The “WOW” Factor
The WOW factor is that extremely elusive, extraordinarily intangible, difficult to define, but altogether magical quality a building or a destination projects when all the efforts of all the participants culminates in near perfection. It is the ultimate expression of the sum of all the creativity and all the energy that was poured into the project, the perfect melding of mind and materials that succeeds in making the imagined real. It is the realization in form of a concept as a complete entity from conception through execution to completion, when all individual elements come together and fuse perfectly as one. There is no standard formula to guarantee its creation; in fact a set recipe would insure its demise. It requires, perhaps, a bit of luck or divine intervention, and can be as rare and auspicious an occurrence as a lightening strike or a complete alignment of the planets. It can be conceived, but cannot be bought at any price. Nor can any single person or group can claim responsibility for its emergence. It exists only as a collaborative effort. It exists in all forms of artistic expression to elicit that one highly sought after reaction by all who experience it: a jaw-dropping awe-inspired “WOW!” where no other words will suffice. It is the greatest compliment an artist or artisan can receive: that one simple word expressing the profound appreciation for what has been created. Leisure architecture exists as a result of a society's need to experience the WOW factor, to feel the magic before them. It is what makes guests return to a place time after time and regale family and friends about their experiences there. It is what makes a place an icon for all people and for all time.
