Avengers Campus: Innovating with the Zone Development Team

The Marvel Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios Park attracts rookies ready to jump into Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, sling webs of Spider-Bots at Spider-Man: WEB Adventure or eat gargantuan meals at Pym Kitchen. Whenever rookies decide on their next adventure, they stroll through Stark Plaza and AccuTech Avenue.

It is in these places that the Area Development team (ADEV) has breathed its heart and soul. To learn more about their mission, the Walt Disney Imagineering Paris team traveled the field with the Paris Imagineers, Estelle Sakana, architect, and Sebastien Duquesne, general superintendent.

A step-by-step journey

Within the Design and Planning team, Is she ensured that the creative concepts developed by the Imagineers in Glendale were respected and realistically implemented at the Paris site.

"When I arrived at Disneyland Paris four years ago, I was a young architect from Burkina Faso and all this environment seemed surreal to me", confided Is she. “The Marvel Avengers Campus was my first Imagineering project. It was a real challenge, but I immediately immersed myself in the universe of the Avengers to better understand the creative intention. Everything is part of the story, even the paving! »

This approach has enabled one of the most complex developments at Walt Disney Studios Park. The paving is a series of patchworks composed of grays and whites; with a mix of classic cobblestone, metal and concrete as well as glass — a first for Disneyland Paris — that beautifully reflects the sunlight during the day.

Pavers come in a host of subtle variations, both in size and color. We followed a very rigorous configuration, enriched with a 'random' aspect thanks to these glass blocks. We are far from the basic paving”, adds Sebastian, who supervised the work on site. “The Marvel Avengers Campus Paris consists of four large buildings that house the stories of our attractions and restaurants. For me, Zone Development is like a fifth building. This is what holds the whole together ensures its consistency.

This element of consistency is also verified behind the scenes because Zone Development is the result of close collaboration between the construction, creation, D+P, show and costing teams, and the ADEV teams and partners.

Print your brand

The floor of the Stark Plaza includes a must-see element. "The Avengers logo was probably our biggest challenge." Sebastian continues: “The metal parts that make it up are enormous. The largest measures almost 55 meters. We had to be creative to avoid material expansion, because we knew we had no room for error. It's the heart of the campus, it's where everyone comes together.

This contemporary element is complemented by other details that enhance the authenticity and history of the place. Is she explain :

As the WEB building was originally a Stark engine factory, we incorporated railroad tracks running from the factory to the Stark factory, to evoke the assembly line of the time. Additionally, all cobblestones in WEB's queue have been deliberately aged unevenly.

A new playground for visitors

Since the campus opened, thousands of recruits have trod the grounds every day, eager to see and experience all that this area has to offer. The choice may be different for each recruit, but the thing they all have in common is that they meet the job ofIs she, Sebastian, and all the teams involved in the development of the area. “I am very proud of our work,” said Is she. “I recently read a tweet from a visitor who said that what he liked the most about the Marvel Avengers Campus Paris was the floor. I passed it on to the whole team. We are extremely pleased with the feedback received so far”.

And Sebastian to conclude :

Now everyone takes pictures of the 'A' logo. Children play with it. Shortly after opening, I saw a four-year-old boy show off his acrobatic skills to Spider-Man, who cheered him on from the campus rooftops. Everyone, including Spidey, started applauding him and we saw stars sparkle in his eyes. This is where I realize all the emotion that the success of our project inspires in me.