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News Swan and Dolphin Tower Expansion - The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Thread starter TarzanRocked99-
- Start date
It is quite common for the first few levels of a building like this to be a parking garage.
MotherOfBirds
Well-Known Member
Is the Swolphin going to get a paint job alongside this project? The pink and teal has needed to go for 20 years.
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I sure hope not, like it or not it's unique. I think can't see any other paint job working. The last thing they need is another stale plain white paint job.
Now that the rooms and the Dolphin lobby have been refurbed, who knows what's next. Besides the outdoor themes of a mountain, sea, tropical isle, fish, and bird; the rest of the Swolphin, especially the interiors were themed to seaside cabanas, especially the old-timey striped beach tents of England. The Dolphin lobby refurb ditched that aesthetic, but it's still everywhere else.
So maybe a Swan lobby refurb will be in the works. And if all the cabana theming is gone, then they might move away from the cataclysmic sea theme outside... but doubtful. The history of derided architecture is that once it's old enough that a generation has grown up with it, they get used to it and nostalgic for it and will scream bloody murder if someone tries to change it. Plus, there are people who actually like it. Really!
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
PRESERVATIONIST MODE ACTIVATED
There’s been a harsh backlash towards Post Modern architecture like the Swolphin for a while now and sometimes things shouldn’t be changed. The choices Michael Graves made with the Swolphin were to 1) create something more interesting than a large, generic hotel tower and 2) compliment the Floridian skies. That recent refurb sucked all the life out of the hotel. It did modernize resort amenities and made some nice additions to the lobby, but the aesthetic created by Graves should have stayed. As Disney increasingly builds big, generic towers like the Riviera and Coronado in addition to the failures that are BLT and VGF, Swolphin has stood the rest of time. In another ten years, people will begin to reappreciate Pomo and Swolphin could be part of that movement because it was a Graves project where Michael and Frank let him create something unique.
Those beautiful colors, married with bold forms will stand the test of time.
https://michaelgraves.com/portfolio/walt-disney-swan-dolphin-resort-hotel/
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/04/28/m...s-architecture-orlando-florida-postmodernism/
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DznyRktekt
Well-Known Member
Betting the next major refurb in 15-20 years will revisit the original spirit by Graves. I too also hope the exteriors will be spared a generic repaint. At one time the Don Caesar, St. Pete Beach, was painted white and is now restored to its famous "Pink Palace" color scheme.
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Love the Don, got engaged and married there. Hitting the World and the Don on one vacation is always epic for my wife and I.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I think the exterior should be safe for at least the time being. The refurbishment of the Dolphin lobby was announced as the completion of their "largest renovation project in history" (or something to that effect). So, I doubt any exterior update spend will be on the horizon for now.
For the look, I love the design, having stayed at the Swan as my first "deluxe" on property experience. I think the Swan got their lobby "right" - having it go from admittedly a bit odd and pop art to generic whimsy. It felt like a convention hotel - but at Walt Disney World. And, that's exactly what they are. I love the old Graves furniture. But, people always complained about it being out of date - especially convention goers. And, that's the vast majority of that hotel's business. I talked to many colleagues, and they would always dread those events because of the "dated" rooms and amenities. I really wish they would have kept the whimsy in the rooms somewhat - especially since the grey/blue clashes with the warm coral/green outside. But, they catered toward their core audience - which I understand but also don't since it could have easily been preserved. (But, see Epcot, DHS, etc...)
For the look, I love the design, having stayed at the Swan as my first "deluxe" on property experience. I think the Swan got their lobby "right" - having it go from admittedly a bit odd and pop art to generic whimsy. It felt like a convention hotel - but at Walt Disney World. And, that's exactly what they are. I love the old Graves furniture. But, people always complained about it being out of date - especially convention goers. And, that's the vast majority of that hotel's business. I talked to many colleagues, and they would always dread those events because of the "dated" rooms and amenities. I really wish they would have kept the whimsy in the rooms somewhat - especially since the grey/blue clashes with the warm coral/green outside. But, they catered toward their core audience - which I understand but also don't since it could have easily been preserved. (But, see Epcot, DHS, etc...)
*Q*
Well-Known Member
I’m totally onboard with Bay Lake Tower as a failure, but what’s your beef with the Grand Floridian Villas? The building is a little on the large side, but it certainly carries over the aesthetic from the rest of the resort very well, certainly much better than the BLT.
I will say I’m generally supportive of the Swan and Dolphin as interesting, unique architecture, I just wish it wasn’t directly behind Epcot. Or anywhere near Epcot, for that matter.
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the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
P_Radden
Well-Known Member
P_Radden
Well-Known Member
Maybe doing rooftop work? This is way too soon for the new tower, is it not?
Rteetz
Well-Known Member
Yeah it has to be for work on the existing buildings. They haven't cleared land yet for the new building.
nbdysreal
Well-Known Member
Yeah, not sure what they're doing, but the rooftop work sounds plausible. I'll try to make my way to the front later if I can.