Academic Architecture Studio  |  Fall 2023 

Located on the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey, The IllusInn is a joint motel and minigolf course that takes visitors on a journey of trickery and illusion.

Initial investigations looked into different aspects of amusement from festivals to circuses analyzing how the architecture themselves becomes an embodiment of the amusement and play it provides. Particularly drawn to the fun house as an element of illusion, the motel focuses on elements of reflection, trickery, scale, and movement to take its visitors on a fully immersive experience.

The motel has three sections that provide three types of viewing, one towards the city, one towards the boardwalk, and one towards the beach. Between each motel room is a secret passageway that connects rooms and families together and takes them on a journey of trickery. These secret passages leads some people to the mini golf course, some to the pool, and others to nowhere, leaving them wondering where they are and how they got there.