Tobu World Square is a theme park that reproduces famous buildings from around the world at a scale of 1/25. Among these replicas is the White House. The construction process involves staff visiting the actual sites to create accurate reproductions based on sketches and measurements. However, due to security reasons, the White House is limited in terms of public accessibility, making it a challenging attraction to faithfully replicate compared to other buildings.
Here’s an explanation for why the White House’s orientation is different in Tobu World Square:
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Different orientations aren’t exclusive to the White House
This discrepancy in orientation isn’t unique to the White House alone. It applies to most buildings in Tobu World Square. As a theme park, it’s essential to showcase the most attractive viewpoints along the paths frequently traveled by visitors.
The White House’s iconic semi-circular balcony is a well-known feature, so strategically placing it along the main pathways ensures that visitors recognize it immediately, even from a distance. This encourages them to approach and admire the replica.
The location of the White House in Tobu World Square
The White House is situated in the American Zone, consisting of two islands, with the bordering point to the Egyptian Zone on the south side. The island on the northern side features iconic landmarks like the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, creating a main pathway on the eastern side.
The White House is on the second island, accessible through the eastern pathway. This positioning causes the north portico to face west-southwest and the balcony on the south portico to face northeast. The entire building is oriented this way.
The reason for this orientation shift:
If the White House’s orientation were accurately reproduced, it would face northeast from the main pathway’s perspective. This would cause many visitors to take longer to recognize the structure as the White House and might reduce the number of people stopping to appreciate it.
This indicates that the orientations of most buildings in Tobu World Square are designed with visitor flow in mind rather than being true to the real orientations.
Best time to appreciate the Tobu World Square White House
Although the White House’s orientation differs from reality due to visitor flow considerations, there are times when it closely resembles the actual scene. The best time is within the first two hours after the park opens, when sunlight shines from the east.
During this time, the south portico of the White House, facing northeast, receives the morning sunlight. This replicates the lighting conditions seen when viewing the real White House in the evening.
Blocking sunlight with strategically planted trees
The western side of the Tobu World Square’s White House is bordered by the park’s boundary and is adorned with tall trees.
Initially, when the park opened in 1993, the trees hadn’t grown tall enough, allowing views of neighboring residential areas. Additionally, the north portico of the White House received direct sunlight in the afternoon, leading to unrealistic scenes.
Now, the mature trees obscure outside views and provide shade, allowing visitors to see the north portico’s lighting conditions close to reality, even in the afternoon.
Visitor-oriented approach to the Tobu World Square White House
The buildings at Tobu World Square are positioned to prioritize visitor flow, resulting in ideal viewpoints along the pathways. The White House’s orientation is shifted deliberately to ensure that the best viewpoint, the south portico, is visible even from a distance, enhancing its appeal to visitors.
