Edward
Felix
Designing real-world spaces isn’t just about walls, props, or lighting; it’s about creating moments that people carry with them long after they leave. I approach every installation, ride, or event the same way I approach a VR world: through storytelling, pacing, and sensory detail.
From heritage rides to seasonal haunted houses, I focus on how people move through a space, what they see and hear at each step, and how transitions can surprise and delight. I use VR pre-visualisation to plan layouts, test ideas, and give teams and clients a chance to experience the design before it’s built.
Whether it’s retheming the 90-year-old Ghost Train at Luna Park, designing modular haunted houses, or building family-friendly seasonal attractions, my goal is to turn empty structures into living environments that feel magical, immersive, and unforgettable.
In 2024, I had the chance to combine my love of design, technology, and history by leading the complete retheming of Luna Park Melbourne’s Ghost Train, one of the world’s oldest dark rides. Built in 1934 by the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company, it’s the last of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and after 90 years it was ready for a new life.
My goal was simple; keep its soul alive while creating an experience that feels fresh for today’s audiences. With no original blueprints, I began by 3D scanning the entire ride and reconstructing it in VR. Using Blender and Unity, I built a fully interactive version that let the Luna Park team “ride” the Ghost Train virtually, test ideas, and refine the layout before a single prop was touched.
Modern tech became our toolkit: advanced 3D printing (thanks to BambuLab) allowed us to create bespoke fixtures and props – from candelabras to bookshelves – while VR gave us precision and confidence. At the same time, traditional craft was central; hand-painted murals, portraits, and scenic details gave the ride its unique personality.
We also added a nod to Luna Park’s folklore by dedicating a scene to the park’s own ghost story, the mysterious White Lady. With custom lighting, effects, and sound, she now haunts the ride alongside new scenes and atmospheric details.
This project was a true balancing act between heritage and innovation; blending 90 years of history with modern pipelines to create something both authentic and new. It’s one of my proudest works, and a reminder of how technology and storytelling can bring even the oldest attractions back to life.
Every year, I help transform Luna Park into Luna Dark; a Halloween festival that turns the park inside out with haunted houses, eerie decorations, and immersive light-and-sound experiences. My role blends creative design with technical execution, ensuring each attraction feels theatrical, cohesive, and unforgettable.
One of the centrepieces is Behind the Screams, an evolving haunted house that plunges guests into the backstage alleys of a dark carnival. Each year, the creative team and I design new layouts, props, and scare zones. I then use VR pre-visualisation to test the flow and timing before the build begins. The result is a maze of twisted clowns, nightmarish characters, and sensory shifts that stretch a three-minute walkthrough into something much larger and more intense.
Alongside the haunted house, I developed End of the Line; a darkness tram experience where the entire show runs on custom hardware and firmware of my own creation. When the séance begins and the lights cut out, the space fills with synchronised sound, projections, and effects, all triggered to precise timings. Scarers add to the chaos, moving through the darkness while the system handles every cue without a computer in sight.
Outside the attractions, I also work on the park-wide Halloween theming; designing large-scale props, eerie lighting, and atmospheric installations that set the tone from the moment guests walk in. Each element is crafted for durability, safety, and impact, balancing hand-made detail with technical reliability.
These seasonal events are some of my favourite projects; they combine storytelling, engineering, and theatrical design into spaces that thousands of visitors experience together. For six nights a year, Luna Park becomes something entirely different, and I get to help shape the world they step into.
