News Swan and Dolphin Tower Expansion - The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

[lazyboy97o]

I'm not suggesting an imitation - I'm talking essence of design. They could do something that's very current, but still pulls a lot of essence from the original works. Graves did that a lot himself with the additions he did to existing buildings. Easy things that could pull these together - some round windows - some color choices - some covered walkways - some overriding large scale geometrics or patterns. And his design group is still around, they could have easily hired them as a consultant (even if they had their own architects) to provide some design suggestions of how to add a third building that would work in harmony with the existing campus of buildings.

Grabbing bits and pieces of the aesthetic would be an imitation because their design is more than that.

 

[Angry Warlock]

Well, if this is aimed at corporate events and businesses it will seem like a home from home, seeing at it looks like an anonymous Corporate office that you could find in anytown, anywhere.

 

[eddie104]

Isn’t the new tower not even being built by Disney ?

 

[Jambo Joe]

Grabbing bits and pieces of the aesthetic would be an imitation because their design is more than that.

The point we are making is that the new hotel needs to be considered in the context of its location which is a third tower that is next to swan and dolphin. That doesn’t mean imitation - that would be lazy design. Designing something as if it were by itself on an island would also be lazy. Most lazy option - designing something bland.

 

[build_it]

Grabbing bits and pieces of the aesthetic would be an imitation because their design is more than that.

I agree the design of the Swan and Dolphin is more than the elements that make them up. They were two master planned hotels completed at the same time by the same design team. They were meant to be taken as a whole, but every whole is made up of parts. And often, to come up with some thing that works together in composition, you will look to the parts and ideas from the original design.

My example a couple of pages ago is a hotel in San Paulo. It has some elements of the Swan and Dolphin. It has a unique shape, it has circular windows, it is of a certain scale. And, it is a specific statement. Its not lazy design. Its not a corporate box. It is a unique design. But its a unique design that could stand in harmony with the original designs. Seeing it in context with the other two would work. That is what they should be aiming for here. (and I'm aware that hotel design wouldn't be done here, but there are ways to use what it shows us to develop a better hotel here)

I agree that this is just a lazy design.

And I know this won't be owned/developed by Disney, but I do believe they have some say in what can be built and/or could exercise some influence over the building, if they wanted to.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Lazyboy is talking about things that haven’t been brought up like layout of site, balance, connectivity to existing facilities and the transitions between them.

The new hotel isn’t just ugly, it creates visual chaos in that neighborhood of Crescent Lake. Any addition will create an instruison from the intended vision. That’s why the aesthetic language comes up as a compromise, but the best solution would be one that takes the east and southeast parts of the complex into consideration. As an example.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The point we are making is that the new hotel needs to be considered in the context of its location which is a third tower that is next to swan and dolphin. That doesn’t mean imitation - that would be lazy design. Designing something as if it were by itself on an island would also be lazy. Most lazy option - designing something bland.

I agree the design of the Swan and Dolphin is more than the elements that make them up. They were two master planned hotels completed at the same time by the same design team. They were meant to be taken as a whole, but every whole is made up of parts. And often, to come up with some thing that works together in composition, you will look to the parts and ideas from the original design.

My example a couple of pages ago is a hotel in San Paulo. It has some elements of the Swan and Dolphin. It has a unique shape, it has circular windows, it is of a certain scale. And, it is a specific statement. Its not lazy design. Its not a corporate box. It is a unique design. But its a unique design that could stand in harmony with the original designs. Seeing it in context with the other two would work. That is what they should be aiming for here. (and I'm aware that hotel design wouldn't be done here, but there are ways to use what it shows us to develop a better hotel here)

I agree that this is just a lazy design.

And I know this won't be owned/developed by Disney, but I do believe they have some say in what can be built and/or could exercise some influence over the building, if they wanted to.

Responding to context can be done in a myriad of ways. Copying specific elements from the existing buildings, imitation, is being specifically invoked as the appropriate response.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Put a bird on it.

 

[Lensman]

Put a bird on it.

Penguin hotel?

 

[build_it]

I think they went the wrong direction with the site location. If they went with the current Swan parking lot as the new hotel site, and used the current site for a parking structure, the overall project would be much more appealing and far less visually intrusive on the existing crescent lake. It would also be better connected with existing facilities.

 

[Biff215]

I think they went the wrong direction with the site location. If they went with the current Swan parking lot as the new hotel site, and used the current site for a parking structure, the overall project would be much more appealing and far less visually intrusive on the existing crescent lake. It would also be better connected with existing facilities.

I agree. I’m not sure there was space available elsewhere and I’d prefer not to see a parking garage, but this new tower is going to feel strange being across the street from the rest of the resort. I wonder if a pedestrian bridge will be part of the project.

 

[John park hopper]

All I can say is Ugly

 

[MisterPenguin]

Penguin hotel?

It'll give it some class.

 

[build_it]

Just for fun, I took the new hotel plan from earlier in this thread and put it in the parking lot of the swan. The tower would easily fit within the existing parking lot and leave some room around it for valet parking for both hotels.

 

[Jambo Joe]

I agree. I’m not sure there was space available elsewhere and I’d prefer not to see a parking garage, but this new tower is going to feel strange being across the street from the rest of the resort. I wonder if a pedestrian bridge will be part of the project.

I wondered as well, or perhaps paying to move the road. The illustration shows neither that I can tell.

 

[Lensman]

I agree. I’m not sure there was space available elsewhere and I’d prefer not to see a parking garage, but this new tower is going to feel strange being across the street from the rest of the resort. I wonder if a pedestrian bridge will be part of the project.

Maybe it's intended to be a smaller, quieter, more exclusive area? I wonder if there's going to be anything over there other than the hotel tower, like a small pool or something?

OTOH, looking at a map, it'll be about the same distance from the beach and pool areas as either the Swan or the Dolphin, so it will only feel further away from the center of things. It is pretty far away from the convention areas, though. Also far from the boat launch.

 

[ohioguy]

Absolutely ugly hotel. UGLY!

 

[JohnCarmean]

One of these things is not like the other.

 

[Bocabear]

I would assume it is going to be placed on the same side of the road as the Swan and Dolphin... probably next to the Swan Coonvention Center...Possibly taking out the large pool area or part of it.... Would not make sense to put it where the Tennis Courts are or the Fantasia Gardens...Too far from the other amenities it is sharing.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I would assume it is going to be placed on the same side of the road as the Swan and Dolphin... probably next to the Swan Coonvention Center...Possibly taking out the large pool area or part of it.... Would not make sense to put it where the Tennis Courts are or the Fantasia Gardens...Too far from the other amenities it is sharing.

Site plans have been published.