BUENA PARK, CA—Outside the Lines, a design-build construction company that specializes in creating one-of-a-kind water features, rockwork and themed environments, was recently selected to design and construct a 45-foot tall artificial mountain along with spectacular water features and other themed elements to bring to life the new Butterfly Palladium, a $55-million entertainment destination in the Southern California City of Buena Park. Butterfly Palladium will be reminiscent of a visit to a tropical Costa Rica-inspired rainforest. GlobeSt.com caught up with Wick Zimmerman, CEO and Chris Roy, director of design to learn more about how Buena Park is becoming a capital of entertainment destinations. GlobeSt.com: What makes Butterfly Palladium unique and attractive to residents and visitors? Wick Zimmerman: Butterfly Palladium will be an extraordinary educational entertainment center. With a greenhouse atrium exhibit of 19,000 square feet, it will be the largest butterfly exhibit in the U.S., and one of the largest in the world. The integration of learning and entertainment creates an amazing experience that drives deep value for property owners and developers. Visitors to the Butterfly Palladium will be able to see many different species of butterflies in an authentically recreated yet controlled environment. When guests arrive, they will be presented with a 3D film on the life of a butterfly from caterpillar to chrysalis, experiencing in virtual reality the moment when it spreads its wings for the very first time. Inside the atrium, after seeing real butterflies emerging from metamorphosis, visitors will be surrounded by thousands of butterflies flying freely for a mesmerizing, immersive experience. Chris Roy: The atrium habitat will be modeled after a Costa Rican rainforest and will include an artificial rockwork mountain, streams, and ponds along with indigenous trees, plants and flowers. Guests will be able to experience simulated thunderstorms and rain events, highlighting the rainforest experience. Pathways will wind through the exhibit providing the experience of interacting with butterflies, plantings, and tropical creatures in their natural habitat. Additionally, the project includes the world's largest jellyfish aquarium, as well as a "Bee Cave" where visitors will be able to see a large working beehive in an acrylic enclosure. This enclosure at Butterfly Palladium will be like none other and will allow patrons to walk around the hive and see it from many different angles and perspectives. GlobeSt.com: How is Buena Park becoming a capital of entertainment destinations? Roy: Buena Park has long been an important entertainment destination in Orange County. Situated in an ideal location between Los Angeles and Disneyland, the city is home to world-renowned theme part Knott's Berry Farm. Buena Park is also home to Soak City Water Park, Medieval Times, Pirates Dinner Theatre, and The Source, a new mixed-use retail-entertainment center. The region is a hub for Southern California tourism, and in 2008, the city adopted a strategic action plan to enhance and grow its Beach Boulevard Entertainment Zone. The addition of Butterfly Palladium is part of that plan. Zimmerman: Beyond entertainment destinations, there are fifteen hotels in the immediate area, with more than 2,000 hotel rooms as well as twenty-five restaurants, meaning that the infrastructure is in place to support an ever-increasing number of travelers. As developers and owners throughout the U.S. seek entertainment property innovations, many are looking to Buena Park as an example and a leader. GlobeSt.com: With so much of retail focusing on entertainment and experiences, how can one destination stand out? What sets Butterfly Palladium apart from traditional retail destinations? Zimmerman: Retail has always been a hyper-competitive and ever-changing industry. The increasing focus on entertainment and an enriched retail experience reflects the evolving desires of consumers looking for more than just the ability to purchase products, which can be done anywhere, anytime, with the push of a button. With the rise of lifestyle centers, the retail industry has demonstrated its understanding of the importance of creating places where people can hang out and enjoy a uniquely designed and/or curated environment. Food and beverage locations often take the spotlight in these centers, and shopping becomes one of many activities people participate in while enjoying the overall experience. In these lifestyle projects, public space amenities are serving as new anchors, drawing visitors into the space and encouraging them to stay longer. Based on metrics correlating foot traffic and dwell time with sales, it's a great model and is very successful. That said, it's a model that has become somewhat standard and well-established. Roy: To push the needle further, today's developers and designers continue to look for innovative ways to differentiate their projects. For example, we're beginning to see a new branch of retail entertainment that is able to monetize experiential environments. A recent article by Arielle Pardes in Wired magazine describes this feature, which takes the form of an interactive called "Selfie Factories." All that said, Butterfly Palladium will be much more than just a selfie factory (though it will undoubtedly be very popular in that regard). The project will offer an environment that is both educational and entertaining. Visitors will learn about the rainforest environment while being encouraged to help protect it. Further, the butterflies themselves are truly the stars of the show. Guests will see and likely touch a huge variety of exotic butterflies, creating memorable experiences for visitors of all ages and, of course, wonderful photo opportunities. GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the necessary elements of entertainment destinations? Zimmerman: The "selfie factories" mentioned above are a driving factor behind the newest trend we're seeing in retail entertainment destinations – Instagram destinations. Experiential retail is growing at a rapid pace due in part to the pervasiveness of social media, and consumers' continued interest in sharing experiences through apps. While lifestyle centers typically offer many wonderful amenities such as park space, dancing show fountains, and free concerts, there are several elements becoming more pervasive and popular, including paid attractions, environments, and installations. Examples include the Museum of Ice Cream, Color Factory, Candytopia, art installations such as Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors, and the like. Roy: A common thread in these examples is that they are created as temporary "pop-up" experiences—perfect for people seeking something new. For permanent projects, ensuring an ongoing sense of newness and change is even more important. A project like Butterfly Palladium is perfect in this regard; it is designed from the onset to exist in a constant state of flux, affected by ever-changing lighting conditions and weather outside, an evolving color palette as different tropical flowers continually bloom throughout the year, and an ever-changing mix of butterflies introduced to fill the space with excitement and joy. Creating new types of shareable environments is key to creating the experiences craved by the millennial generation, now the most important demographic targeted by retailers and retail developers. Millennials are always searching for places with a sense of community and an engaging environment. A counter-reaction to uniformity and homogeneity, entertainment-focused destinations emphasize and embrace differentiation and novelty, a trend that is poised for continued growth and development. OTL is excited to innovate and create within this revolutionary, imagination-driven market niche.