We’ve been tracking the ongoing pavement replacement across EPCOT, and now, Imagineer Zach Riddley has given a closer look at the pavement and selection process.
“Continuing to look at the inspiration and design details of EPCOT, today I’m sharing a story about paving. It’s a surface you don’t often pay direct attention to, but the color and texture of the ground under your feet are a primary surface for storytelling. Cobblestones, brick, curbing, scored concrete, patterned terrazzo (like the new flooring coming to Club Cool and Creations Shop that I’ve shared previously) all work to immerse you in a believable place,” said Riddley in an Instagram post.
Pavement may seem like a trivial detail to garner such precise decision making, but that attention to the smallest details is how Imagineers take theming to the next level. Minute elements can register unconsciously, creating a more “believable” experience.
Riddley’s team has been using color to tie World Celebration together. Like the new color palette for the façade of the Creations Shop, warm grays were chosen to emulate Spaceship Earth. Riddley shared photos of a number of samples the team used to select the perfect tone, reflectivity, and color.
Above is a recent photo from near Spaceship Earth where the new speckled gray pavement can be seen. The red-toned pavement is being removed section by section as the work continues.
A closer look at the installed pavement on the left versus the old pavement on the right.
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Any word on if they’re bringing back the glowing pavement, like what was near MouseGear? My kids always loved checking that out on our way out of the park at night.
But why are they still not using pervious paving anywhere in the parks?!?
It makes no sense whatsoever that Disney keeps putting down more and more and more impervious concrete. Not only is it bad for water management and maintenance of foundations, but it means that when the rain falls, the water sits atop the surfaces where it gets guests feet wet rather than with pervious paving where it flows through to soils below and keeps the walking surfaces fee of standing water and shoes and socks and feet dry!
Why is he wearing a mask outside to look at pavement samples?