PORT PHAROS RESORT Disney Imaginations Design Competition 2019, Second Place Winner

PORT PHAROS RESORT CONCEPT AT ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT

Triet K. Nguyen: Project Management (Team Leader), Facade Design, Graphic Design, Story, Research / Kyle Branch: Concept Artist, Graphic Design, Story, Research / Brooke Pandos: Masterplan, Interior Design, Sustainability, Research / Katie Woody: Architectural Design, Interior Design, Research

OVERVIEW

Imaginations is a design competition created and sponsored by Walt Disney Imagineering with the purpose of seeking out and nurturing the next generation of diverse Imagineers. The competition is an opportunity for students to showcase their skills and talents to Imagineering through a Disney related project. Provided with a project challenge, students and recent graduates work in teams to deliver a concept in a similar way to how Imagineers develop their blue sky projects. In a matter of weeks, teams have to leverage their various artistic, technical and communication skills to prepare a submission that will appeal to judges whose backgrounds include a wide array of creative and technical disciplines.

For the 2019 competition, teams are challenged to create an experience that explores a Natural or Ancient Wonder of the World. For this project, our team chose to work with the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, an ancient wonder of the world. The project was awarded as a Second Place Winner.

Check out the official press release: https://disneyimaginations.com/2019-imaginations-winners/

Port Pharos is an explorative and heuristic resort formed by fleets of ancient ships traversing waters surrounding a new interpretation of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, now created by Ra, Egyptian God of the Sun, with the purpose of celebrating the rich life, cultures, and growth to the coast of Alexandria, just like the first lighthouse did.

MASTERPLAN

Port Pharos’s layout is based on the shape of a papyrus plant. The resort is located at the heart of Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor, not far from where the ruins of the original Lighthouse of Alexandria remain. This placement instantly connects the Port Pharos Lighthouse with the original Lighthouse of Alexandria, and establishes the resort as a hub from which life and activity emerges.

At the top of the lighthouse, guests may visit the Lantern Lounge. The centerpiece of this lounge is inspired by the light that illuminates the lighthouse each night. It also provides breathtaking views of the city of Alexandria or of the expansive Mediterranean Sea.

Although appear to be floating on water, these ships are actually built as partially submerged buildings that give the illusion of a floating ship to prevent seasickness. Handicapped guests may access the ships through a system of ramp. Our illustration also shows the ramp system built with a 5’x5' landing for every 30 feet of ramp for safety access.

Throughout their stay at Port Pharos, guests are encouraged to interact with their surroundings and the hotel experience is no exception. In each room, guests will find engaging props that trigger special lighting, audio, or motion effects. Curious families may even find a special, unique keepsake based on themselves as a reward for their adventurous spirit.

Feluccas are small Egyptian boats traditionally used to travel along the coasts.

Guests hoping to get a scenic and educational tour of the coast will enjoy setting sail on the resort’s Explorer Feluccas.

Explorer Feluccas will take Guests to the Nile River, where they will learn all about cultural intersections that the original lighthouse has inspired

or see the nautical developments at the Suez Canal that sailors who came upon the lighthouse have built.

Each felucca is unique, both in appearance and in overall experience because of the use of live performers. A guide will lead and engage with the group. Each of these fictional characters has his or her own unique personality and backstory. Throughout the journey, guests will learn through these guides why they have journeyed to and fell in love with the Lighthouse of Alexandria. With tour sizes of around 20 guests, the experience will be intimate and unforgettable.

At Port Pharos, we strive to help revitalize the ecosystem of the sea surrounding Alexandria. One of the key ways we plan on doing that is by using eco-friendly ships that feature a trash collection system to collect floating debris along their route. This type of system has already been implemented in a number of places. Based on the results seen in other locations, we estimate that the ships could recycle upwards of 200 tons of waste each year.

On this adventure, fluorescent UV blacklight paint is used in show sets to reveal hidden messages, IR break-beam sensors trigger effects, and faux fire is used for realistic yet safe flame effects.

The entire family will have to work together to solve puzzles and riddles in order to advance, thus creating a fun collaborative experience. The attraction is also designed to be accessible for all handicapped guests.

The show starts out by telling the story of why the original Lighthouse of Alexandria was constructed. Guests see live performers scaling the walls of the lighthouse, as the structure appears to rise from the ground through the use of projection mapping.

The show then spreads out into the water. Fountains dance and ships light up with projected imagery, showing how the lighthouse created cultural intersections and inspired nautical and environmental developments in the bay of Alexandria and beyond.

The show incorporates drones as a more eco-friendly and cost-efficient substitute for pyrotechnics. The drones are reusable and leave no environmental harm to the local surroundings.

At the conclusion of the show and day, guests will walk away feeling empathetic to the history of the Lighthouse and Ra, and be inspired to share their light with the world.