Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the parent company of Westfield malls, has announced plans to open two new virtual reality concept labs in the UK and Sweden.

The free-roam DIVR labs will be located in a 285 sqm outpost at Westfield Mall of Scandinavia in Stockholm and a 330 sqm location in Westfield London.

The arenas will feature original story-based experiences ranging from family-friendly escapades to fantasy and science-fiction adventures, the company said.

DIVR will be opening in both centres with a ‘Meet the Dinosaurs’ experience, in which users will be able to travel back 90 million years into the past, meet a real-life T-Rex and fly alongside dinosaurs.

A new virtual reality game will also be opening in late summer.

DIVR technology puts groups of up to four people into a series of shared virtual reality experiences that includes wireless streaming in 5K resolution and multi-sensory feedback through wind, heat and vibration.

Caroline Puechoultres, chief customer officer at URW commented: “As entertainment concepts like ‘competitive socialising’ grow and new technology allows us to deliver truly unique experiences to our customers, Westfield centres are a platform for the newest innovative offerings while giving digital and tech brands access to new audiences.”

She added: “The signing of DIVR Labs continues the company’s work to diversify our offer, ultimately providing our customers a more choice and a more personalised experience.”

Lukáš Marek, chief executive at DIVR Labs commented: “We look forward to introducing DIVR Labs to the UK and Scandinavian markets and reach new audiences through our expansion into two flagship Westfield centres. We hope this is
just the beginning of a long-standing partnership with URW.”

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