Dark rides: three examples of contemporary environmental design

Abstract

The term environmental design refers to the characterization of a habitat by artificial means to constitute a certain architectural atmosphere. Although immersive experiences began with some spatial drives of Romanticism, the term atmosphere was established in the 19th century, to refer to the manipulation of environmental parameters such as temperature or humidity to temper a space in order to reach the desired comfort level. However, due to the sociocultural demands and technological transformations of each era, the term has been acquiring new nuances and meanings. In the mid-twentieth century, Disneyland theme parks represented the maturity of the experiences of mass leisure attractions, where the demand for leisure and entertainment and the incorporation of narratives to the attractions flourish new technical processes that have made the term more complex. We will analyze the attractions contained in total interiors, known as dark rides, where these new technical processes, such as the use of animatronics, the combination of light, mirrors and other mechanisms, add to the modification of temperature and humidity already mentioned. Using three examples, Its a Small World (1966), The Haunted Mansion (1969) and Space Mountain (1977), we will study the implementation of unpublished environmental design techniques, contemporary creative techniques that provoke immersive experiences that go far beyond mere weather modification.