Vista Series - Bioluminescence
Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 11:48PM
Joshua L Harris in ART, Sea Base Alpha, The Living Seas, Vista Series

From its remarkably complex curvilinear exterior to its “incredible voyage of the discovery”, The Living Seas Vista pays tribute to the architecture and effects of what was once “the world’s sixth largest ocean”.  For this edition, defused light rays and water caustics symbolize the remarkable journey from the surface to the depths that welcome us to Sea Base Alpha. 

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Designer’s Note: After almost a year hiatus, The Vista Series returns with what will probably be the single most complex line-art for all of Epcot’s 22 pavilions. The Living Seas architecture (just like all other original pavilions) abstractly conveys the theme of the pavilion. In this case, it appears to be constructed entirely of waves frozen into a state of structural rigidity — no easy task for any architect. Nor was it easy for to translate its highly sculptural three-dimensional forms into a strictly 2D format. This process that was especially difficult when one considers that all components of its design flow seamlessly into each other making it particularly challenging to complete a single shape without first considering all others.
Although the structure rightly received most of its accolades for its interior engineering, the exterior is no less impressive and after this experience I have even more respect for the designers and architects at WDI and Montgomery Watson for what they were able to achieve nearly 30 years ago.

Article originally appeared on E82 - The Epcot Legacy (https://epcotlegacy.squarespace.com/).
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