News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Sorry but I guess I have the unpopular opinion here: Other than Spaceship Earth, those buildings look dated, and structurally old fashioned. It’s a 1980s office park.

New wallpaper won’t cut it. Tear the house down.
How are they structurally old fashioned? The structure is not even visible in the image. The new giant boxes in the park are steel columns supporting wide span trusses.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
How are they structurally old fashioned? The structure is not even visible in the image. The new giant boxes in the park are steel columns supporting wide span trusses.

But it's *new* steel columns supporting wide span trusses. Big difference. ;)

I don't understand that take, either. Having worked in a few 80's office parks during my years as a contractor and consultant in the 2000's, the Communicore buildings are anything but.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
well, except for that whole ceiling thing...

Besides, why impose such limits on creativity. Isn't "fit it into this box" the sort of management restrictions on the imagineers everyone always rails about??? What happened to giving them a blank slate, not setting limits, allowing the creativity to flow???

You guys can't have it both ways. If all you want is attractions that fit into existing boxes, go over to Universal and its line of warehouses with fancy facades. But even they have started to break that habit.

Sure, if they were planning to actually build anything of a similar size in that space. But instead it's essentially going to be unused land.
 

Walt d

Well-Known Member
I recently saw Tom Fitzgerald and another Imagineer walking around Future World pointing out different locations and what appeared to be discussions about making changes. Obviously there was talk a few months ago about Epcot getting an influx of cash that had been approved by the board of directors. Just found it interesting and hopefully we'll hear something in the near future about updates coming to EPCOT.
It would be nice’ to have a walt disney walk through like they had at. Hollywood studios. Were they could have some of his things and his history. Its very over do!
 

britain

Well-Known Member
How are they structurally old fashioned? The structure is not even visible in the image. The new giant boxes in the park are steel columns supporting wide span trusses.

It’s that nearly* all modern architecture is conceived as a engineering feat where buildings are made to look as light and floaty as possible. Curtains of glass held up by legs of steel or sculpted concrete.

And the thing is, in general, you can tell how old a “modern” building is by how thick the pillars are holding up the glass. As engineering technology improves, they’re able to hold up buildings with narrower supports. Even glassmaking tech has enabled larger panes of windows that need fewer metal frames. Heck, Apple even closed down their New York store to replace its 6-columns-of-glass-cube with a 3-columns-of-glass-cube!

Communicore couldn’t hide its age anymore.


*A major exception is of course brutalism, which emphasizes wall thickness and minimizes window size.
 
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LastoneOn

Well-Known Member
Sure, if they were planning to actually build anything of a similar size in that space. But instead it's essentially going to be unused land.
Sure, for now. The goal posts always moving around here. Demand new things, more things, demand new things to be built inside of and constrained by old things so there are fewer things.

Next it will be "nobody is saying" lol
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Sure, for now. The goal posts always moving around here. Demand new things, more things, demand new things to be built inside of and constrained by old things so there are fewer things.

Next it will be "nobody is saying" lol

Who is moving goal posts? It's different people making different comments with different opinions. It's not like there's a hive mind.

It will be at least a decade before they add anything beyond what's already under construction.

Although the design of original EPCOT was light years beyond what they're currently doing, and I wish they'd kept it, I still don't understand why they are leaving the other half of Communicore standing. If you're going to tear down one you should tear down both. It's just going to look odd with only one there.
 

techgeek

Well-Known Member
Although the design of original EPCOT was light years beyond what they're currently doing, and I wish they'd kept it, I still don't understand why they are leaving the other half of Communicore standing. If you're going to tear down one you should tear down both. It's just going to look odd with only one there.

Somewhere along the line, it was apparently forgotten that ‘architecture’ not only applies to the form of a building itself, but also how it relates to its neighbors and environment.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
It’s that nearly* all modern architecture is conceived as a engineering feat where buildings are made to look as light and floaty as possible. Curtains of glass held up by legs of steel or sculpted concrete.

And the thing is, in general, you can tell how old a “modern” building is by how thick the pillars are holding up the glass. As engineering technology improves, they’re able to hold up buildings with narrower supports. Even glassmaking tech has enabled larger panes of windows that need fewer metal frames. Heck, Apple even closed down their New York store to replace its 6-columns-of-glass-cube with a 3-columns-of-glass-cube!

Communicore couldn’t hide its age anymore.


*A major exception is of course brutalism, which emphasizes wall thickness and minimizes window size.
Modernism’s emphasis on structure and tectonics was never really that pure even for Le Corbusier who was probably the biggest proponent of the design of engineering. The massing of the CommuniCore buildings was not directly related to its structure. Look at the demolition photos and the columns are rather typical steel beams. It would have been more than possible to decrease the massing aNd increase the amount of glazing if that is your issue.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Sure, for now. The goal posts always moving around here. Demand new things, more things, demand new things to be built inside of and constrained by old things so there are fewer things.

Next it will be "nobody is saying" lol

There are actually no excuses for mismanaged/stagnant parks when your pockets are so deep they stretch all the way to China
 

GladToBeHear

Well-Known Member
So so true.

I’ve even said it before NW could hold a sizeable dark ride.
My son and I did the Star Wars VOID attraction at Disney Springs two trips back. We had a great time. Honestly -- they could've built 3-4 large, identical sets inside that building for some type of cutting-edge VR attraction. Relatively inexpensive. And it would be extremely popular. Lots of possibilities.
 

Horizons1

Well-Known Member
well, except for that whole ceiling thing...

Besides, why impose such limits on creativity. Isn't "fit it into this box" the sort of management restrictions on the imagineers everyone always rails about??? What happened to giving them a blank slate, not setting limits, allowing the creativity to flow???

You guys can't have it both ways. If all you want is attractions that fit into existing boxes, go over to Universal and its line of warehouses with fancy facades. But even they have started to break that habit.

Imagineering already has stifled creativity. That’s the whole reason we get IP laden attractions/shows/etc at this point which end up being retellings of the films. Creativity was EPCOT Center; a lack of creativity is this “new” EPCOT. If Imagineering were following a blank slate we would have original ideas for new things that fit within the template/mission of the respective park. However, we are getting replacements, or new things, which are uninspired, already exist at another Disney park in the world, or just attempts at cash grabs for the Instagram/blogger audience which only praises Disney’s poop because they want to keep their media credentials so Disney will wine and dine them at events for free.

You talk about not fitting things in existing boxes at Disney. I guess you’re right. Why keep a unique and interesting building that plays into the whole concept of a central core? In a park which was built from the ground up with unique architecture It IS much better to knock that such a building down. After it is knocked down let’s build something new which ruins sight-lines, sticks out like a sore thumb, and was designed poorly. Something big that will clash with the architecture of buildings which were created with purpose and passion, a love for the message and mission they were created to convey.

You speak of not being forced into a box? Then you tell me why the future was purposefully designed as a big, ugly box. Blends nicely into the rest of the area doesn’t it?
BCDDF2D2-6A51-436E-A29C-3E888EF6F57C.jpeg


Maybe Imagineering likes being forced into a box. A box is safe, familiar, and quick. Theres a reason EPCOT Center was, and what’s still left, is being dismantled.

It wasn’t safe, it wasn’t familiar, and it wasn’t quick. It was probing, it was challenging, and it was unique. And none of those are things we will ever see at EPCOT again, which in itself is a tragedy. If there was ever place that has been forcibly shoved into the box, it is EPCOT.
 
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LastoneOn

Well-Known Member
Imagineering already has stifled creativity. That’s the whole reason we get IP laden attractions/shows/etc at this point which end up being retellings of the films. Creativity was EPCOT Center; a lack of creativity is this “new” EPCOT. If Imagineering were following a blank slate we would have original ideas for new things that fit within the template/mission of the respective park. However, we are getting replacements, or new things, which are uninspired, already exist at another Disney park in the world, or just attempts at cash grabs for the Instagram/blogger audience which only praises Disney’s poop because they want to keep their media credentials so Disney will wine and dine them at events for free.

You talk about not fitting things in existing boxes at Disney. I guess you’re right. Why keep a unique and interesting building that plays into the whole concept of a central core? In a park which was built from the ground up with unique architecture It IS much better to knock that such a building down. After it is knocked down let’s build something new which ruins sight-lines, sticks out like a sore thumb, and was designed poorly. Something big that will clash with the architecture of buildings which were created with purpose and passion, a love for the message and mission they were created to convey.

You speak of not being forced into a box? Then you tell me why the future was purposefully designed as a big, ugly *** box. Blends nicely into the rest of the area doesn’t it?View attachment 517231

Maybe Imagineering likes being forced into a box. A box is safe, familiar, and quick. Theres a reason EPCOT Center was, and what’s still left, is being dismantled.

It wasn’t safe, it wasn’t familiar, and it wasn’t quick. It was probing, it was challenging, and it was unique. And none of those are things we will ever see at EPCOT again, which in itself is a tragedy. If there was ever place that has been forcibly shoved into the box, it is EPCOT.
I found myself way off base in some way, you are talking apples I was replying to oranges.
Instead of deleting I just edit.

No problem. You're very passionate, give you that.
 
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LastoneOn

Well-Known Member
When Innoventions opened in 94 it was pretty awesome. The problem is, as it always is, Disney didn’t want to spend the money to keep it current.

Define "current"
And offer examples. What do you think should be in there? Come on, its not difficult. SpaceX? Blue Origin?
Huwei? CRISPR? Muppets? Muppets gets mentioned all the time, sooo current

"Hello Elon? We'd like you to pay us about $100 million and bring some rockets. Oh, and everything has to be inside this 30 year old building that's falling apart. No you can't have anything outside on static display, that will destroy the archectecural influences, theme and since of space. No, that's not a joke. Look we're going to tell you exactly how to set things up and what it will all say because you know, we can't risk you offending anythin. No, you can't talk about rocket fuel or how carbon fiber is made. You can't mention carbon, we got rid of our carbon exhibit years ago - very forward thinking on that one. Did we mention that when we get petitioned by at least one anonymous person on the internet calling space exploration, colonization of Mars, racist and white supremacist you're going to have to shut it all down. Oh, one last thing. China will require you share all your IP with them or they're walking. No more steamed buns for us!. Hello Elon? He must have hung up. Call Bezos..."

So come on man, let's get some imagineering done.

The future ran over the place and you all think its coming back.
 

Magic2020

New Member
I’m new to posting here. Has anyone walked by the Innoventions demolition area recently? It looks like the steel beams are covered in asbestos fireproofing. With people walking so close, seems to be hazardous if workers are liberating asbestos into the surrounding air during demolition. Do the workers know that’s asbestos? If anyone has experience in this type of demolition, thanks for a reply.
 

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