Page 75: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1998)

March, 1998 Circle 355 on Reader Service Card 77 * fe ipi BMrn^

DESINGER by David Tinsley, technical editor

Norwegian architect Njal Eide has always taken the view that a futuristic vision on the part of a designer is an essential complement to professional expertise and the ability to apply tried and tested principles.

The Eide name is synonymous with some of the most spectacular and grandiose areas incorporated in luxury passenger ships, and with a progressive approach, as mirrored in his early development of the cruise ship atrium concept, for instance.

The commission to develop the exterior architec- ture of Disney Magic presented a new challenge to the creative designer, given the company's require- ment for a concept which would meld classical fea- tures with something new and different.

Having undertaken its own thorough studies,

Disney sought a "modern classic" that would com- bine vision with nostalgia and the unique or unusual, in a common design theme.

The client ruled out both the futuristic concept Mr.

Eide had first put forward, as well as designs pro- posed by the two other competing architects.

In drawing up their vision of a ship that would defer to an ancestral lineage while being unmistak- ably contemporary, Disney executives had been meticulous in their groundwork.

The veteran Norwegian designer admitted that he had to overcome initial reservations about taking on the project, out of concern that it might label him as a nostalgic, rather than as a modernist and pro- gressive thinker.

He came to regard the remit, which meant find- ing a balance between old and new, as an appealing and highly demanding professional challenge. "My intention was not merely to plagiarize but to contemporize the classic concept, to create a pro- gressive and daring vessel, which at the same time evoked the feeling of a bygone era," said Mr. Eide.

He saw parallels in the development of classic cars such as Rolls Royce and Jaguar, which have retained their traditional trademarks while evolving in design in line with the demands of today's market.

Njal Eide also drew inspiration for the Disney

Magic concept from his memories of the grand ocean liners that docked in Stavanger while he was growing up on the west coast of Norway back in the 1930s.

He said the famous passenger ship Stavangerfjord gave him the idea for the impressive rounded stern of Disney Magic, one of the most distinctive features of the new ship which Mr. Gde believes won him the design award from Disney.

The ensuing development of the vessel was based on his well-honed philosophy that "cruise ship design requires the combination of tried and trusted tradition, existing expertise and futuristic vision on the part of the designer."

Subtle design means were employed to help reproduce the classical look, such as the apparent dramatic sheer of the 964-ft. (293.8-m) hull, creat- ed by the styling of the paint work and overall shape of the vessel. Distinguished by two funnels and a streamlined sculptural form, Disney Magic embodies tradition punctuated with a characteristic Disney atti- tude. Thus, while the exterior color scheme is remi- niscent of the classic ocean liners, it is also the instantly recognizable red, yellow, white and black of the company icon Mickey Mouse.

Similarly evocative of the ships of yesteryear is the tiered "wedding cake" design of the upper decks, as well as the two-funnel arrangement.

Despite the creative tensions of working with

Disney, the company's corporate image gurus clearly liked what they saw when Mr. Eide gave them his definitive concept. So much so, he said, that the fin- ished vessel has incorporated most of the features of his original design. "Disney felt that Njal was the architect who gave the best interpretation of our original design brief, and it was his concept that was brought to fruition," said Jon Rusten, Disney Cruise Line director of devel- opment and newbuildings.

Mr. Eide believes that working on the Disney

Magic project has been a valuable object lesson that has influenced his design thinking. "There is perhaps a danger of distancing oneself too much from the past, and losing sight of the tra- ditional character of the cruise ship. I believe a

Renaissance-style approach is needed, whereby one looks back to the past to gain fresh inspiration for the future," he observed.

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