Giving new life to the 1940s Stark facility to create the much anticipated Avengers Campus that will open this summer at Disneyland Paris does not only involve renovating industrial-age buildings and developing new technologies. Vegetation also has its own role to play!
The Avengers Campus green plan
Campus that will open this summer in Paris doesn’t just involve renovating industrial-era buildings and developing new technologies. Vegetation also has its own role to play! The Campus’ “green plan” is rooted in its creative concept, with landscaping being a key priority for the creative teams from day one. Creating an environment that keeps recruits focused on their mission was essential to making them feel empowered and ready to step into action alongside Earth’s greatest heroes. And to achieve this, it was important to bring a balance between the mineral and the plant.
To meet this challenge, the teams called on Marc Boulanger, Landscaping Superintendent at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, and entrusted him with a dual mission: to create two “green poles” – one at the entrance and the other in the center of the Campus, in order to combat heat islands; and to participate in the unique storytelling of the Campus, by reinforcing the sophisticated and urban atmosphere of the place. “The choice of plant species and varieties was crucial. We made sure to allow a multitude of plants to flourish with a more mature bloom.” Thus, a multitude of Rhododendrons will bring a floral touch with white and blue-purple shades to remind us of the famous spider-man’s costume.
The landscape of Avengers Campus
The landscape of Avengers Campus is based on a subtle balance of forms that also includes numerous evergreen trees from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. In total, no less than 40 plant species have been selected to grow alongside the future recruits.
DIn the same way that Stark Industries has sought to enhance the heritage of its industrial past by combining it with high-tech facilities with a resolutely innovative aesthetic, the landscaping of the site is based on the enhancement of existing species within green spaces enriched with new species. “This superimposition of old and new elements is also found in our work, since as soon as Tony Stark’s plans were announced, we preserved the magnolias that were already on the site of the future Campus and took care of them throughout the construction. We then replanted them around the restaurants and the south entrance to give them a second life, alongside new plant species.”
When asked what his favorite detail is, Marc’s eyes turn to the Quinjet, the famous Avengers ship: “We have a beautiful Japanese maple right next to it. It’s a precious, slow-growing tree revered in Japanese culture for the art of bonsai. We chose it specifically for its distinctive, very slender architecture that harmoniously fits the Quinjet platform.”
Just like our heroes, plant species also have their imperfections. But when they complement each other and join forces like the Avengers, they unleash their superpowers and put themselves at the service of the Planet. See you this summer to discover the nature side of Avengers Campus!