World of Flowers - Part 2

We are making the big jump from Frontierland to Tomorrowland today. If you’re totally lost, have a quick visit here to catch up with the rest of the class.

California Poppies highlight the Monorail in this first photo. The use of color here is a little less obvious than it was for Frontierland. In that land, the color mimicked that of the attractions, but here we have the color underscoring and supporting them. Orange and purple are very striking, energetic colors, especially when paired together. They suggest strength, an abundance of life, and percolating energy. They beckon the visitor by saying, “C’mon over! This is for you! This is where the action is!” Of course, Tomorrowland really was where the action was at this point. It was the hub of transportation, progress, and forward thinking. Everything was in motion. Using these colors together really gives the land an extra punch of liveliness, especially around the transportation based areas. Also note the contrast of the poppies against the aqua blue lagoon (not in the photo) as the Monorail would continue its journey over to Monorail Station. Do also pay attention to the  lack of dull, grey tones that convey no sense of optimism whatsoever. The grays used here around the landscaping are silvery due to their metallic nature. They reflect the light and thus appear to be energized; and of course, anything that reflects light is an instant attention grabber.

Meanwhile, in another area of Tomorrowland, sat the House of the Future (HoF).  Fresh, funky, and geometric, the HoF served to set the stage and anchor the identity of the land. As you approached the hub and looked to your right, it was a “What’s that?!”  or what Walt termed a “weenie”- something that pulled guests’ interest and attention to it. When you ventured over to the HoF, the landscape is not all poppies and energy as it is deeper into Tomorrowland. Doing that here would be far too shocking for the transition from Main Street into Tomorrowland. Something neutral was needed, and for neutral landscaping, green is the way to go. But, pay close attention to the greenery used in this picture. They are also funky and geometric in appearance offering “weird”, unexpected, and clumpy forms, not entirely unlike the HoF. Also note the variance of greens. The blue tones of some of the greenery are beautifully harmonious with the blue accents of the HoF and even keep your eye moving from landscape to architecture and vice versa. The abundance of green here also gives the audience a feeling of comfort and balance by injecting plenty of nature to an otherwise plastic and concrete, man-made location.The rocks placed around the small body of water mimic the flat planes of the architecture, while also supporting the greenery on top of them in a comfortably contrasting way. The water assists by helping to lend a sense of atmospheric comfort that helps “sell” the HoF as something just as serene as the ideal home they were already familiar with. Making a choice to omit the water would make this corner seem a little too extreme and more than a bit outlandish and uncomfortable.   Everything about this location is a balance between the stability we require in and around a home (nature, gardens, water, colors, shapes, and textures) , and the prospect of what home one day could be (concrete walkways, railings, geometric, flat, colorless, plastic panels). It works perfectly. Brilliance everywhere you turn! 

More to come!