WHAT IS A THEMED ENVIRONMENT?

● Themed Environment - a realm of design in which buildings/attractions are deliberately

designed around certain thematic elements, creating an experience that completely
immerses audiences.
● This can serve an environment in many different ways, from using theming and decor to
hide what may otherwise be a boring experience to completely immersing audiences in
an attraction.
● Themed environments can take many forms, but they are most commonly seen in the
entertainment industry, in amusement parks, interactive exhibitions, museums, visitor
centers, set design, themed restaurants, and much more!
● UCF School of Performing Arts - “Themed environments can educate, entertain and
inspire individuals who can become participants in an immersive experience.”

DISNEY (SPECIFICALLY DISNEYLAND PARIS) - TREND DEFINING COMPANY

FIRST SLIDE
● When I think of a themed environment, the first thing that comes to mind is Disneyworld.
● Walt Disney and his successors were constantly praised for their imaginative theming
and attention to detail, with groundbreaking visions such as Walt’s Florida Project or
even an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) leading to park
theming at a level which had yet to be seen in its time.
○ The man literally wanted to make an entire civilization based off of his works,
which I feel like is the pinnacle of obsessive theming.
● Disney’s theming and attention to detail throughout their entire company, from animation
studios to theme parks, has become so iconic and internationally successful that they
now have entire college programs dedicated to solely working for the Disney company.

● An example of this is Disneyland Paris’ Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon,
opened in June of 1995.
● In the decades following Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Disney had been having a hard
time creating rides with theming as elaborate as it had been during Walt’s time with the
parks.
● Additionally, the Disney Parks team was facing enormous pressure due to their plans for
a Euro Disneyland (aka Disneyland Paris) being jeopardized by public disapproval and
concerns for the local towns.
● Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon served to alleviate these issues, as it was
one of the most impressive examples of cohesive roller coaster theming of its time.
● It was based off of the novel From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, a prominent
science fiction writer of the 19th century, and was placed in the Discoveryland section of
the park, a section which was largely based on the works of Verne and other well-known
visionaries.
 ● The ride immersed riders into Verne’s novel, catapulting them “into space” from an
elaborate steam-punk style canon and bringing them through outer space, passing
through meteorites and even the moon in almost total darkness.
● There were even interactive opportunities for those in line for the ride, as they could
stand at certain viewing areas to watch riders be catapulted into space, furthering the
illusion of intergalactic travel.
● This ride was seen as a glowing success by the Disney Parks team and even their
Parisian critics, who had to admit that it was a fantastical homage to a legendary author.

DISCIPLINE LEADING MILESTONE

● What a surprise, more Disney infodumping!!

● The opening of the first Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California in 1955 would set off a
new era of theme park design and introduced a new set of standards for themed
entertainment.
● The Disney parks continue to operate and expand to this day, most likely due to their
“spare no expense” ideology that means they go to every extreme when theming out
attractions and resorts at their parks, down to the waiting areas and garbage bins.
● Disney is constantly creating new industry milestones and using their vast workforce of
Imagineers to figure out new ways to create immersive Disney experiences.
● They are probably one of, if not the most impactful companies in the themed
environment industry today.

LEADING KEY FIGURES

● Daan Roosegaarde:
○ A Dutch designer who creates exhibitions and public works that place an
emphasis on human interaction with each other and the natural world, focusing
on sustainability efforts and bridging the gap between science and art.
○ Some of his more famous works include Waterlicht, a traveling exhibition which
projected waves and ocean scenes above audiences as a way of illustrating the
dangers of rising water levels, as well as the Sustainable Dance Floor, which was
installed in Dutch nightclubs in the late 2000s and generated electricity when
danced on, which then worked as a functioning generator to power the clubs.
○ Roosegaarde’s work puts an emphasis on interaction with the material, and he
really find unique ways to get people fully invested in his works.
● Mark Davis :
○ A famous Disney Imagineer who worked with the company from 1935 to 1978 as
both an animator and a designer for the parks, working heavily on Disneyland
attractions such as Enchanted Tiki Room, It’s a Small World, Pirates of the
Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise.
○ Many of the attractions he designed or worked on went on to become Disney
Parks staples or were built upon to create modern hits that would have never
been possible if it weren’t for Davis’ contributions.
CURRENT DISCIPLINE GROWTH

● As the themed environment discipline grows, there has been a major focus on creating
immersive experiences through the use of innovative technology such as projection
mapping.
● Examples of this can be seen in art exhibitions such as Van Gogh: the Immersive
Experience and Monet’s Garden, which use projection mapping throughout the entire
space as a way to completely immerse the viewer in the experience and set a mood for
the space.

● I also wanted to focus on the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the industry,
as it has really started to see a shift in the public perception of interactive entertainment,
with many gravitating towards experiences that encourage human interaction and
collaboration.
● For example, Daan Roosegaarde’s 2021 exhibition Touch built an entire experience
around the idea of human interaction through physical touch, as a series of
sensor-triggered lights would illuminate a dimly lit room as soon as people held hands.
● This experience was designed to simulate the inner feeling of joy and true connection
that we feel when we can physically interact with each other, something that has been
starkly absent from the world since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
● The themed environment world has seemed to grasp this idea very well, and many
current exhibitions and attractions we’re seeing have a centralized focus on human
interaction and togetherness.

ENTERING THE DISCIPLINE

● There are many different backgrounds that designers in the themed environment
industry come from, such as fine arts, theatrical and set design, and scenic art.
● This is because the industry is multi-faceted, and there are many jobs that are housed
under the themed environment umbrella that one can enter the industry in.
○ A few examples of these are fabrication, set design, event design, theme park
design, restaurant design, and retail design.

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS

● Virtual:
○ Projection mapping
○ Virtual reality
○ Arduinos/motorized technology
○ Augmented reality
○ Interactive materials

● Physical:
 ○ Scenic art
○ Prop & set design
○ 3D construction
○ Lighting & sound design
○ Multi-sensory design

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

● Themed Entertainment Association:

○ “an international non-profit association representing the world’s leading creators,
developers, designers and producers of compelling places and experiences -
worldwide.”
○ Strives to bring together designers from the themed environment industry to
share knowledge, collaborate, spark new ideas, celebrate innovation, and
cultivate a diverse global membership.
● Themed Attraction:
○ Basically a virtual hub for people in the themed attraction industry to make new
connections and share ideas and projects.
○ Works similarly to Linkedin, where people can make a profile and then share
posts about their latest projects as well as getting tips and tricks from others in
the industry.
● IAAPA (Global Association for the Attractions Industry):
○ Formerly the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.
○ An organization that connects members of the attractions industry with each
other, also offering resources such as monthly webinars and an official magazine.
○ Members get access to exclusive industry events and expos and get the
opportunity to learn more about their field.

FUTURE OF THE DISCIPLINE

● The future of the themed environments industry seems to be in the crossroads of

technology and sensory experience.
● With immersive exhibitions such as Van Gogh and Monet seeing so much success, it
seems highly likely that this idea of integrating technology into physical environments will
continue to be expanded upon and lead to new innovations, as we have already begun
to see with companies like Moment Factory already developing projection mapping
technologies into highly sophisticated, adaptable immersive environments that can even
be used for private events such as weddings and banquets.
● In my opinion, there only seems to be a possibility of growth for the themed
environments industry, as it seems to be human nature that we inherently want to theme
everything, so I believe that we will continue to find new ways to add immersive theming
to all aspects of the entertainment field.

ADIRONDACK STUDIOS INTRO

 ● Founded in 1975 in Argyle, NY
● Expanded to work in 
California, Florida, & Dubai
● Serves clients worldwide, with clients mainly in the 
entertainment, amusement 
park, and
theatre industries.
● Specialty Support - On-sight scenic artist support, on-site production management,
performance space consultation, etc.
● Talk abt hearing about them in ATF and life in general.
● Portfolio:
○ Dragon Gliders - Motiongate Theme Park, Dubai
○ Citrovia - collab w/ The Cuttlefish and Brookfield marketing associates
○ 5 Wits Escape Rooms - installed in various locations (Crossgates Mall, etc)

What did your journey look like that brought you to working for Adirondack Studios?
● Many of the employees at Adirondack Studios have a theatrical or arts background.
● For me, I went to school for fine arts - sculpture and painting.
● I wasn’t quite sure what to do with that after graduating, so I found myself in the world of
retail management.
● 10 years later, I found that I had learned a lot about business and sales, but I was
yearning to have the creative part of me become reinvigorated, so I sought out new
employment, which is when I found myself interviewing at Adirondack Studios.
● It’s been 8 years here now, and I don’t imagine myself ever leaving this sort of creative
industry.

What would you say is the 
most important part of Adirondack Studio’s work?

● Most important to the company is that we’re serving our clients to deliver world class
attractions.
● No matter what happens, we finish the job ready for “opening night”.
● Second to that, I’d say most important would be finding that kind of weird, interesting,
and fun work that keeps our people engaged in creativity.
● We’re an important part of making creative jobs available to people in a remote area of
New York State, and we’re always open to help shape the minds of young talent in our
area by offering internships.

How do you determine which projects you’d like to work on and which ones might not be

the best fit?

● We have a pretty tough qualification process with each lead we encounter.

● Our business development group strives to develop relationships with key clients so we
are seeking out work that we want to do most.
● And then the projects that come to us get reviewed with a committee that considers the
schedule, the type of work, and whether we could be successful at it.
● To be honest, we pass on more work than we bid on.
 ● There are a lot of weird projects out there - we like the ones that we feel Adirondack can
be best suited to.

When you decide to work on a project, what does that initial design process look like? In
other words, how do you try to get the ball rolling?

● It all depends on the type of project. Some of them start with the client asking us to
design for them.
● They give us their budget, and then we work with our teams to figure out how to design it
by simultaneously estimating it to make sure it can get fabricated within the budget.
● Those tend to be the most successful projects because we work very closely with the
client throughout the whole process.
● For the projects that come to us already designed, there’s usually an element of
technical design that needs to happen so the production floor knows exactly how to build
it.
● Either way, the “kickoff” of a project will always start with the handoff from the business
development department to the project manager and then a team is formed.
● The first few weeks of a project can be hectic as all the information gets downloaded
from one group to another.

How often do you work on a project from start to finish? 
Is there a certain service you
find ADK studios is most often hired for?

● We typically get engaged on a project somewhere in the client’s schematic design

phase.
If the drawings that they’ve provided us are done well and we have a clear scope of
work, then it’s fairly easy to move to the next step into technical design.
● If the client had hired a separate design firm and brings us a design that is very
complicated to build, then often we get engaged in a “value engineering” phase, where
we help the client make modifications to the design and suggest edits that will give them
more value.
● This is why we always suggest the client to work with us from the very beginning so we
can design it to their budget without the back and forth of multiple re-designs.
● The “start to finish” projects are our favorite and the ones we take the most pride in.
● You mentioned that you knew of “Citrovia” which is a start to finish project we did in
NYC- that concept actually began as a more alien-looking garden that was going to be
interactive with moving pieces and lights and sounds.
● The client didn’t realize how expensive their “vision” was going to cost, so we helped
them through the process and the extraordinary lemon garden was the result!.

How would you say the industry has shifted since the creation of Adirondack Studios in
1975?

● The company began making scenery for live performances- mostly opera.
 ● This was the bread and butter for several years, until clients like Wegmans Food
Markets and Universal Studios reached out.
● Turns out building scenery on stage is pretty similar to building scenery in a grocery
store or in a theme park.
● That’s when the expansion began, and fast forward several decades, and here we are a
world-renowned themed entertainment design/fabricator.
● We’re working for clients like Disney, Universal Studios, Meow Wolf, and for locations
around the world.
● We have 6 offices; in addition to the main facility in Argyle, NY, we have offices in
Orlando FL, Pasadena CA, Dubai, Shanghai, and Singapore.
● So, that’s how Adirondack Studios has shifted industries from its inception.
● Is that how the “themed entertainment” world has developed? That I’m not sure.
● But if you look into the history of The Walt Disney Company, you’ll see that the running
theme that developed is to deliver an enhanced guest experience through visual
storytelling.
● That’s what we believe is our industry, and it’s what we like to do!

What advice would you give to students looking to pursue a career in this industry?

● You definitely would need to have good direction for where you want to land, and then
figure out how to follow it. I had no idea this industry was an option to work in when I was
in school, my focus of “fine arts” wasn’t focused enough. If you think you want to be a
theme park designer, there are several schools that have programs geared towards this
specifically. Theatrical design is another area that several of our employees have a
background in, some coming from the Yale School of Drama. But if design isn’t your
specialty and you want to fabricate- then come talk to us now- we love hiring students
right out of school and we can provide on the job training!

In a word, what drives the people here at Adirondack studios?

● Mostly, it’s a desire to be creative.

● There’s a buzzing energy when you’re around so many other people that have great
ideas and incredible skill to create things.
● And even those who aren’t in traditionally creative roles- like estimation, or accounting,
or project management- they get to be creative too!
● It’s such a fun place to work, and the people are so fun to be around. Sometimes it
doesn’t even feel like work.