welcome to themerica™ :: an MFA design thesis by dave gottwald :: academy of art university

mandalay bay has one the most exciting non-gambling attractions on the las vegas strip—the shark reef aquarium. developed in consultation with canada’s leading vancouver aquarium, this 95,000 square foot facility’s main tank holds 1.3 million gallons—the third largest in north america (and the only one not located anywhere near an ocean).

as far as zoological environments go, the shark reef is heavily themed.

playing off the generic exoticism of mandalay bay, you ascend (then descend) into a series of ancient temple ruins.

these ruins not only pervade the visitor spaces, but the animal enclosures as well—fish swim (and reptiles crawl) through sunken steps and fallen statues.

all this reminded me very much of disney’s animal kingdom in florida, which is easily the most lavishly designed zoological park in the world. ancient-styled carvings add to the mystery and adventure of the venue. the sense of “other” is greatly enchanced; we may not know where we are, exactly, but it is far from present-day civilization (and certainly the las vegas strip).

interestingly, even though the roof of the structure is a glass conservatory-style dome, the designers painted a fake clouded sky on the walls leading up to it, above the walls of the temple ruins. i found this to be a jarring distraction; better to embrace the theme within the exhibit, and let the glass atop be a natural barrier containing the overall design. but as i’ve already mentioned, vegas is a bit weak when it comes to successful transition zones.

once you leave the temple ruins, you descend into a breathtaking plexiglas tunnel in which sharks are swimming right above your head. this in and of itself is not new; several zoos and aquariums around the world employ the same device, such as sea world in san diego, california.

the difference is that this tunnel then leads you into the central thematic space of the shark reef—a sunken shipwreck (presumably from the era of pirates and buccaneers).

the experience is a holistic and immersive one—seats are offered in the form of cargo crates, and the lighting is dimly provided by lanterns.

even the creaks and groans of the ship are heard through a surround-sound speaker system from time to time. fortunately, the loop pauses long enough for you to forget about the effect; the next time you hear the ship move it is a pleasant surprise.

the multiple viewing areas for the sharks and other sea life are designed as broken “holes” in the planking of the ship. in addition you can view the animals both below and above the ship enclosure.

the exit back to mandalay bay is through a similar tunnel to the one you entered via the temple ruins, and then you climb stairs to the gift shop, also themed as a temple.

i was musing all the while at the shark reef about the power of thematic design to provide an engaging educational experience for younger children. nearly all the kids i observed were completely fascinated by not only the animals they were watching, but the environment in which they were in.

the temple ruins and the shipwreck not only provided staged settings for the viewing of wild life, but a context as well—adventure and exploration.

for a seven-year-old, going to an ordinary zoo can seem like a chore. the animals might be fun to look at, but the design of a zoo itself (san diego being a delightful exception) usually isn’t.

at mandalay bay’s shark reef, the context created by the thematic design makes the entire experience a journey of discovery. first, as an adventurer, he climbs and crawls through jungle ruins.

then, as an explorer, she finds a sunken ship deep beneath the surface of the ocean. in this way, theming is actively engaging the child, and making play out of an educational experience.

obviously there are cases where theming has contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes, and the obfuscation of understanding. but at mandalay bay’s shark reef, i think theming has made a positive impact. theming is often underutilized in educational venues, such as museums; this is a shame. immersive environments can provide context and engage children on multiple levels, making for memorable learning experiences.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 at 3:30 am and is filed under field notes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.