Raina Ghose

Visitors scan their pre booked tickets at the entrance to receive a scannable bracelet and passport. The bracelet unlocks immersive experiences and tracks their journey, with stamps collected along the way as a keepsake. Visitors can also create an astronaut ID photo for their passport, while staff in each zone provide guidance and explain the exhibits.

Visitors enter the space after ticketing, where a reception and three immersive research pods draw them in. Inside the pods, staff guide visitors through the experiences and explain the content in a personable way. The warm, enclosed forms create an inviting atmosphere that gently introduces the journey ahead. Visitors who did not book in advance, can purchase tickets at the reception desk.

Visitors step into the Venus pod, where the soft pink, rock like enclosure creates a warm, glowing atmosphere inspired by the planet’s surface. Inside, mirrored glass stands display circular information points, encouraging visitors to move around, reflect, and engage with the content from different perspectives. The space feels intimate and surreal, allowing visitors to learn about Venus while experiencing a sense of heat, density, and immersion.

Users step into the Mars pod, where the warm red textured rock like pod creates a grounded, desert atmosphere inspired by the planet’s surface. Inside, a sand filled stand invites physical interaction, allowing visitors to engage with the materiality of Mars while learning about its landscape and conditions. The space feels enclosed and earthy, creating a calm yet immersive environment that encourages curiosity and exploration.

Visitors enter the Moon pod, where a light stone like enclosure with soft lighting creates a calm, reflective atmosphere inspired by the lunar surface. Inside, metal seating and a bespoke glass table centred around a rock encourage visitors to sit, gather, and engage more contemplatively. On the table holds rock samples, a moon map, and other objects. A subtle audio recording of astronauts’ experiences further enhances the immersion, adding an atmospheric layer that reflects the stillness of the Moon.

Visitors gather around the central satellite display, where the sculptural form becomes a focal point for learning and interaction. The surrounding curved wall, with its layered and illuminated design, echoes signals and waves moving through space, creating a sense of energy and motion. Together, these elements create an immersive moment where visitors can pause, observe, and connect with the idea of communication and exploration within the universe.

Visitors gather around the interactive table and astronaut stations, where they can scan their bracelet and have their photo taken to use as their passport ID. It’s a simple, playful moment that lets them see themselves as part of the experience. Around them, mirrored glass displays of projected artefacts reflect the space and each other, encouraging visitors to move around and explore from different angles.

Visitors gather around the planetary table as a central, glowing focal point, where staff guide them through the solar system, explaining each planet and encouraging interaction from multiple sides. The warm lighting and circular layout create a sense of immersion and curiosity, making the experience feel both educational and engaging, rather than static. This shared moment fosters conversation, learning, and discovery, allowing visitors, especially children, to connect with complex information in a more memorable, hands on way.

Visitors step into individual VR pods where they can choose what part of the universe they want to explore, with their selection appearing on the screen in front on the TV screen, so that others can see exactly what they’re experiencing. Speakers are on the side creating a more immersive atmosphere. It becomes a shared moment as people watch, react, and decide what they want to explore next, making the experience feel personal but still social and engaging.

Visitors are drawn into the galaxy hallway, where mirrored surfaces on the outside reflect movement and light, subtly pulling them toward the entrance. As they step inside, the space shifts into an immersive experience, with electronic screens surrounding them in moving galaxies, creating the feeling of travelling through space. The transition builds anticipation and excitement, leading seamlessly into the space simulator, where the journey continues and visitors feel fully transported beyond Earth into space.

Visitors enter the space simulator directly from the galaxy hallway, where the transition from soft, immersive visuals into a more metallic enclosed space heightens the sense of departure. Surrounded by industrial materials and screen ‘windows’, they experience the feeling of launching from Earth and travelling into space, as moving visuals simulate the journey beyond the atmosphere. The space creates a sense of excitement and anticipation, making visitors feel as though they are part of the mission, turning observation into a fully immersive, cinematic experience.

The cafe’s atmosphere shifts to a calm, open space, allowing visitors to pause and reflect after the immersive journey below. Views overlooking Springburn Park, reconnects visitors with the real world while still feeling elevated and part of the overall experience. The relaxed seating and warm materials encourage people to stay, socialise, and unwind, making it both a destination and a moment of rest within the museum journey.

On selected evenings, the museum cafe transforms into a silent disco space, with tables and seating stored away to create a safe and open dance floor while the main museum remains closed. Through immersive lighting and projection, the space continues to reflect the museum’s interactive identity, encouraging visitors to engage with the museum building beyond day time open hours.

Visitors enter the planetarium settling into soft bean bags that create a relaxed, informal viewing experience. As the show begins, the retractable roof screen rises and transforms the space, with projected visuals of galaxies, the cosmos, and the wider universe surrounding them from above. The combination of darkness, immersive projection, and comfortable seating creates a calm yet awe inspiring atmosphere, allowing visitors to fully disconnect from the outside world and feel immersed within space itself.