Iconic statues and landmarks are among the most photographed sights in the world, yet the way people experience them has remained largely unchanged for decades. Today’s audiences expect more than observation—they want to interact, personalise and share the moment.

At Piqolo Labs, we explored how Augmented Reality can transform a well-known Singapore cultural icon—the Merlion—from a static photo spot into a playful, interactive digital experience that people can place, control and engage with anywhere.

  • Client: Various
  • AR Lens Type: Back-facing, 3D object with facial recognition initiated interaction
  • Publication Date: August 2025
  • Publisher: Piqolo Labs

A Repeatable Framework: Turning a Landmark into an AR Lens

This framework is intended to be reusable for any statue, monument, mascot or cultural icon, suitable for tourism boards, hotels, attractions or city campaigns.

1 - Start with Cultural Recognition, Not Complexity

The strength of a landmark is in its ability to be instantly recognised. The Merlion is globally identifiable—there’s no need to over-explain it. In augmented reality (AR), this means maintaining the core silhouette and character of the icon so that users can immediately understand what they are engaging with.

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Key principle: Avoid over-redesigning the icon —translate it faithfully in 3D or 2D to the digital space.

2 - Give Users Control Through Placement and Scale

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One of the most magical aspects of augmented reality is spatial freedom. In this experience, users can position the Merlion beside them, in front of them, or within any environment—and resize it from miniature to monumental. This instantly:

  • Makes the experience personal
  • Encourages experimentation
  • Turns users into co-creators, not just viewers
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Key principle: Let users decide where and how big the icon appears.

3 - Add One Simple, Delightful Interaction

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Interactivity doesn’t have to be complex to be memorable. For the Merlion AR lens, we introduced a simple, playful trigger i.e. open your mouth and the Merlion spouts water. Powered by face tracking, this small moment of surprise:

  • Creates instant delight
  • Encourages repeat play
  • Is especially engaging for families and children
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Key principle: One intuitive interaction is often more powerful than many complicated ones.

4 - Design for Sharing

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A successful and memorable augmented reality (AR) lens should inherently encourage users to take and share photos and videos. By blending familiar imagery, playful animations and personalized placements, the Merlion AR experience naturally fosters social interaction. Users not only engage with the lens themselves, but they also share it with others.

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Key principle: If it’s fun, sharing and discovery happens organically.

Why This Matters for Hotels, Tourism Boards and Attractions

For destinations and hospitality brands, AR landmark experiences offer a powerful way to:

  • Extend engagement beyond physical locations
  • Appeal to families and younger travellers
  • Modernise heritage storytelling without altering the real site
  • Create shareable digital touchpoints that travel globally

Instead of competing for attention with yet another photo spot, AR transforms landmarks into interactive memories.

Reimagining Cultural Icons for the Next Generation

Transforming a famous statue or landmark into an augmented reality (AR) lens doesn’t aim to replace the physical experience but rather to extend it. By adding elements of play, interaction and personal storytelling to cultural icons, AR helps landmarks like the Merlion remain relevant, engaging and emotionally impactful for a new generation.

Let Us Help You Get Started

Piqolo Labs Delivers AR for Hospitality.

We can help you build the AR lenses mentioned above. Be among the first to bring Augmented Reality (AR) to your hotel, restaurant or attraction — without the high cost or production headaches. We love to hear from you!

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