A Lifetime of Curating Immersive Attractions and Experiences
Ludo Verheyen, CEO, MTE Studios
Ludo’s three decades of experience and expertise in development and planning advice, design, project management and full construction management has seen him lead projects from strategic development advice at project inception right through to completion.
For over two decades, Ludo has lived in the UAE and has been delivering award winning projects in the region with Dubai and Cape Town based MTE Studios, a specialized consultancy firm focused on Lifescape Architecture and immersive interactive Experiences.
Established over twenty years ago, the company under Ludo’s leadership has evolved and has done notable projects in the region where they transform spaces into imaginative places by harnessing innovative technologies to tell compelling stories through lasting interactive experiences.
Known for being part Dubai’s most iconic projects, Ludo’s most important contribution might be his ability to connect the region’s culture and tradition via science centre and museum projects while offering the next generation of luminaries to get inspiration from some of the work done by MTE Studios. Each project at MTE Studios is seen as a unique opportunity to imagine exhilarating people-centred experiences that promote cultural diversity.
Whilst leading and managing the team, Ludo ensures each project is driven by a process of research, experimentation and thinking out of the box.
Ludo’s architectural portfolio includes implementing projects worldwide encompassing shopping malls, experience centres, museums, science centres, exhibitions, and commercial and retail environments.
The MTE Studios team recently celebrated one of their key projects, The Dubai Frame winning an award from the ‘The Remarkable Venue Awards’. The design team at MTE Studios take a holistic approach when studying new projects and combine their thoughts with interdisciplinary services that include research, idea conceptualization, master planning, tech-integration, design, art direction, production, project management, and operational planning and support.
Ludo set up MTE Studios to provide meaningful experiences with emerging technology, and encourages the team to adapt to diverse client requirements, varying environments, emerging industry trends, and ever-changing society.
The company is best known for interactive learning experiences for museums, science centres and experience centers which they Imagineer, plan, design, build, bringing a creative idea from concept to implementation. They excel at content development, architectural design, exhibition design, audio-visual design, Kinetic/Animatronic sculptures, art directing, operational planning and Technology integration.
Currently Ludo leads a multidisciplinary team of skilled professionals for drawings, prototypes and models that depict each stage of development for their tailormade projects. They collaborate on designs using state-of-the-art technologies, hands-on demonstrations, audio-visual presentations, large icons, precious artifacts, computer interactives, detailed miniatures, and anatomical models.
Key projects that Ludo has overseen include The Dubai Frame, Ajman Fort Museum, Masfout Museum, Jumeirah Archeological Site, Shindagha Heritage Crafts Centre, Dubai Science Museum, “Big picture” vision for 12 IZIKO MUSEUMS, RTA Transportation Museum, Museum of Science and Technology (MOSTI), Pearls of Arabia Experience Center, Bahrain Science Center, The Qur’an Park, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubailand and Al Khobar Walk.
One project that is a brainchild of Ludo and close to his heart is the global travelling exhibition “Sultans of Science”. The exhibition, which has travelled around the world and and has been popular across venues in North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, highlights inventions, innovations, and discoveries in science and technology, astronomy, medicine, architecture and city planning, exploration and environmental conservation during the Golden Age of the Islamic world and the contribution thereof today.
This evolving exhibition gets continuously updated with new emerging technologies thus connecting the past with the present and future.
On the personal front, Ludo enjoys life in nature and takes every opportunity to go hiking, cycling or mountain climbing. He is fascinated with creating new concepts for interactive learning in his down time and implements them for his cultural projects.
Looking ahead, Ludo is looking forward to new experiential and heritage projects across the region that he and his team are conceptualising.
