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

tiki doesn’t have to be tacky.

dave — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:25:58 +0000

there’s a great new article over at the wall street journal about the resurgence of tiki culture in bar circles across the country. the piece was timed to promote the 8th annual bay area tiki crawl, which took place this past weekend.

organized by the online community at tiki central, the tiki crawl includes many landmark tiki bar/restaurants in and around san francisco, including trad’r sam (the richmond), the tonga room (in the basement of the fairmont hotel on nob hill), trader vic’s in palo alto and emeryville, conga lounge and the kona club (oakland) and the legendary forbidden island (alameda).

i have visited quite a few tiki bars in my travel research on themerica. aside from the above bay area meccas, my tiki destinations over the past two years have included two trader vic’s locations in dubai (an older one and a newer one), tokyo, las vegas, beverly hills (since closed) and san francisco (since closed); thatch (portland, oregon), the tiki ti (los angeles), kon tiki (tuscon, arizona), and ohana at walt disney world’s polynesian resort.

tiki culture is important because it represents one of the largest and long-lived thematic design trends outside of the amusement park and casino industries. belonging to the ‘tropical paradise’ archetype, tiki is a bizarre amalgam of half-baked western ideas about polynesian culture—with a liberal does of very strong rum thrown into the mix. as such, it’s completely “made in america.”

the tiki trend in restaurants and bars grew out of interest in the south pacific after world war II, and reached a zenith in the 1960s following hawaiian statehood before hitting a decline worse than crash of disco music.

in the mid-nineties, there was a rivival in 50s and 60s “swinger”culture, including sinatra and his rat pack, the martini, swing and big band music, and everything vegas; a renewed interest in the near-forgotten tiki gods came right along with it. after lulling for a while, lust for rum-soaked bowls of exotic juices (often aflame) sipped under bamboo huts is once again on the rise.

what’s interesting is that, even though the entire tiki style is inauthentic with regards to the cultural source material, the theme still retains its own internal aesthetic criteria. the wall street journal article provides a solid perspective on ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ tiki along these lines:

“anything sleek and postmodern—say, a steel-and-glass totem—is bad tiki. anything you can find in the luau section of your local party store—think cheap plastic leis and cardboard cutout hula girls—is bad tiki. i’m also of the opinion that “camp” makes for bad tiki. ours is an irony-soaked culture, and camp is just a gaudy variety of the old, knowing wink-and-a-nod. campy tiki provides no escape at all.”

here are some pictures from my tiki travels, with a few notes on tiki thematic design.

trader vic’s – dubai, UAE (souk madinat). there are two vic’s in dubai, this is the newer location, so it’s a bit less traditionally themed (read: good tiki) and more on the upscale side. beautiful location overlooking the water canals of the madinat jumeriah beach resort. many of the latest trader vics locations resemble this one; it’s the current ‘format’—more elegant than gaudy.

trader vic’s – tokyo, japan. this vic’s is in a large hotel highrise, and doesn’t appear to be very busy. the interior is gorgeously detailed and very much done in the older style of trader vics.

a key component of any thematic environment is lighting, and tiki bars are no different. at trader vics, these usually fall into three categories; lanterns, which give a nautical feeling…

glass bulbs, which are designed after japanese fishing floats, and lamps fashioned out of blowfish. the tokyo vic’s has a bit of each.

ohana at walt disney world’s polynesian resort – orlando, florida. a key distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ tiki is the TIPSY factor (tikis per sqaure yard). the larger the statues are, and the more of them are packed into the environment, the more traditionally themed (and thus better) the tiki bar is considered to be.

thatch – portland, oregon. another essential element of the tiki theme is relative darkness; in a tiki bar, it is always perpetually night. granted, most bars are dimmly lit, but the night-time vibe in these environments is accentuated by the types of light you would normally find outside.

trader vic’s – las vegas, nevada. many would consider this newest trader vics to be decidedly ‘bad’ tiki—it’s more glass, steel, and polish than bamboo and lava rock. this is an intentional shift away from the perceived ‘dorkiness’ of the tiki theme, and an attempt to draw a more flashy and trendy nightclub vegas crowd.

the tiki ti – los angeles, california. one of the oldest and most respected tiki bars in the united states, it is a top draw for the LA bar crowd. “the ti” contains all the elements of a classic (read: good) tiki bar; tons of knick-knacks, a very high TIPSY factor, strong drinks, appropriate lighting, a thatched roof, and a history stretching back to the golden age of tiki.

for further reading on the history and legacy of tiki culture, be sure to check out sven a. kirsten’s the book of tiki and tiki modern, both available from taschen books.

final themerica outline.

dave — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 03:27:43 +0000

i’ve begun design work on my final book for graduation in may. the specs right now are a hardcover, coffee table-style volume measuring 11.3 x 10.2 inches, at about 300 pages. the photography and illustrations (maps, diagrams, timelines, etc.) will be about 50% my own, and 50% sourced. posted here is the complete outline of eight chapters, plus an introduction and coda. roughly half the content spans chapters 4, 5 and 6; the first three are about a quarter, as are the last three.

Introduction:
It’s Not a Place, It’s a State of Mind –
Welcome to Themerica™

1.) Narrative Applied to Space –
Defining Thematic Design

2.) Telling Tales to All the Senses –
The Visual Vocabulary of Theming

3.) Themes Before Theming –
Early Forms of Meaning, Experience, and Place

4.) Friendly Faces, Familiar Places –
The Seven Basic Archetypes of the Twentieth Century

5.) The Magic Kingdom® Model –
Disneyland® and the Birth of a New Language

6.) (Still) Learning from Las Vegas –
The All-You-Can-See Thematic Buffet

7.) The Placemaking Revolution –
From Pure Simulation to Pure Brand

8.) Theming as Lifestyle –
Urban and Suburban Unrealities

Coda:
This Way to the Exits –
Future Trajectories for Thematic Design

rough draft of book proposal.

dave — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:42:50 +0000

one of the purposes of the themerica project is to adapt the thesis work into a commercially published book. the final look and feel of this will probably differ from what i am producing for my MFA (based on publisher taste, photo permissions, etc.), yet the written content will be very similar.

over this past summer, in the course of taking a business practices class at my university, i wrote a rough proposal to commercial publishers. this document outlines the book in rough form, explains the potential audience, and analyzes comparable books already in the marketplace. i will be polishing this as graduation approaches, tying it to the look of my final book design, and adding a sample chapter with some sample layouts.

a special thanks to alan rapp (former senior editor at chronicle books), brett macfadden (also formerly of chronicle books as senior designer) and his wife leigh anna (at walt disney publishing) for their valuable insights in creating this document.

directed study goals for fall 2008.

dave — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:49:26 +0000

this fall term, i’m working with my directed study adviser to write and design the themerica book for my MFA final review next may. the volume will be about 300pp, hardcover case-bound. the aim is to produce twelve new spreads per week for the entire semester, while continuing to revise throughout as the content grows. during next spring i will be making small revisions, developing an abreviated pamphlet version for my review and graduation, creating some small promotional materials, and printing and producing the hardcover book in a small quantity.

there won’t be much activity on the blog from now on, since i’ve finished all my travel notes. i’ll post some PDF proofs of the book in a few weeks as they become available.

a letter to the glendale news press.

dave — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:35:35 +0000

after my experience with photographic permissions at the americana at brand a number of weeks back, i decided to write a letter to the glendale news press about the incident. the difficulty i encountered in taking pictures illustrates the troublesome nature of public / private space issues in these new “decorated malls”—a thematic environment that is on the rise. because these new private complexes are being very consciously fashioned to appear and function as public spaces, this is one of the places where thematic design and democratic ideals interact and perhaps conflict.

here is the edited letter, in its entirety, which they published in the saturday, september sixth edition of the paper.

Recently I visited Rick Caruso’s newly opened Americana at Brand. I am a graduate student from San Francisco conducting research for my MFA thesis on thematic design; as such, the stunning architecture of Americana was a must-see.

After being on the premises for a couple of minutes, I began snapping a few pictures for my research, and was immediately accosted by an albeit friendly security guard who informed me that all student, commercial, industry and entertainment photography must be pre-approved. Basically, all photography other than personal shots of friends and family is strictly prohibited. That’s right: no pictures of the lovely greens, the fountain or the fun trolley car.

I had been to Caruso’s Grove earlier the same day, and I took copious photos there; absolutely no problem. A security guard even stopped to admire some of my shooting angles. Both here and at the Americana, I was courteous to others and did not use a tripod or a flash.

After discussing my intent with the polite Americana security guard, I was informed that I could get a photography permit from the marketing director’s office. Fortunately, the fact that I was only a student conducting research (and not someone shooting for stock photo purposes, etc.), I was able to fill out the lengthy paperwork and get a laminated pass that kept Americana’s private security force at bay.

I have two problems with this policy. First of all, there are no postings of this regulation anywhere. Secondly, as reported in the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere, the Americana at Brand is a troubling mix of public and private property, with the standards for conduct ill-defined. The streets and buildings, sure enough, are private, but the two-acre park in the center of the complex is actually public property.

By the letter of the law, at both the state and federal level, standing in this green space, I am allowed to take pictures of the public on public property. Not so at the Americana. Even if I’m standing on the streets, though, how am I to know they are private property? There are no signs, no posted regulations, not to mention that Americana is consciously designed to appear like public space.

More important, though, is the spirit of the law. What does Caruso expect to gain from this policy? Will it prevent others from lifting the idea of his outdoor shopping mall and building their own? Even explicitly private spaces like Disneyland do not prohibit guest photography of any kind; they only kindly ask that you do not bring tripods into the park (a reasonable request for the comfort of others).

My thesis research has taken me all over the world, from Dubai to Walt Disney World, from Paris to Tokyo, from Hong Kong to Macau, from Las Vegas to Southern California, and the Americana at Brand is the only place I was told I was not allowed to photograph without prior written permission.

Caruso certainly has a lot to learn about the precedent of photographers’ rights. What makes him think his shopping mall is so special that he attempt to enforce stricter regulations than at Las Vegas casinos or the Disney theme parks? This policy represents a lack of goodwill that will not be lost upon patrons of the Americana at Brand.

panel participation at american anthropological association confirmed for november.

dave — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:17:02 +0000

at the kind invitation of scott lukas at lake tahoe college, i was invited to speak on a panel at the 2008 annual meeting of the american anthropological association. i’m happy to say that the event is now confirmed. the panel is called experiential, branded, and lifestyle spaces: dialogues between architecture and anthropology and will include such authors as anna klingmann (brandscapes: architecture in the experience economy) and miodrag mitrasinovic (total landscape, theme parks, public space). our panel convenes on november 21, from 1:45–5:30pm, at the san francisco hilton.

i’ve been asked to speak about thematic design and dubai, and i will be basing this presentation on information i gathered for the sisters in the sand project this past spring.

conclusion of travel research.

dave — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:38:13 +0000

well it’s been a little over a year, and my travel research is finally completed. in studying something like thematic design—practiced in real, three-dimensional space—i felt that the only way to get to know many of these places was to visit them myself. reading and looking at pictures can only get you so far. here’s the full list of the places i visited, along with a brief note about each and why i felt they were important.

DISNEYLAND RESORT - Anaheim, California. While theming existed in various forms before this seminal park opened in 1955, Disneyland is where the design language was perfected and codified. As such, Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom is difficult to ignore. Given the proliferation of Disney parks around the world (currently eleven), it’s also prototypical; a master lens with which to view the Disney thematic formula as it has been modified and adapted to meet the needs of different cultures and geographies.

I purchased an annual passport which allowed me to visit the park multiple times throughout the year at minimal expense. There are two parks here; the second is the disappointing California Adventure, build adjacent to Disneyland in 2001, in addition to three major hotels and a shopping / dining district, Downtown Disney.

August 27–30, 2007
January 3, 2007
July 15–16, 18–20, 2008
August 1, 27–30, 2008

KNOTT’S BERRY FARM - Buena Park, California. Knott’s bills itself as “America’s first theme park”—indeed the original Wild West themed Ghost Town area of the park dates back to 1940. Walt Disney’s concepts for Frontierland were based in part on research he did at Walter Knott’s nearby park, and the Knotts were even invited to Disneyland’s grand opening. Knott’s is important because it was the first time that a significant simulated historical environment was hosted permanently within an amusement park setting, as opposed to a temporary exhibition or World’s Fair. The park was sold to Cedar Fair in 1997, and sadly many of the original historical structures on the property have since been removed or altered.

August 31, 2007

WALT DISNEY WORLD - Orlando, Florida. Walt Disney World (WDW) is in many ways the successful blending of thematic design with the principles of urban planning (espoused by Walt Disney himself with his utopian EPCOT project). There are more theme parks and thematic venues on this 43 square-mile site (roughly the size of San Francisco) than anywhere else on the planet. As such, it’s something of the global capitol for thematic design. There are four major parks here:

THE MAGIC KINGDOM – 1971 (a second-generation design of Disneyland, v2)
EPCOT – 1982 (a combination of a World’s Fair take on modernism and a permanent cultural exposition featuring the architecture, food and shopping of eleven countries)
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS – 1989 (a celebration of Hollywood’s Golden Age and the art of movie making and animation)
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM – 1998 (a unique amalgam of theme park, zoo, and wildlife preserve)

One multi-day pass allowed me access to all the parks for the duration of my stay. I also visited numerous hotels on the properties, each with their own theme, and the various shopping / dining districts throughout the resort. Most interestingly, I went on the Backstage Magic behind-the-scenes tour, in which I toured many infrastructural aspects of WDW, including the famed “tunnels” (utilidors) underneath the Magic Kingdom.

October 17–24, 2007

LAS VEGAS STRIP - Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas is such a fascinating architectural study, I had to go twice—once before visiting Dubai, and once after. The week I spent after was much more in-depth, my observations after having seen Dubai much richer. Las Vegas has been home to thematic design since the 1940s, yet in the 1990s a “Disneyization” building-boom brought the number of themed venues to all-new heights. You really haven’t seen theming until you’ve seen Vegas—the all-you-can-see thematic buffet. I visited nearly all the major themed hotels on the Strip, as well as the Fremont Street Experience, Atomic Testing Museum, and the Neon Sign Boneyard.

December 27–30, 2007
July 7–12, 2008

DISNEYLAND PARIS RESORT - Marne-la-Vallée, France. Initially considered a financial failure, this Disney resort is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. The Disneyland Park (1992) is v4 of the Magic Kingdom formula, and it was remarkably detailed, beautifully designed, and completely unique when compared to its stateside cousins. The Walt Disney Studios adjacent to it (2002) was, conversely, a horrible disappointment. The resort includes five major hotels, each with a different American regional theme, and a shopping / dining district with multiple themed restaurants, Disney Village.

March 16–22, 2008

DUBAI - United Arab Emirates. What can be said about Dubai that hasn’t been said already? So much, in fact, that I had to see the place for myself. I timed my week-long stay in order to attend the region’s leading theme park and leisure trade conference. Dubai is an amazing city, and one of the future trajectories of thematic design. I visited themed shopping malls, hotel resorts and the Dubailand site (which when completed will be larger than Walt Disney World). I also skied indoors and went to a water park—in the same afternoon!

April 17–24, 2008

ATLANTIC CITY CASINOS - Atlantic City, New Jersey. Like Las Vegas, this East Coast gambling mecca uses thematic design to draw patrons into casinos and differentiate one (seemingly identical) environment from the next. Atlantic City illustrates how the surrounding environs (in this case, the ocean) can make or break (in this case, break) the impact of thematic design.

May 27, 2008

TIMES SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT - New York, New York. Going to New York was initially not on my agenda, but I had a chance to visit for personal reasons, and thus took the time to check out Times Square, specifically the Hershey Store. This is center of brandscapes in the United States today—yet another future trajectory for thematic design.

May 27, 2008

TOKYO DISNEYLAND RESORT - Tokyo, Japan. I had visited this resort twice before (August 2001 and January 2003), but it was good to come back and take a much more serious look. Tokyo Disneyland (1983) is v3 of the Magic Kingdom formula, using the best parts of both Florida and Orlando, and is uniquely adapted to the cultural landscape of Japan. Tokyo DisneySea opened up next door in 2001, and is probably the most detailed and beautifully designed thematic environment in the world. It has to be seen to be believed. The resort also includes numerous hotels and a shopping / dining district, Ikspiari.

June 3–8, 2008

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND RESORT - Hong Kong, China. This is Disney’s newest resort, (2005) and is v5 of the Magic Kingdom formula. There are also two major themed hotels attached to the property. Hong Kong Disneyland was meticulously designed to adhere to traditional Chinese practices, and its replication of Sleeping Beauty Castle and Main Street U.S.A. from the Anaheim original takes simulacrae to a whole new level.

June 8–12, 2008

VENETIAN MACAU - Macau, China. Just as Hong Kong Disneyland represents the “copy of the copy,” so to does this recently opened (2007) sister resort to the original Venetian in Las Vegas (1999). The Cotai Strip of Macau is currently the gambling capitol of the world, in terms of revenue, and development is proceeding at a mad pace—with many more themed hotel resorts are on the way.

June 10, 2008

MACAU FISHERMAN’S WHARF - Macau, China. This free-admission shopping / dining district on the water’s edge in Macau was the most horrendous example of thematic design that I saw in my travels. Multiple themes tossed together, with no thought given to narrative cohesion or transition zones. Truly an abomination; a terrific example of what not to do.

June 10, 2008

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD - Universal City, California. This studio backlot tour has been a staple of the Southern California amusement scene since the Silent Era. Unfortunately, it’s developed into a full-blown theme park destination so slowly and piecemeal over the years, that today Universal Studios is a jarring jumble of half-hearted attempts and incomplete or unconvincing designs. Like Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, this curious mix of environments is useful for critiquing solutions that don’t work, and why.

July 17, 2008

UNIVERSAL CITYWALK - Universal City, California. A major project by Jon Jerde, Citywalk is emblematic of the future of thematic design. This shopping / dining district adjacent to Universal Studios is a postmodern pop-collage; an example of referential—versus representational—design. Forms are alluded to, but nothing is re-created or simulated directly. Multiple themed restaurants and entertainment vcnues have locations here, which made it ideal research fodder.

July 17, 2008

THE GROVE - Los Angeles, California. The Grove, and its newer sister, The Americana, both represent theming as lifestyle. No longer the object of short-term amusement and entertainment, thematic environments are coming to replace traditional architectural programs. People are now to living, working and (yes) shopping in spaces that very consciously re-create lost modes of planning, past decades of prosperity, and a nostalgia for simpler times.

July 18, 2008

THE AMERICANA AT BRAND - Glendale, California. The Americana takes the design approach of The Grove even further—here is the full-scale assault on traditional public spaces, here is the blurring between public and private property, here is the privatization of the commons. Americana is designed to look like a public area, such as the downtowns and town squares of old, but it’s really just—like The Grove—an outdoor “decorated mall.” Except this mall includes residential spaces above every floor—not to mention a strict ban on photography without prior permission (in direct violation of the letter of the law and numerous precidents of photographers’ rights). In all my travels, this is the only location where I was told I could not take pictures. I ended up writing a letter to the Glendale News Press about the incident; this ridiculous standard can’t last for long. I should thus probably say, though, that this image is © Caruso Affiliated, and is posted here under fair use for educational purposes.

July 18, 2008

THE TAM O’SHANTER INN - Los Feliz, California. The Tam is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in the Los Angeles area in the same location run by the same family owne. But that’s not what makes it an essential part of theming’s long history; in addition to being Walt Disney’s favorite restaurant, it was designed by Harry Oliver, famed movie studio art director (and untrained as an architect) in the Storybook Style for which he became reknowned. It’s ironic, perhaps, that the end of my travels took me to one of the earliest beginnings of thematic design.

July 18, 2008

the tam o’shanter inn – los angeles update 3.

dave — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:25:38 +0000

my last stop in the los angeles area before heading home was the tam o’shanter inn. this famous scottish pub has the distinction of being los angeles’ oldest restaurant operated by the same family in the same location.

i wasn’t even aware of the significance of the place, thematically, until i read the short entry about it in chris nichols’ fantastic book, the leisure architecture of wayne mcallister. the subject of the book himself is a noteworthy early practitioner of thematic design; the tam o’shanter was mentioned only in passing because mcallister was called in at some point to enlarge and remodel the restaurant.

what caught my eye reading about mcallister was a small, seemingly insignificant fact—the tam o’shanter was walt disney’s favorite los angeles restaurant dating back to the earliest days of his animation studio.

why would walt like this one restaurant so much that his studio regularly donated art to hang on its walls? it was enough to intrigue me to stop by.

as it turns out, the tam o’shanter inn has a long history, and it provides one of the earliest examples of twentieth century thematic design. the general manager was kind enough to allow me to take numerous photos photos of the interior, and provided me with a history write-up that they give to patrons. from the handout:

“in june, 1922, walter van de kamp and his son-in-law, lawrence l. frank partnered with restaurateur joe montgomery to co-found a quaint restaurant and roadside stop. initially called ‘montgomery’s country inn’ the name was changed to the tam o’shanter in 1925.”

there is a nice display cabinet in the entrance lobby to the restaurant, showcasing many old photographs and assorted memorabilia from over the years. the tam o’shanter name, incidentally, comes from the poem by robert burns (1759–1796), widely considered to be the national poet of scotland.

you would think, given the decor, that this place is just another pub-style restaurant and bar.

typical exposed dark wood beams, white walls, large stuffy armchairs and heraldry crests fill the interior, giving it the proper “old englishness” of the british isles.

indeed, the requisite red public telephone booth stands outside.

yet the most fascinating feature of the tam is its creator; the initial design of the then-named montgomery’s country inn (before wayne mcallister’s remodel and expansion) was done by harry oliver—humorist, artist, and academy award nominated art director of films from the 1920s and 1930s.

that’s right—a hollywood art director. oliver never received formal training in architecture. he began his career in 1911 as a set painter and then later as a set dresser (having never even gone to art school; oliver was a grade school dropout). his expertise, in the words of cecil b. demille biographer robert birchard, was “atmospheric settings and controlled environments…one of oliver’s specialties was recreating really believable exterior locations.” and in this, oliver didn’t even use a formal crew, preferring instead movie studio carpenters.

despite having no formal training, harry oliver is credited as one of the major practitioners of storybook style, a fanciful cottage design in which angles are askew and window panes crooked. structures he designed in this vein were the original van de kamp bakery windmill (which became the chain’s signature landmark), as well as famous los angeles residences such as the willat-spadena witch house.

it’s hard to beat this description of the tam’s storybook style from the leisure architecture of wayne mcallister: “…a series of undulating, lopsided, eaveless cupolas with a gnarled walking stick rising from the center. stone and stucco with storybook shingle interiors were dark with heavy half timbers supporting medieval iron chandeliers.”

the exterior of the tam has been remodeled many times since, but the initial design seen in this picture from the 1930s shows the fairy-tale influence; tree trunk and branch columns, topsy-turvy roof lines, knotted wood, wrought iron flourishes and homely chimneys.

the original dining room (since remodeled) was fashioned by oliver to echo hansel and gretel’s “witch’s house.”

all the wood has a wonderfully weathered feeling. almost blackened. owner lawrence l. frank, who hired harry oliver for the job, once explained that “every piece of wood which was used in [building the tam] was thrown into fire first with the result that we never had to paint it and it got more beautiful as the years went by.”

today the overall motif would probably be associated with something like the lord of the rings films—a small country cottage for trolls. one of the few remaining original exterior features is the central cupola.

i can only wonder what walt disney thought as he dined here nearly every week during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. i’m guessing (no matter how good the food was), he found the environment positively narrative-rich. the tam is a building straight out of the head of a motion pictures set designer, not a formally trained architect. this would be the exact approach walt would employ when building his dream park—hiring film people like harry oliver.

not limited only to fairy-tales, this early thematic designer was also fascinated by spanish california and the old southwest. oliver designed, directed and produced gold gulch, a 21-acre 1850s old west mining camp replica that was the largest concession at the 1935-1936 california pacific international exposition in san diego. he even consulted on knott’s berry farm’s original ghost town themed area, but it’s rumored that walter knott dismissed his designs for being to fanciful and not a serious enough re-creation.

harry oliver’s place in the lineage of thematic design can’t be understated; he essentially introduced the coming overlap between cinema and architecture. this was an informal cross-pollination in which those accustomed to conceptualizing the temporary, fantasy worlds of film sets turned their talents towards constructing permanent, real-world environments.

the tam o’shanter inn must have captured walt disney’s imagination, because it embodies all the creative principles that he codified when he hired art directors from twentieth century fox like marvin davis and bill martin to make his disneyland vision of a unified, immersive thematic environment, a reality.

as such, the tam is a historical landmark of thematic design.

the privatization of the commons – los angeles update 2.

dave — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:50:04 +0000

originally, the only retail districts i had planned on visiting while in southern california were jerde’s citywalk and the grove, but an email from instructor hunter wimmer at my university alerted me to rick caruso’s latest development, americana at brand.

located in glendale, just north of downtown los angeles, americana at brand opened this past may to rave reviews. it continues the main street U.S.A. packaged nostalgia design embodied by the grove before it.

unlike the grove, americana at brand does not purport to be inspired by any particular time and place, and as such it has a more genericized retro sensibility.

many of the art deco architectural flourishes are nearly identical however, such as the barnes and noble signage.

it all seems even more detailed than the grove, though. notice the delicate, stylized roofline.

rather than a central avenue at caruso’s first nostalgic outdoor mall, the americana at brand is a square with a semi-hub-and-spoke radial design.

like the grove (and disneyland), a street trolley car navigates the loop, offering free rides (which are very popular, by the looks of the cue).

in the center of the loop is a green space, with a children’s playset, plenty of grass, and a small bandstand offering free entertainment.

this is flanked by a large movie theater, just like at the grove, on one side.

some of the vendor buildings around this park nod to tavern on the green in central park, new york city—as well as to cities like paris and vienna.

the water fountains in the park preform a show choreographed to music, and are the brainchild of the ex-disney creatives at WET design, the same firm that did the water features at the grove, as well as the famous fountains of the bellagio in las vegas.

large outdoor clocks are everywhere. this contributes to a victorian “town square” feeling (people out in public needed to know the time to catch trains, etc., in an era when pocket watches were expensive).

there is a bizarre industrial tinge as well. the dominant landmark at americana at brand is a large, distressed and rusted iron tower, that looks very much like the eiffel tower towards the top.

it holds glass elevators that—in a unique feature that had many young children staring in wonderment—operate with their weights and pulleys system on the exterior of the tower, completely exposed. they are, of course, over-designed and embellished beyond their mere functionality, looking quite spectacular.

what’s remarkable about americana at brand, however, is the philosophy. blending the retail district model of the grove with new urbanism towns such as disney’s celebration, this outdoor shopping mall is also a sprawling, high-density residential complex.

apartments, ranging from studios to townhouses to luxury suites, sit above the ground-floor of every facade. caruso affiliated, after all, is a real estate development firm. again, this is theming as lifestyle—not only are these ersatz spaces used for entertainment and amusement, they are now inhabited, permanently.

complex property issues arise from the format. the streets and buildings are private, to be sure, but as the los angeles times has reported (with regards to the pet policies; dogs must be small enough to carry), the two-acre green space park in the center of the development is, by virtue of zoning, actually public property.

this convoluted relationship is further exacerbated by the design of the complex. americana at brand very consciously evokes a concept as old as the first human settlements—”the commons.” americana is channeling the design history of public spaces to appear to be public property (such as a town square, or downtown), even though it’s a private mall. los angeles times architecture critic christopher hawthorne sums this problem up nicely:

[the design of the complex] “makes the distinction between public and private in the final product almost impossible to untangle. at the americana, the park is public space masquerading as private space that is masquerading as public. got that?”

i was met head-on with this convoluted state of affairs when, after being on the premises for a couple of minutes, i began snapping the pictures you see here for my research. i was immediately accosted by an (albeit, friendly) rent-a-cop who informed me that all photography, other than personal shots of friends and family, is strictly prohibited. that’s right—no pictures of the lovely greens, the fountain, or the fun trolley car. of course, many folks on flickr have taken them anyways.

after discussing my intent with the polite rent-a-cop, i was informed that i could get a photography permit from the marketing director’s office. fortunately, because i’m only a graduate student conducting research (and not someone shooting for stock photo purposes, etc.), i was able to fill out the lengthy paperwork and get a laminate pass that kept americana’s private security force at bay. i was bothered enough by the incident to write a letter to the glendale news press.

even disney—the most zealously litigious of all major media corporations—encourages copious photography of every nook and cranny of their theme parks (although they ask that these images not be sold for profit), and generally allows for commercial publishing of these images with permission.

themerica has taken me all over the world, from dubai to walt disney world, from paris to tokyo, from hong kong to macau, from las vegas to southern california—and americana at grand is the only place i was told i was not allowed to photograph without prior written permission.

americana at brand is troubling for all these reasons, but overall because it represents a recent trend in “public” spaces that are actually private—this is the privatization of the commons. spaces that are built like a town square (public), but are more like a corporate campus (private); no free speech, no photos, no rights. you can read more about this ongoing debate over americana policies at, among other places, the franklin avenue blog.

i guess it’s worth stating, then, that all images in this post are © caruso affiliated, and are posted here under fair use for educational purposes.

theming as lifestyle – los angeles update 1.

dave — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:32:18 +0000

after time spent at both the disneyland resort and universal studio hollywood, i visited two sister complexes in the los angeles area that represent—like jerde’s citywalk—yet another future trajectory for thematic design.

both the grove (2002) and americana at brand (2008) are outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment sites designed and built by real estate developer caruso affiliated. the firm was founded by henry caruso—who also started dollar rent a car—and is currently headed by his son, rick.

the official inspiration for the grove, as reported by the los angeles times and elsewhere, is the city of charleston, south carolina circa the 1940s. i found this surprising when i read it, because there is a palpable southern california golden age nostalgia about the place.

maybe that’s because—although ostensibly based on a real locale in the southeastern united states—the grove’s true lineage is really disneyland’s main street U.S.A.

main street U.S.A. is the singular entry corridor to disneyland and a fantastical tribute to walt’s childhood town of marceline, missouri. wrapped in nostalgia and americana, it was designed to represent the coming of the automobile and electricity (circa 1890–1910). main street is not really marceline at the turn of the century, of course, rather it’s sort of a victorian gingerbread anytown (hence the U.S.A. name), and the grove mimics it in both form and function.

first, the aesthetics—this is not straight simulation, but rather a vision of collective memory; a nostalgia for something that never existed. it’s cleaner—no dirt, mud, horse stink (or poverty) and it’s also simpler—no differing races, creeds, classes (or crime). this kind of design approach is best described as eliminating visual contradictions.

the use of forced perspective at the very tops of the building facades is slighter than at the disney parks, but still perceptible. even the topmost floors of the grove are functional, after all, and so must be reproduced at near-full size.

art deco flourishes—common to the general time depicted here—abound.

the orientation of the central avenue is nearly identical to that at disneyland—complete with a trolley car that runs up and down on busy days (it was unfortunately out of service when i visited).

a central plaza and green space sports a water fountain show by WET design (founded by ex-disney imagineers) who created the famous fountains at the bellagio in las vegas, countless water features for disney parks and attractions, as well as a similar water show at the new americana at brand.

second, the utility—just as at main street U.S.A., lavishly adorned false-front architecture serves as facade for a large retail complex. inside, all of the businesses at the grove appear as regular mall outlets and, as at disneyland, several are interconnected, despite their outer appearances being small, individual proprietorships. in the tradition of venturi and brown’s “decorated shed;” here, then, is the “decorated mall.”

when compared to jerde’s postmodern citywalk, the grove is a striking contrast. instead of a departure from (and an adamant rejection of) disney’s simulation-centric nostalgic representation, the grove embraces it.

the grove represents the culmination of an architectural trend that has spread across the united states for several decades, reaching high zenith in the 1990s; one of very consciously manufactured nostalgia instead of overt modernism or flashy pop sensibility.

it’s hard to estimate in numbers how influential the disneyland main street model has been; but the influence is certainly there. in the fifty years since disneyland opened its gates, shuttered downtown districts across the country—decimated by the suburban mall, and later, the big box—have sought to revitalize (and grow their tax base) by gentrifying their own once-bustling main streets and taking a page from disney.

this has extended to the residential sphere as well. masterplanned communities that wrap themselves not in high-tech gloss or frank gehry “starchitecture,” but in a re-imagined, pre-war faux-yesteryear have been spreading wildy for over two decades. this neo-traditional neighborhood concept—clearly influenced by the thematic design of disney and others—is part of the new urbanism school of architecture that arose in the united states beginning in the 1980s. prime examples include seaside, florida (where, appropriately, the sterile reality-television town of 1998’s the truman show was filmed), prospect new town, colorado, and disney’s own celebration, florida (designed by robert a. m. stern).

the grove is unique in that it represents the creation of a re-vitalized retro-downtown from scratch, without having actually re-vitalized anything that came before. and like its more recent glendale sister, americana at brand, outdoor decorated malls such as the grove (and new urbanism residential developments with a shared vision) signify the growth of thematic design beyond entertainment and leisure.

whereas before, one experienced a thematic environment for a day (disneyland) or a series of days on vacation (walt disney world); now it’s possible to shop, work, and even permanently reside fully encased in the visual narratives of imagined nostalgia. it’s theming as lifestyle, and from the suburbs of southern california to the desert daydreams of las vegas and bourgeoning dubai—it’s on the rise.