Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-78410.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Dolphin Hotel Attacked by Giant Monster, Caught on Webcam</b></a> <p>From the Swan and Dolphin Weather Bug webcam...</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" width="300" src="http://laughingplace.com/files/latest/20110828-1.jpg" /><br />{big}</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
Originally Posted By 3disneylocations Eyesores? They were designed by Michael Graves and have won numerous awards... I know you put a LOL in there EE, but eyesores?! Sheesh.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer They clutter up the WS skyline and look plastic. I like them, marginally, as they are Disney Landmarks, but I really do feel that their placement is unfortunate.
Originally Posted By 3disneylocations ^^ google the swan/dolphin and it has photos taken as a whole complex and it fits into the Epcot footprint. Photos must have been taken across the road for this perspective.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>google the swan/dolphin and it has photos taken as a whole complex and it fits into the Epcot footprint. Photos must have been taken across the road for this perspective.<<< Footprint, sure, but look? Skyline? ruined.
Originally Posted By leobloom I love how 3d acts impressed by Graves' name when he's probably familiar with him from these hotels and the guy's Target brand of home items.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: I never did like the architecture for the Swan or the Dolphin. One looks more like a prison and the other looks like a mental institution. Regardless of any awards they won, it just goes to show how one man's meat is another man's poison. I remember when something called 'modern art' was once considered attractive, too. But it never was considered attractive by this coven of witches.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip As far as I'm concerned the ugly fireworks barges are a whole lot more intrusive on the Epcot landscape than the Swan and Dolphin are.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Eyesores? They were designed by Michael Graves and have won numerous awards...<< Just because they have won awards doesn't mean that people can't think they're ugly. Personally, the post-modern movement does nothing for me, and became dated very quickly. Luckily the Swan and Dolphin did age more gracefully than some of his other works (Portland Building, I'm looking at you!), but that whole style just doesn't appeal to me. Much like the designs in Celebration, I understand that they wanted something visionary and memorable. They managed to get memorable structures, but unfortunately they just have a look that I don't like. >>...when he's probably familiar with him from these hotels and the guy's Target brand of home items.<< While I can't speak for other posters, I knew of Graves long before I knew of his line at Target (pronounced "tar-jhay", of course). He was, and continues to be, a very well known and respected architect. If anything, I'm really impressed that Target was able to get such a well known designer to do a line for them; I don't see people like Frank Gehry or IM Pei doing work for them. I did notice a couple months ago that my measuring spoons are by him (his homewares have clean and functional designs, unlike many of his structures), so I guess not everything he's done is bad.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "I'm really impressed that Target was able to get such a well known designer to do a line for them" It's the scent when you walk into Target, it's intoxicating and makes you do things you wouldn't normally do.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I know exactly what you mean! It's amazing how they get every single store to smell the same. I mentioned that to someone recently, and they had no idea what Targets smell like. To me, that's the best part of shopping there! : ) I wonder if the Swan and Dolphin smell lovely like Target, or more like the pee scents found in the parks...
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I walk into Target, take a deep breath, and hand them all my money. lol And if you buy clothes there (I get almost all of my kids stuff there) and you take it home, you can put it up to your nose and inhale it right in your own home!
Originally Posted By leobloom >> I don't see people like Frank Gehry or IM Pei doing work for them. << Because they aren't true postmodernists, like Graves is.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I haven't seen any other postmodernists doing work for them either. Some may have product lines (though I've never heard of any others), but they certainly aren't on the same level of mass production as what's available at Target. Given that Robert Venturi, Charles Moore, James Stirling, and Philip Johnson don't seem to be making widely available products, Graves's line of kitchen stuff seems to stand out to me a bit.
Originally Posted By leobloom I think Venturi would be the most likely to do something like that. Hell, he designed the WDW firehouse and wrote "Learning from Las Vegas." Now back to our discussion of the bug attacking the hotel.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>As far as I'm concerned the ugly fireworks barges are a whole lot more intrusive on the Epcot landscape than the Swan and Dolphin are.<<< The Earth Barge looks fine, the rest, I agree with you, though. Necessary evil, though. S&D, however, are not.