Sadly, to day the first of the city hall proposals was eliminated today to make room for more. I will post them here as they go.
Final selection will be made Dec. 21st, 2013.
The City Hall Proposals
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The flying armored cube by Buckminster Solo shows a keen awareness of the constant turmoil and dangers of New Babbage living. City government is safely housed in an armored box that could withstand even an Obolensky Death Ray, and can quickly be moved to avoid the violent ends that have come to former city halls.
Thanks for playing Mr. Solo!
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Kyora’s proposal made interesting use of the lagoon underneath city hall, but I thought it was too modern for our era. Something at the back of my brain kept thinking i’d seen it before in a Planet Krypton flashback in some comic book somewhere. Additionally, the scale was such that myself and the urchins would have been the only ones able to enter the building. Was this actually a play to coerce the city into letting the urchins run things? We’ll never know…
Thanks for building, Kyora!
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I’m not sure if Obsi was serious with this one or if she was teasing me for always trying to get her to make the clocktower bigger at RFL. Whatever the case, this one is going home for unrealistic scale. Nymlet’s tentacle monster added by me. Thanks for building!
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Mr. Pearse put in two similiar models, and prims were getting tight, so I picked one to send back. I just couldn’t see that angel here, despite the backstory with those things in the clouds.
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Mr. Szondi’s highly detailed model came in at around 500 prims. While it was very well thought out build, I thought that the design was out-of-era. I was getting a very post-Weimar Germany vibe off it, and if you think I am avoiding a word, I am.
Thanks for building, Mr. S!
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Dee Wells’ whimsical geometry was interesting, maybe too interesting. I would like to see that center bridge clocktower somewhere! What sent this one out of the running was the glass roofed spiral section in back, which has an undeniable resemblance to the RLDS Temple in Springfield, Missouri. No. Just no.
Thanks Ms Wells, and there’s still time to try again!
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The glass roof always reminded me of the Mr. Fusion of the back of the Delorean :-)
The next group that went out where good solid builds, but lacked that special something to put them into serious consideration.
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Zantyago Montoya put the bug in my ear that it was high time to replace city hall, so i was eager to see his proposal. This looks like it has a good interior layout, but it lacks the presence the build requires from the outside, so out it went.
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Edward Pearse’s second model was similiar to his other, but with a keyhole entrance. It’s a good build for the era, but frankly, the symmetry bored me. In the States, most of this style of building has survived to the modern era, making it too common of an idiom to really grab my attention.
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Quaderratic settled on this geometric build of the three models he had done. It is very well done, in fact, there were some petite avatars walking around the inside of it one night, who declared it very comfortable. As much as I admired the build, it had a rather Caledon feel to it, so reluctantly, I sent it back.
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The final four were all set apart by having prominent clocktowers which gave them interesting siloettes.
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Buckminster Solo’s model was reminescent of the very early New Babbage builds, with lots of Wonka-Factory style stacks and outcroppings. The back thrill ride greenhouse I could not take seriously, I am wondering if there is a hidden lever the mayor can operate to shake his advisors into submission? Fun build, but out it went.
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What hurt Cyan Rayna’s model is that it did not look sufficiently finished. Also, parts of it were based on the Tyrol building, a former brewery, which made it look similiar to his build in the Port. He did have some very cool ideas for interior touches and moving machinery.
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Finally we come to Blake Panache and the Cabbits. I do thank everyone for their patience, its been a very dodgey week for me with the internet signal being oversaturated with everyone home with nothing to do but download movies.
Building is roleplay.
The Cabbits elegant entry was the best build of the lot. I do like that I would not have to give up my clocktower office, as the back roofline imitates the current build. Originally it had a marble exterior which gave it an Italian feel, that was changed to a dark brick which pushed it north. There were many, many, MANY impassioned notecards sent pleading for me to choose this one. The reason I am not choosing it is because it tells the wrong story.
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This is the city hall that Ezra Crumb and Dr. Joseph Foehammer dreamed about in thier youth, in their plans of Republic, before they had their falling out. It is part of a future that did not happen. I do agree that this is by far the best built entry, and yes it is welcoming at all that, and it would have been a delight to walk through.
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[img_assist|nid=7976|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=left|width=640|height=437]Blake Panache’s entry is the one that fits the story. It is not the best of the lot, and I know he is facing quite a challenge in building it, as well as time constraints. The cold and imposing shape, the arrogance of the clocktower, there is tension here that provides just enough unspoken conflict that makes the street stories go. This is the city hall that cronies to captains of industry. I love the mooring towers that give a claustrophobic sense to being outdoors, but I am not too crazy about the front waterfall.
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I will be taking down the rest of city hall tonight to get Mr. Panache on the ground, as he is under time constraints.
I am also derezzing most of the sewers in Square since they are all SALT HUD era prims, so do be careful that you don’t fall in the gaping trenches.
Prim bonus in Square has been raised to 1.2, I only have 2 residents left that need their lots adjusted. This was pretty scary to do as it barely left enough prims left to keep the sidewalks in place without robbing from your lots, until the adjustments could be made. Abney Parkway is now passable on its full width within the sim, a new corridor was cut on the south side of the sim, and the alley along Kahruvel Steamworks leading to the bridge to Radio Riel is now navigable. The corridor under the double tracks is also wider. Pilots should have a much easier time navigating across the sim.
Congratulations Blake on winning the contest! The design is certaintly going to make Underby happy with all the fireplaces to burn those un-necessary documents here and there.
As for Zaros and Kea’s build….now that it won’t be City hall for sure, I think that it might just pop up somewhere in this city yet, even if it does need changes to fit into a lot, or bigger one when it’s available. *Looks at the Hospital build and then turns back to negotiating with the Cabbits*
Congratulations Blake, I particularly look forward to seeing that huge clock in action! Yay!
I really like the circular park in the Cabbits design, something like that would look rather good for the cliff top plaza at the Aquila III station. I get the feeling that the Cabbits will find plenty of other building oppertunities. ^_^
Congratulations to Blake Panache!
And I would like to comment on Clockwinder Tenk’s excellent commentary and critique of the submissions. His prose put me in the mind of a saying I once came across in my readings:
Architecture is frozen music.
I’m moving my “office” and the real estate listing over to the Red Rum Cave in Clockhaven. Because Underby will have to walk further in the snow to get to work.
Thats a good choice, and its convenient for the telegraph office. *nods*
You may have to contend with requests from Unit #6 who is keen to play chess now that Steam Santa replaced the chess board I accidently desintegrated earlier in the year.