With its sixth theme park being constructed in Shanghai, Disney works toward developing theme parks all over the world.
The second year of UCLA’s Architecture and Urban Design IDEAS Lecture Series is taking off with “Walt Disney Imagineering: The Future of Theme Parks” on Tuesday at the IDEAS satellite campus in Playa Vista. Walt Disney Imagineering’s David Durham will lecture on the development of the Disney theme parks around the world and what the future has in store for these popular attractions.
This free lecture is open to the public and will take place in an old hangar that was converted into a creative space for the IDEAS program.
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design Chair Hitoshi Abe said IDEAS is home to the department’s SUPRASTUDIO graduate program, which focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to architecture and enhancing research by collaborating with industry leaders.
IDEAS Program Director Valerie Leblond said when she and Abe were searching for potential collaborators this year, they didn’t want to limit the lecture series to just architecture and instead reached out to some of Los Angeles’ most prevalent industries – entertainment, transportation and technology.
“(Our idea) was to create an opportunity to exchange ideas among these companies and we can be the hub to tie them together,” Abe said.
Leblond said the partners have access to new talent and the opportunity to see how architecture could potentially apply to their field, while students have the chance to design in a real-world context, present their work to suitable employers and be challenged by professionals.
Abe said future IDEAS lectures will feature a variety of industries and companies including BMW, Arup, Virgin Galactic and General Electric Appliances.
In regard to Tuesday’s lecture, Leblond said Durham has remained vague and mysterious about the exact content of his presentation, except for the fact that it will focus on Disney’s Blue Sky research studio and the future of Disney theme parks.
“Basically when Disney looks at the future, they do a lot of brainstorming and work sessions with their employees to find the next big ideas,” Leblond said. “(Durham) is the leader of that research studio.”
The Blue Sky program is a part of Walt Disney Imagineering, which works on projects in various areas including Disney hotels, cruise ships and theme parks.
In last year’s IDEAS series, lecturer and Innovation Cell Network Lead at Boeing Kevin Meredith used technology to share Boeing’s history and plans for the future with the audience.
“You’re talking about world leaders in their respective fields coming together in a very modern and fun engagement in very diverse segments of industry and academia,” Meredith said. “The diversity that this series brings forward is what I find to be the most compelling component.”