PORTFOLIO

The Docks at North Point

In this project, I was tasked with creating a dining and entertainment complex as part of a revitalization of an underutilized section of beach on Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia. To do this, I carefully designed a surfer's paradise as if it was built from repurpused flotsam and jetsam - a nod to Savannah's busy industrial port. I was also careful to work around the historic Fort Screven, and to include it in the complex's story with a concrete coastal defense bunker serving as a beachside bar.

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Magic City U.S.A.

In this project, my Master's Thesis, I proposed a solution to some of the longevity issues posed by movie studio theme parks by using another entertainment medium with strong ties to themed entertainment : stage magic! To demonstrate this solution, I created a concept for a magic-themed land, including two attractions, a quick service restaurant, a dinner theater show, and a retail location.

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Mr. Modi's Marvelous Mobile Museum

In this project, I explored the concept of an explorer and his traveling museum set in 1920s India. I was especially drawn to the combination of natural history museum aesthetics with the maximalist styling of Indian truck art.

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International Commerce Center

In this project, I was asked to design a new experience for the observation deck of the International Commerce Center - the tallest building in Hong Kong. Currently, the observation deck is little more than a coffee bar and a pleasant view, but my proposal would transform it into a multimedia celebration of the vibrant culture of Hong Kong.

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Spirit of the Mammoth

In this project, I proposed an alternative to the myriad dinosaur-themed attractions found across the world: an attraction based on the woolly mammoth! In this attraction, guests venture deep into a glacial cave to find a research station that's made a most remarkable discovery. One of the mammoth skeletons frozen in ice appears to be haunted, and her spirit takes guests back in time to the ice age to help her save her family from a pack of saber-tooth cats.

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Ethiopia Coffee Company

In this project, I experimented with how a highly-themed coffee shop can connect its customers with the origins of their coffee. Specifically, I chose to set this cafe in Ethiopia, a nation with a rich tradition of coffee production and a credible claim to being the beverage's birthplace. This cafe transports guests to a rural farm deep in the highlands of Ethiopia, where they can gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for their morning coffee.

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Imaginarium Library

In this project, I was challenged to design a library in an urban center that would use immersive storytelling to provide a more compelling experience to visitors. To do this, I first made my design subterranean to take advantage of the unused space often found under buildings in urban areas. Next, I drew from animistic folklore to craft a story: this library is an ancient temple of knowledge, and is tended by sentient foxes in the spirit world. Being spirits, they cannot interact with the physical world, and as such have reached out to you to help them find and read books throughout the library.

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RESUME

Experience

Show Set Specialist

Brian Morrow Productions, Kissimmee, FL | May 2023 - ongoing

- Assembled and installed holiday decorations and sets for internationally recognized resort group- Painted scenic elements for shows in theme parks and other spacial entertainment venues- Contributed to multiple rounds of blue-sky for self-produced themed dining experience

Prop Designer & Fabricator

Trapdoor Escape, Redbank, NJ | Jun. 2022 - May. 2023

- Interpreted story documents and puzzle summaries to identify props needed for 5000+ sqft escape room-style experience- Developed concepts for appearance and functional mechanism of props and sets- Aided in Construction, painting, and installation of props and sets

Disney College Program

Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL | Jun. 2021 - Jan. 2022

- Created immersive and friendly quick service dining environment for guests- Supported production and sales of food through stocking, product preparation, point of sale operation, andarea prep/maintenance- Ensured positive guest experience by addressing guest concerns

Exhibit Intern

Da Vinci Science Center, Allentown, PA | Apr. - Aug. 2018

- Tested and maintained existing children’s science exhibits- Researched, prototyped, and installed new interactive exhibits for child-friendly makerspace- Drafted list of actionable steps to enhance guest experience

Education

Savannah College of Art and Design

Master of Fine Art in Themed Entertainment Design | Jun. 2023

The Pennsylvania State University

Bachelor of Science in Life Science | May 2020

CONTACT

ryanthelynch@gmail.com

(203) 273-5044

THE DOCKS AT NORTH POINT

Overview

In this project, I was tasked with creating a dining and entertainment complex as part of a revitalization of an underutilized section of beach on Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia.

Early Sketches

As my dining and entertainment complex was just one part of a larger revitalization project, it was initially deemed highly important to match the style of the rest of the site, down to the highly geometric plan. I accomplished this by taking inspiration from the nearby Fort Screven, a historic concrete fort with sharp, angular features. By designing shops and restaurants that resembled dilapidated military structures, I was able to make the complex both fit in with the aesthetics of the larger project plan and with the local historical background. Unfortunately, the abandoned and repurposed bunkers were too drab for a fun, exciting beachside complex, and a new approach was needed.

Improved Concept

After much discussion with the project team, it was decided that a fun, lively atmosphere was more important than conformity to a unified architectural style. This enabled me to develop what turned into my final proposal: the Docks at North Point.Taking inspiration from the rich surfer culture of Tybee Island and from the importance of Savannah's industrial ports, I designed a surfer's paradise crafted from recycled flotsam and jetsam collected around the docks of Savannah. Haphazardly stacked shipping containers make up most of the architectural features, save for an older style brick warehouse (a fine dining restaurant), a concrete "pillbox" fortification (a beachside bar), and a large steel buoy strung up with lights (a family-friendly splashpad). A stationary wave generator furthers the story, allowing visitors to grab a board and join in on the surfing fun!

MAGIC CITY U.S.A

Overview

In this project, my Master's Thesis, I attempted to solve one of the largest challenges facing movie studio theme parks: that of longevity and relevancy. I accomplished this by using another entertainment medium with strong ties to themed entertainment: stage magic! While the techniques used to bring movies to life have changed radically since the heyday of studio parks in the 1990s, the basic techniques used in stage magic have remained largely unchanged for hundreds, if not thousands of years. This provides stage magic with incredible longevity, and its enduring popularity at entertainment venues proves its cultural relevancy. To take advantage of these traits, I proposed a land within a theme park based on one of the golden ages of magic, the 1920s.Following are some examples of rough layout/bubble diagrams for some of the attractions, restaurants, and retail locations found in Magic City. For my complete thesis, including my research, writeup, and white model, click the button below!

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World Magicians' Society Clubhouse

The World Magicians' Society Clubhouse hosts a dinner theater magic show in a stately 1920s setting. I created the W.M.S. as a fictional pastiche of magician clubs, albeit with a grander clubhouse than most clubs that exist in the real world. Immediately inside the neoclassical/Egyptian revival facade, guests find themselves in the club's lobby and library. The setting is posh, if stuffy, and there's no obvious place to eat. Once guests have been led in taking the oath of the Magicians' Society, one of the bookshelves is revealed to be a hidden door, and guests are led into an elaborate speakeasy for an evening of culinary and magic delights.

Harry Houdini's Manic Magic Car Chase

Harry Houdini's Manic Magic Car Chase (HHMMCC) is a trackless dark ride inspired by the life and times of Harry Houdini! The central theater of Magic City is hosting a performance by Harry Houdini himself, but tickets are sold out! Fortunately, the show is in desperate need of new stagehands, and the guests are just the people for the job!Guests enter the theater through a rear "backstage" door, where they meet Houdini, and are shown the ins and outs of the trick he intends to perform - a daring disappearing act with his costar Moxie. Unfortunately, as the show proper begins, Moxie is kidnapped by rival magicians! Guests must board 1920s roadsters and give chase, to find Moxie and bring her back before she reappears in the act! But the guests must be careful - rival magicians will use every trick in the book to keep them off their tail!

Kellar's Emporium

Famed American magician Harry Kellar has opened a spectacular magic shop in Magic City, and is letting members of the public in to see it all! While the bottom floor showcase souvenirs and sundries in a dramatic art nouveau setting, the upper floor houses more typical magic shop wares, like tricks, books, props, and the like. The upper floor even has a large demonstration counter for shopkeepers to advertise new tricks!

MR MODI'S MARVELOUS MOBILE MUSEUM

Overview

In this project, I decided to combine my love for natural history museums, early 20th century cars, and Indian and Pakistani truck art into a wonderfully bizarre concept called "Mr. Modi's Marvelous Mobile Museum." I like to imagine that Mr. Modi has curated his eccentric collection over the years by traveling across the world in his mobile museum. The vehicle itself is a combination of an office, a bedroom, a natural history museum, and perhaps a circus wagon! It's all very silly in the most delightful way imaginable.

Early Sketches

Mr. Modi's Marvelous Mobile Museum started off as a much less fantastical vehicle, as seen in the first sketch, but quickly grew into something more spectacular

Finalized Design(s)

Much like Mr. Modi himself, I found it challenging to identify a single style for a finalized design. As such, I came up with two! One is a cutaway view of a two-story, completely impossible vehicle, and the other is a more ornately decorated and more plausible exterior view, complete with full color.

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE CENTER

Overview

In this project, I designed a new experience for the observation deck of the International Commerce Center - the tallest building in Hong Kong. Currently, the observation deck is little more than a coffee bar and a pleasant view, but my proposal would transform it into a multimedia celebration of the vibrant culture of Hong Kong.

Lobby, Queue, and Elevator

Taking inspiration from the Hong Kong Orchid, a rare flower featured prominently on the city's flag, I created an experience where guests begin underground, and rise alongside the roots of Hong Kong as they see the city grow and blossom around them.

Observation Deck

Continuing the orchid metaphor, guests exit the elevator and are shown Hong Kong in full bloom - a vibrant, multicultural city with roots deep in the earth and blossoms high in the sky. Besides spectacular views, the observation deck also provides an interactive map wall for guests to see where other visitors have come from, a cafe offering Cantonese dishes, and a multi-use space for seasonal events and vendors.

SPIRIT OF THE MAMMOTH

Overview

In this project, I storyboarded a new attraction that seeks to expand the typical dinosaur-themed lands and attractions to include other extinct species, namely, the woolly mammoth.

Facade and Queue

The first thing guests see as they approach Spirit of the Mammoth is a large, blue ice glacier. Out of one cave, a rugged tracked vehicle is parked atop a now drift. Down another cave, a path leads into the heart of the glacier, where a high-tech research base is nestled into the ice.

Ride

Guests are invited to board a ride vehicle similar to the tracked one parked outside, and to venture deep into the glacial caves to witness an amazing discovery. A magnificent mammoth skeleton, nearly wholly intact, is exposed out of the ice in one of the caves!As guests observe the skeleton's beauty, they can hear a distant trumpeting, and the lights dim. Out of the darkness comes the ghostly spirit of the mammoth, who takes the guests back in time to the ice age to help save its family! The ride vehicle gives chase as the mammoth leads it to an icy canyon, where its baby is being surrounded by saber tooth cats! After cutting off the cats with some clever driving and collapsing ice arches, the mammoth thanks the guests for their help and sends them back to the present day with a greater appreciation for the beauty and majesty of mammoths.

ETHIOPIA COFFEE COMPANY

Overview

In this project, I designed and built a miniature model of a highly themed coffee shop which connects customers with the origins of their coffee - in this case, the Ethiopian coffee industry. Ethiopia has a rich tradition of coffee farming and brewing, and has a credible claim to being the beverage's birthplace, making it the perfect setting for a themed cafe such as this.

Model

This concept showcases the coffee industry of Ethiopia by transporting guests to a rural farm in the highlands of the African nation. Guests enter the cafe through a repurposed Quonset hut, where they can see some of the tools used in the cultivation of coffee as they make their way through the queue. Next, guests pass into a weathered barn to order at the coffee bar. Surrounding the bar are industrial coffee roasting machines and pallets of sacks of roasted beans.Once they have their coffee, guests proceed to the outside seating area where they can enjoy their beverage surrounded by some of the spectacular foliage of the Ethiopian highlands. Nestled amongst this foliage is a vintage Land Rover, a common vehicle that's well-suited to the rugged terrain, and a dorze hut, a traditional Ethiopian structure in which coffee ceremonies are still held to this day

IMAGINARIUM LIBRARY

Overview

In this project, I designed a library for an urban center that would use immersive storytelling to provide a more compelling experience to visitors. To conserve above-ground space for high-rises, the library is largely subterranean, with a single central atrium linking it to the sky above. To make reading more compelling, the story of the library includes helpful fox spirits that serve as librarians. Being spirits, the foxes cannot directly interact with the physical world, and need visitor's help to find and read books throughout the ancient structure.

The Library

The fantastical library, named "The Imaginarium," is set in an ancient temple of knowledge. This temple is tended to by friendly sentient foxes which live in the spirit world, but as spirits, they rely entirely on human visitors to help them find and read books to catalogue.After some early sketching, I found that the aesthetics of ancient Southeast Asian temples was particularly compelling to me, especially when combined with natural-looking water features and other East Asian architectural features. A multi-level underground layout was chosen as a space-saving measure for a city where high rises reign supreme. Each floor contains areas where visitors can read in a themed setting that matches their books.From a practical perspective, getting visitors to see the ghostly fox spirits without wearing 3-D or augmented reality glasses for the entire duration of their visit was a challenge. The solution I eventually settled on was a golden medallion with an AR lens that guests can look through to see the spirit world.