alternatives to Traditional Zoos?
GAIA Belgium, one of Europe's leading animal rights organizations, faced a strategic paradox:
How do you convince people that animals don't belong in captivity...
...by creating an experience people will pay to visit?
The constraints were deliberate:
→ No live animals (that's the whole point)
→ No footage of animal suffering (too confrontational)
→ Must work for children and adults simultaneously
→ Must feel like entertainment, not activism
→ Must generate revenue to sustain itself
→ Must be operationally viable for daily operations (200+ visitors/day)
Traditional museum exhibits achieve 5-10 minute dwell times. Videos and information panels get walked past. GAIA needed something powerful enough that people would:
✓ Choose to visit over other leisure options
✓ Pay admission willingly
✓ Stay engaged for 45+ minutes
✓ Leave genuinely moved and changed
✓ Tell others about the experience This required rethinking what a "zoo" could be entirely.
Three Virtual Natural Habitats
The Frozen Tundra
Enter a pristine ice-world. Snow-crusted expanses. Emperor penguins sliding across the floor. The wind whispers and the stillness invites wonder. In this space you’ll engage with cold-climate creatures like never before and appreciate how survival takes shape in extreme habitats.
The Jungle
Towering trees, chattering monkeys, vibrant macaws—all around you. Here your footsteps echo in the canopy, your gaze follows swinging chimpanzees and gliding parrots. In this zone you’ll discover how life thrives in vibrant ecosystems and feel the dynamic rhythm of the rainforest.
The Golden Savannah
Endless golden plains. Giraffes stretch toward the sky. Elephants roam freely. The horizon opens wide. Here you’ll participate in the story of Africa’s great migrations and giant mammals—not as a bystander, but as part of the landscape.
Full Sensory Immersion
Every habitat in Zoo of the Future is built as a multi-sensory world designed to shift what visitors see, hear, and feel the moment they step inside. We combined projection, spatial audio, light, and subtle environmental cues to create seamless transitions between jungle, ice, and savanna — no cameras, no fences, just pure presence.
The experience isn’t just visually immersive; it’s emotionally guided. Visitors hear the jungle before they see it, step into the cool hush of the Arctic, and feel the openness of the savanna. Each sensory layer was intentionally composed to deepen engagement, extend dwell time, and make every moment unforgettable.
Deliverables:
- Spatial audio design for all habitats
- Ambisonic soundscapes
- Sensory-transition cues between zones
- Lighting direction & environmental mood setup
- Multi-surface projection design & integration
- Motion & atmosphere effects tied to narrative beats
The Technical Build: End-to-End Execution
Need more clarity?
RealityMatters was the end-to-end experience partner, from strategic concept to an operational location based experience.
1. Concept & Story Architecture
We defined the full creative and narrative foundation of Zoo of the Future, ensuring every moment aligns with the emotional arc, educational purpose, and immersive ambition of the exhibition.
Deliverables:
- Complete narrative arc and story framework
- Three immersive habitats with emotional and educational flow
- Past–present–future transformation storyline
- Integration of scientific content into an accessible story
- Full visitor journey blueprint (physical + digital + sensory)
- Multi-device experience strategy (AR, VR, projection, mobile)
2. Creative Direction & Experience Design
We shaped how the entire experience looks, feels, and behaves. Every visual, spatial, and interactive element was designed to work in harmony across physical and digital layers.
Deliverables:
- Overall experience vision and creative direction
- Visual, spatial, and interactive design language
- Interplay between AR, VR, projections, and physical space
- High-level UX for all interactive touchpoints
- Sensory rhythm and emotional pacing
- Unified art direction for all media
3. 3D Production & Animation
We produced all 3D creatures, environments, and animations that bring the story to life, optimized for both cinematic impact and real-time performance.
Deliverables:
- Full 3D animal production (realistic, stylized & accurate)
- 3D environment creation for all habitats
- Real-time optimized 3D models for AR and VR
- Cinematic-quality versions for marketing content
- Animation and movement cycles
- Consistency across projection, mobile, VR, and marketing
4. AR App (iOS & Android)
We developed the mobile AR app that extends the experience beyond the venue and creates a meaningful pre- and post-visit journey.
Deliverables:
- iOS & Android AR application
- AR animal encounters
- QR-based onboarding flow
- Missions and interactive storytelling moments
- App UX and UI design
- App Store / Google Play deployment
- In-app analytics pipeline
- Post-visit content continuation
- 2,500+ downloads and ongoing performance insights
5. VR Experience
We designed and developed the VR journey that became one of the exhibition’s standout attractions, built for long-form, voluntary engagement.
Deliverables:
- Full VR museum exploration experience
- Multi-zone interactive habitats
- Optimized for standalone VR headsets
- Natural locomotion and accessibility modes
- Spatial audio and environmental effects
- High-reliability experience design (45 min avg. voluntary use)
6. Projection & Sensory Integration
We created the projection-mapped environments and sensory design that form the atmospheric backbone of the exhibition.
Deliverables:
- All projection-mapped animations and content
- Habitat-specific visual transitions
- Spatial audio and ambisonic soundscapes
- Lighting, motion, and sensory cues
- Coordination with fabrication and hardware partners
- Integration of multi-surface projection experiences
7. Marketing & Communication
We provided the creative foundation for the entire promotional campaign, ensuring a unified voice, strong visuals, and high public impact.
Deliverables:
- Promotional key visuals
- Trailer and promotional video assets
- Social media and advertising content
- Website storytelling and UX writing
- Campaign messaging structure
- PR messaging framework
- 200+ worldwide PR articles supported by consistent branding
8. Project Leadership & Delivery
We managed the entire production end-to-end, ensuring high quality, timely delivery, and full alignment across technical and creative teams.
Deliverables:
- Project management & production coordination
- Timeline planning and development roadmapping
- Weekly stakeholder alignment
- Coordination with hardware partners and fabricators
- Quality assurance across all mediums
- Support from concept to launch and post-launch optimization
- Control over the full visitor journey from campaign to exit
Why This Project Worked
What we learned from Zoo of the Future now informs every experience we design:
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The message came first, the technology served it.
Every choice, AR for discovery, VR for immersion, projection mapping for storytelling, was designed to make people feel closer to animals than they ever could in a traditional zoo.
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Strong Framing Matters
The 360° story room did critical work: it told visitors what to expect, why it matters, and how to approach the experience. Skip this and people don't know how to engage.
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We gave people control of their journey.
No guided tours. No forced paths. Visitors explored the three habitats at their own pace, spent time where they wanted, and engaged with the technologies that interested them most. That autonomy created a more personal, memorable experience. When people feel in control, they engage deeper and stay longer.
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Layering Touchpoints
360° projection → AR → Interactive screens → VR → Mobile app.
Each layer serves different visitors and reinforces the same message.
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Design for Day 100, Not Only for Day 1
This wasn't a one-day activation. It is running daily for months, handling thousands of visitors. The technology had to be reliable, the staff had to be trained, and the experience had to deliver consistently.
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And this is just the beginning.
What we built in 2025 will look quaint in a few years. The trajectory from "this feels real" to "this is indistinguishable from reality" is happening faster than most people anticipate. Zoo of the Future proved the concept works today. Imagine what it will be tomorrow.
How We Can Help You
If you're planning an exhibition, experience center, or brand activation that needs to deliver measurable outcomes—not just "look cool"—we can help.
What we bring to your project:
✓ Experience strategy that starts with your actual goals
✓ Story and journey design that serves your message
✓ Technology orchestration (not just VR—the right mix)
✓ Production and content creation end-to-end
✓ Physical installation and hardware integration
✓ Operational planning for real-world sustainability
✓ Measurement frameworks that prove impact
We've built destinations people travel for (Zoo of the Future), B2B sales tools that compress deal cycles (Toyota Material Handling), and trade show installations that generate lines.
The common thread: we build for outcomes, not novelty.
You bring the mission and constraints. We build the layered immersive experience that makes it real.
FAQ's of The Zoo of The Future
Need more clarity?
Still have questions?
Here are a few common questions about location based expriences.
How long did it take from concept to opening day?
Zoo of the Future required approximately 7-9 months from initial strategic concept to public opening.
This timeline included:
- experience strategy and story development (6-8 weeks),
- 3D content production and VR environment creation (12-16 weeks),
- physical installation design and fabrication (8-10 weeks),
- technical integration and testing (4-6 weeks),
- and staff training with soft opening (2-3 weeks).
Compressed timelines are possible for simpler installations or when existing content can be adapted. However, destination-quality experiences that sustain 45-60 minute engagement require sufficient time for iteration, testing, and refinement to ensure both creative excellence and operational reliability.
What technology becomes obsolete, and how do you future-proof these investments?
The content architecture matters more than specific hardware.
Zoo of the Future was built in Unreal Engine, creating platform-agnostic 3D assets reusable across VR headsets, AR devices, touchscreens, and future technologies. When VR headsets need replacement (typically 3-5 year cycles), the core environments and animals remain valuable.
We recommend modular technology strategies: separate content creation from hardware deployment, choose industry-standard platforms over proprietary systems, and design experiences that can scale down to mobile or scale up to emerging displays. The 200+ PR articles and brand equity Zoo of the Future generated will outlive any specific headset model.
Can this model work for B2B applications or corporate experience centers?
Absolutely. The same strategic framework applies to any organization needing deep understanding of complex topics. Corporate experience centers use identical principles: emotional framing (why this matters), self-directed exploration (interactive product demonstrations), deep immersion (VR factory tours or equipment operation), and continued engagement (digital resources post-visit). We've applied this methodology to manufacturing clients like Toyota Material Handling, where interactive 3D experiences shortened sales cycles by 20-30%. The difference is measurement: B2B tracks lead quality and conversion rates rather than ticket sales. The engagement depth remains equally valuable whether convincing visitors about conservation or prospects about industrial equipment.
What operational staffing does an installation like this require daily?
Zoo of the Future operated with 4-6 staff members during peak hours: one greeter/ticketing, two VR station attendants (helping with headsets, managing queues, light troubleshooting), one roaming host for AR/touchscreen assistance, and one technical coordinator. This relatively lean operation was possible because we designed for autonomous exploration rather than guided tours. Staff training required 1 day covering basic VR hygiene protocols, common technical resets, visitor flow management, and emergency procedures.
For corporate applications, existing facilities teams typically manage installations with minimal additional training. The key is designing technology to be robust and user-friendly, not requiring constant specialized intervention.
How do you measure success beyond visitor counts and press coverage?
We implemented multi-layered analytics tracking behavioral engagement, not just attendance. Metrics included: average dwell time per zone (revealing which habitats resonated most), VR session duration (showing when people chose to extend experiences), touchscreen interaction depth (measuring learning engagement), mobile app downloads and post-visit usage (tracking continued engagement), and visitor flow patterns (identifying bottlenecks or dead zones). Post-experience surveys measured attitude shifts toward conservation and animal welfare. For B2B applications, we track lead quality scores, sales cycle compression, and deal conversion rates. The goal is always connecting experiential metrics to business outcomes leadership actually cares about.
What were the biggest technical challenges, and how did you solve them?
Three critical challenges emerged: First, VR comfort for extended sessions—we solved this through careful content design avoiding artificial locomotion, optimizing frame rates, and providing comfortable seating. Second, daily hardware reliability under heavy use—addressed through robust headset selection, hot-swap backup systems, and rapid cleaning protocols between users. Third, managing visitor flow during peak times—resolved through timed entry reservations, clear wayfinding, and designing the experience so VR wasn't a mandatory bottleneck.
The lesson: technical excellence means designing for operations reality, not just impressive demos. We stress-tested everything at 200+ daily visitors before opening, identifying and fixing issues that only appear under real-world load.
Could this experience travel to other cities or scale to multiple locations?
Yes, with strategic planning. The digital content assets—3D environments, VR experiences, mobile app—are completely portable and reusable. Physical deployment requires adapting to different venue sizes and layouts, but the core experience remains consistent. We designed Zoo of the Future's content architecture anticipating potential expansion. A traveling version could operate in smaller footprints (500-700 m²) with fewer simultaneous VR stations while maintaining the narrative journey. For organizations considering multi-location rollouts, we recommend a hub model: build the flagship experience first, measure what works, then create a scalable template. The content investment leverages across locations, while physical installation costs repeat. This approach proves particularly valuable for brands, cultural institutions, or trade show programs seeking consistent experiences globally.
Ready to Create Experiences People Remember?
Whether you're a cultural institution, corporate brand, or venue operator, the question is the same:
What do you need people to understand, feel, or do—that traditional approaches can't accomplish?
That's where immersive experiences move from "nice to have" to "strategic necessity."
Contact Us to explore how we can bring your vision to life.