Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2
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Ok, each facade unto itself is beautifully executed, but the grouping of them, as shown in the wide shot above, displays how incongruous it all appears as one. As it appears on its final stretch, it actually hurts my head to look at. Perhaps if they plant a LOT of trees between the facades and the embankment, it will look more reasonable. Four 12" diameter trunks and one or two 18" diameter should do the trick (if a trick can be done)
^ Finally somebody that agrees with me. See, I'm not crazy, I just know good design when I see it. 
- Mar 16, 2010
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Oh dear... Why they didn't push Grimmauld 90' further north to separate it from Wyndham... put a tree and a graveyard or something between them.
They will make millions, billions of course... but there must have been arguments, concepts even, that separated the two.
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I don't know. I think I have to respectfully, but completely, disagree.
So many London streets are like this. Buildings of totally different styles and materials lined up right next to each other. I think it looks great.
Examples:
- Oct 14, 2012
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^yes, but New York also has a lot of crime and Hollywood has a lot of hookers I like my theme parks as idealized places of real locations, which means they should be pretty and congruous in my opinion. I think that its cool that Universal covered so many landmarks, but I agree with the sentiment that the facades dont quite flow right. Luckily, the main attraction is past the facades.
I like my theme parks as idealized places of real locations, which means they should be pretty and congruous in my opinion. I think that its cool that Universal covered so many landmarks, but I agree with the sentiment that the facades dont quite flow right. Luckily, the main attraction is past the facades.
I agree with Teebin on how off the London Waterfront facade looks with all the buildings smushed together, and add that it does make me feel a bit uncomfortable. However, I think it's a great design for this area. Looking at all those buildings together makes you feel like something is off. As if the whole story isn't being told. And that is the case here. The buildings hide Diagon Alley from the world, and the facade's "off-ness" hints that there's more than meets the eye to this area. Even though it is rather odd looking, it makes sense to use all these facades crammed together in order to create a sense of mystery, for lack of a better word.
The price for the most uninformed comment goes to Teebin.
In the whole of Europe you'll see neo classical, roman, Victorian, art nouveau, gothic, Bauhaus, middle-age and modern buildings (to name a few) next to each other. There is no uniformity like in the US because there is a much longer history or different styles of buildings and due to war or neglect some survive and others disappear and get replaced by something new.
I think Universal did a spot on job to make an interesting façade of period buildings to represent London.
You're all right that in general architectural styles come right up against each other in many places, but you're overlooking one critical point imo: these buildings are reproductions. In real life, they are nowhere near each other (ok, Wyndham's is opposite Leicester Square but still not next to it). I think you've either got to design original content, in which case by all means go for a stylistic mash-up, or reproduce real life but reproduce it exactly. They've done half of each, and that's why it doesn't work. The locations are too recognisable.
Or maybe I'm just bitter because they didn't build the upside down house from Waterloo :mean:
Or maybe I'm just bitter because they didn't build the upside down house from Waterloo :mean:
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The scene at the end of Gringotts Vault raid when Voldemort kills everyone is my guess. I'm guessing the 'mission' will be to extract a Horcrux and get out but with Voldemort on tail with Naigini. However its planned it's going to be Epic!
I though WWoHP was set during early "Goblet of Fire"?
Don't the crashed Ford Anglia, Tri-Wizard cup (and spirit rally) and the Sirious Black wanted posters suggest that?
Oh hush up you gross literalist. I am well aware of all the successes and horrid failures of European architecture and placement. HOWEVER, we do in fact have a book series to contend with here. Seeing the Georgian Grimmauld slammed up against the Victorian Wyndham does not work for me and I am not alone in my thinking here.
Hurling words like "uninformed" at persons on here, me included, is not without a bit of ironic hypocrisy. You might want to lighten-up.
I understand peoples thoughts opposing the London waterfront but......
They only have so much space to tell/show as much of the story as possible. They have used key structures from the film's/books and I believe all are indeed relevant, most fans will be made up with the look and it is all instantly recognisable.
I personally like it, the detail is incredible and I think it really sets the scene and builds anticipation for what lies behind. Without having a lot more room or using less iconic buildings, which would detract from the feel, I'm not sure what else they could have done.
It's not real life, they have done a great job, enjoy it for the outstanding new addition that it is.
They only have so much space to tell/show as much of the story as possible. They have used key structures from the film's/books and I believe all are indeed relevant, most fans will be made up with the look and it is all instantly recognisable.
I personally like it, the detail is incredible and I think it really sets the scene and builds anticipation for what lies behind. Without having a lot more room or using less iconic buildings, which would detract from the feel, I'm not sure what else they could have done.
It's not real life, they have done a great job, enjoy it for the outstanding new addition that it is.
- Apr 1, 2013
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I don't get the problem here. Walk down Hollywood Blvd and notice the mixing of different architectural styles, and some of these facades are inspired by real buildings. These are real styles you can actually see in London, and I don't see how that could be seen as a point against them being realistic.
- Oct 14, 2012
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The Hollywood facades blend in a bit better IMO. While some facades are recreations of actual landmarks, they are altered to blend in (the Max Factor building in real life, for instance, is adorned with a gross purple-ish marble whereas the Max Factor reproduction at Universal (which is, fun fact, used for 3-D glasses cleaning lol) is given a more muted tan color to match the Beverly Wilshire next to it. Its completely idealized, as I believe a theme park should be. The London waterfront clashes quite a bit. I dont think anyone here is going to argue that its wrong, but its a matter of factual accuracy over aesthetic design, a valid argument when dealing with theme parks.
- Apr 1, 2013
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Okay, I did not get that people did not like that London is going to be too realistic. But I think in the end it's better that way. I know no one is going to the park to see the Max Factor building, but Potter fans are going to see these iconic facades.
Spirit rally really only exists as a need to have some sort of entertainment. It was an easy solution.
Dragon Challenge speaks for itself...another easy solution. Minimum thought and effort was put into it.
Ford Anglia isn't locked into a timeframe.
Sirius was wanted through OotP.
There was no Quidditch in GoF (but there is in FJ.)
The land has no real set timeline.
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Well, 2 key structures (KC & GP.) The rest are incredibly random.
According to Alan Gilmore, WWoHP "exists in a moment frozen in time" outside Potter cannon, sometime between the start of Goblet of Fire and the end of Order of the Phoenix.
The contract for WWoHP specifies that it must include elements from the final 2 books, so I expect Diagon Alley to be set between the deaths of Dumbledore and Voldemort.
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I don't think it's fair for us to judge the aesthetic clashing of the London facades until the scaffolds are down (and back up, and back down again) so we can see the final paint job. Color goes a long way...
And for what it's worth, the mix of architectural eras is even more extreme in Epcot's UK pavilion. You've got Anne Hathaway's rustic country cottage next to a downtown urban pub!
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