The Curatorial Club (Run DMT, Alex Bleeker, Twin Sister) Review

Out of Africa.

Hotels July 1, 2001 Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge captures the romance and spirit of Africa in a celebration of architecture, animals and culture.

ONE HAS TO LOOK HARD TO FIND ANY TRACE OF MICKEY MOUSE & CO. IN THE DESIGN OF DISNEY’S 1,293-ROOM ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE AT FLORIDA’S WALT DISNEY WORLD[R]. THE SUBTLE REFERENCES TO DISNEY’S FAMOUS ICON ARE RELEGATED TO MERE CAMEO APPEARANCES. CLEARLY, AFRICA IS THE STAR OF DISNEY’S NEWEST RESORT, WHICH OPENED IN APRIL.

LOCATED ALONG THE PARK’S WESTERN EDGE ON A “SAVANNAH” GRAZED BY HOOF-STOCK HERBIVORES, THIS EXOTIC LODGE IS THE LATEST ANSWER TO DISNEY CHAIRMAN MICHAEL EISNER’S MANDATE TO CREATE ARCHITECTURE THAT IS NEVER BORING. DENVER-BASED URBAN DESIGN GROUP BUILDS ON THE TRADITION OF WORK DONE FOR DISNEY BY OTHER NOTED ARCHITECTS SUCH AS ROBERT A.M. STERN, ARATA ISOZAKI, MICHAEL GRAVES, ARQUITECTONICA, GWATHMEY SIEGEL & ASSOCIATES, DAVID ROCKWELL WIMBERLY ALLISON TONG & GOO AND ITS OWN DESIGN FOR THE WILDERNESS LODGE TO INVENT SPACES THAT INVITE A SUSPENSION OF BELIEF. THE “AFRICA” THAT LIES OVER THRESHOLD OF THE MAIN LOBBY IS NEITHER CARTOON NOR CARICATURE, BUT AN INNOVATIVE RECONSTRUCTION OF AFRICA’S ART, CULTURE AND WAY OF LIFE.

LIKE EVERYTHING DISNEY DOES, IT IS THE EFFORTLESS SIDE OF FANTASY THE PUBLIC SEES. As GUESTS GLIMPSE THE THATCHED ROOF OF THE MAIN BUILDING, IT IS DOUBTFUL THEY WILL NOTICE THAT IT IS MADE OF GEO-PLASTICS. NOR WILL MOST VISITORS BE AWARE THAT THE EXTERIOR COLUMNS INSPIRED BY THE LOOK OF AN EAST AFRICAN LODGE ARE CEMENT AND STEEL MANIPULATED TO LOOK LIKE WOOD. THE PALPABLE REALITY OF THE VINES THAT OVERGROW THE BUILDING, THE SHELTERING PALM TREES, THE SAVANNAH-LIKE LANDSCAPE AND THE MORE THAN 200 MAMMALS AND THREE DOZEN SPECIES OF BIRDS ON THE SITE BLURS WHAT IS MAN-MADE AND WHAT IS NATURAL INTO A BELIEVABLE WHOLE.

Monumental Yet Intimate BOTH URBAN DESIGN GROUP, THE INTERIOR DESIGNER, AVERY BROOKS & ASSOCIATES (ABA), LAS VEGAS, AND LOUNGE/RESTAURANT DESIGNER JEFFERY BEERS INTERNATIONAL, NEW YORK CITY, RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO BALANCE THIS LARGE-SCALE “ARCHITECTURE OF EMOTION,” AS URBAN’S PETER DOMINICK DESCRIBES IT, WITH INTIMACY. WHILE GUESTS MAY APPRECIATE THE AVAILABILITY OF NEARLY 1,300 ROOMS WHEN TRYING TO MAKE RESERVATIONS AT A HOTEL TARGETING PARKWIDE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY OF 95-97%, THEY DO NOT WANT THE INSTITUTIONAL FEEL OF A MEGA-HOTEL.

MULTI-LEVEL ARCHITECTURE AND THE BASIC HORSESHOE SHAPE OF THE BUILDING SUBDIVIDE THE 900,000 SQ. FT. (81,000 SQ.M.) HOTEL INTO A “VILLAGE” OF INDIVIDUAL SPACES. BRIDGES AND SMALL ATRIUMS TRUNCATE THE CORRIDORS. DOMINICK USED THESE BRIDGES IN THE PUBLIC SPACES AS OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING LIGHT INTO THE BUILDING AND AFFORD VIEWS OF THE ANIMALS FROM VARIOUS VANTAGE POINTS. THE SMALL ATRIUMS BUILT INTO THE GUESTROOM FLOOR CORRIDORS SERVE AS SHOWCASES FOR AFRICAN ART, TOOLS AND COSTUMES. CHANGES IN LEVELS AND EMPHASIS ON STRATEGIC FOCAL POINTS ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO EXPLORE. go to website animal kingdom lodge

ABA AND JEFFERY BEERS FACED THE DUAL CHALLENGE OF REDUCING THESE OPEN SPACES TO A MORE HUMAN SCALE WITHOUT HAVING THE FURNISHINGS DWARFED BY THEIR SURROUNDINGS. “THE PROPORTIONS OF THE LOBBY FURNITURE WERE CAREFULLY STUDIED IN MODEL FORM,” SAYS TODD-AVERY LENAHAN, PRINCIPAL WITH ABA. “WE DESIGNED A SHELTER-STYLE SOFA WITH A HIGH BACK FOR THE LOBBY AND USED A FACING PAIR IN EACH OF THE SIX SEATING ARRANGEMENTS. NOT ONLY DO THEY CREATE A SENSE OF PRIVACY, THEY ALSO GIVE THE PROPER SENSE OF SCALE. THE HAND-CARVED WOOD IN THE SOFA FRAME ADDS DISTINCTION AND A SENSE OF BALANCE TO THE GRAND SCALE OF THE LOBBY, WHILE THE PROPORTIONS OF THE CUSHIONS AND PILLOWS ALLOW FOR COMFORT AND A HUMAN DIMENSION. THE HEIGHT AND SCALE OF THE LOBBY’S CONSOLE TABLES IS HIGHER THAN USUAL FOR BETTER VIEWING OF THE ARTIFACTS.” FOR THE RESTAURANTS, JEFFERY BEERS MIXED LARGE AND SMALL STATEMENTS. HUTS AND LOW WALLS CORRAL THE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE 280-SEAT FAMILY RESTAURANT, BOMA. GONE IS THE LONG LINE SYNONYMOUS WITH BUFFET SERVICE. IN ITS STEAD IS AN ASSEMBLAGE OF ELECTRIC HUTS AND HOUSES WITH A MIX OF COLORS EUKI WOOD, THATCH AND OTHER TRADITIONAL AFRICAN MATERIALS THAT MAKE THIS MORE MARKETPLACE THAN RESTAURANT. here animal kingdom lodge

JIKO, THE SPECIALTY RESTAURANT, IS “A SURREALIST DREAM OF AFRICA,” SAYS BEERS. OVENS MORPH INTO GIANT VESSELS WHILE A FLOCK A STYLIZED BIRDS TAKE FLIGHT OVERHEAD. ABSTRACTED AFRICAN GRASSES FRAME THE WINE DISPLAY. IT IS THE USE OF TIGER WOOD, HANDCARVED FURNISHINGS AND WOODEN FLOORING THAT BRINGS THE GUEST BACK TO EARTH AND SECURES A THEMATIC LINK WITH THE REST OF THE HOTEL.

Finding The “Real” Africa CONCERN FOR AUTHENTICITY WAS A MAJOR THEME FOR WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING (WDI) AS WELL AS THE ARCHITECT AND DESIGNERS, SAYS WING CHAO, WDI EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MASTER PLANNING, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. AFTERTRA VELING THROUGH AFRICA, WDI AND THE DESIGN TEAM SETTLED ON A TIGHTER INTERPRETATION OF THE SAFARI THEME. ZULU SHIELDS, AFRICAN BUTTERFLY MASKS, HAND-WOVEN KENTE COSTUMES AND ART INFLUENCES FROM THE IVORY COAST/MALI/UPPER VOLTA AND NIGERIA TO SUDAN AND KENYA COMBINE TO GIVE GUESTS THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN AN AFRICA FEW WILL EVER SEE FIRSTHAND.

MAINTAINING AUTHENTICITY WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT IN THE GUESTROOMS. “WE HAD TO CREATE A ROOM IN WHICH THE FURNITURE PIECES WOULD MEET THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF WESTERN GUEST, BUT HAVE THE DESIGN AESTHETIC OF AFRICA,” SAYS ANITA BROOKS, PRINCIPAL WITH ABA. RATES FOR STANDARD ROOMS BEGIN AT US$265. “ONE CANNOT SIMPLY GO SHOPPING IN AFRICA TO FIND THE NEEDED HEADBOARD, TELEVISION ARMOIRE, LIGHT FIXTURES AND A VARIETY OF SHELF DEIGNS. IN ADDITION, ALL ELEMENTS HAD TO MEET FLORIDA’S STRINGENT FIRE CODES. SO, WE USED DOZENS OF AFRICAN HEADBOARDS AS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE SHAPE AND DESIGNS OF THE HEADBOARD. THE PATTERNS IN THE CUSTOM FABRICS USED ON THE BEDSPREADS AND DRAPERIES ARE BASED ON TRADITIONAL AFRICAN PATTERNS BUT REINTERPRETED AND PRINTED ON FIRE-RETARDANT FABRICS THAT CAN WITHSTAND CONSTANT WASHINGS.” DESIGN ELEMENTS OFFER AS MUCH TO ADULTS AS CHILDREN. WALL COVERINGS REPRESENT A MAP OF A SECTION OF AFRICA WHICH “READS” AS SIMPLY A ROMANTIC MURAL OR A VISUAL PUZZLE THAT CAREFULLY HIDES BOTH ANIMALS AND DISNEY ICONS. WHILE ADULTS APPRECIATED THE ROMANCE OF THE LOOPED MOSQUITO NETTING ABOVE THE BED OR THE CONTINUITY OF THE HAND-CARVED WOOD ELEMENTS AND MUD WALL FINISHES THAT RECALL THE DRAMA OF THE LOBBY, CHILDREN ARE DRAWN TO THE BRIGHT AFRICAN COLORS AND THE DASH OF DISNEY PROVIDED BY OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND THE “MICKEYS” IN THE GUESTROOM FABRICS AND CORRIDOR CARPETS. THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL, THERE ARE EXPLANATIONS OF BOTH ART AND ARTIFACT AIMED AT ENRICHING THE EXPERIENCE AND ENJOYMENT OF A MARKET THAT RANGES FROM THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN TO SENIORS.

“A HOTEL IS REALLY A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOVIE SET. LIKE A MOVIE, IT IS ABOUT FANTASY, IMAGINATION AND EMOTION,” SAYS CHAO. “DESIGN MEANS NOT ONLY THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE FURNISHINGS, BUT THE GRAPHICS AND COSTUMES. EVERYTHING HAS TO FIT. THE EYES OF THE GUEST SEE LIKE THE LENS OF A CAMERA. THE GOAL OF THE DESIGN IS TO MAKE GUESTS THINK THAT, FOR THAT MOMENT, THEY ARE REALLY IN AFRICA.”