about themerica
The purpose of this website and blog is to chart the progress of my MFA design thesis project, Themerica, for instructors, peers, participants and close collaborators.
Themerica Project Summary [PDF]
Themerica Production Timeline [PDF]
Themerica Original Master’s Candidacy Proposal [PDF]
Themerica – From Disneyland to Dubai:
A Visual History of Thematic Design
Theming—designing immersive, holistic environments that narrate through the seamless integration of architecture, interiors and graphics—is a prime design movement of the post-war era. With roots in the iconography of late nineteenth century World’s Fairs, Tivoli Gardens of Denmark and Fred Thompson’s Luna Park at Coney Island, thematic design was perfected with the opening of Disneyland in 1955.
Frustrated by architects unable to realize his vision, Walt Disney hired Hollywood studio art directors—skilled in cinematography, set design and storyboarding—to develop his park. The painting had replaced the drafting. In the years since, as the approach has proved popular and profitable across the globe, thematic design has come to fundamentally challenge the primacy of the architect in conceptualizing built environments.
Themerica is the first design history compendium to address theming not only as a cultural force, but as a movement with its own language. Drawing on the direct observation of retail districts, restaurants and theme parks—from Las Vegas and Southern California to Asia, Europe and the Middle East—as well as interviews with leading practitioners, I trace the lineage of theming from multiple sources, and speculate on future trajectories.
Theming has evolved from the quaint ersatz of Disney’s Main Street U.S.A. to the lifestyle-centric desert daydreams of contemporary Las Vegas and burgeoning Dubai. Spanning a vector between two extremes—pure simulation and pure brand—I chart thematic environments and place them in interdisciplinary context, revealing the shared principles and design techniques that will define twenty-first century placemaking.
Themerica is an in-depth study of thematic design as a visual vocabulary that will explore thematic environments from around the world. This includes the architecture of theme parks, resorts and hotels, retail spaces and restaurants. Themerica traces the history of theming from Coney Island to Disneyland, Las Vegas to Dubai—from an innovation in entertainment to a global design phenomenon.
Thematic environments are a bold new format: they affect how we think about culture and history. Sociologists, historians and architects have commented on their impact, yet there is currently no comprehensive study of theming as a unique design language. As a book, Themerica will be pitched to publishers, and will appeal to professionals, students of design and the general public.
Themerica includes archival research, interviews, and field observation of theming meccas such as Las Vegas, Dubai City and Disney parks around the world. The book will consist of both original and supplemental writing, culled from interview transcripts and commissioned essays. Design professionals will be pestered. Forgotten visionaries will be vindicated. Academics will be accosted. Vacations will ensue.
Agree to commission an essay. Grant an interview. Share your expertise. De-mystify. Clarify. Debate and digress. Participate on my blog. Get on board. Themerica needs your perspectives, unique insights, and experience.