World Capitol Project
 

Hello everybody! I've come to this forum from time to time in the past and enjoyed the great conversations and architecture which is presented throughout the boards. I finally decided to sign up.

At the end of January I began working on my first large-scale sketchup hobby project, to which I dedicate this thread; the design for a capitol city of a fictional empire.

It has been my goal to reflect an imperial style of design throughout the model. The capitol campus, at the center of the map, has taken shape significantly. In the future I will begin expanding outwardly to create an urban landscape surrounding it.

Below is a rendering of the complex:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...p20100506a.jpg

Here is a basic rundown of the theoretical functions which the currently present structures serve:

Phase I, The Judicial Ministry complex is seen at back (The complex includes 20 connected buildings behind a facade and windmill stacks)

Phase II, The Economic and Military Administrative complex (The complex featuring twin pentagon-shaped domed buildings)

Phase III, The Cultural Ministry, Archives, and U.S. Embassy Complex (still under construction as I write this) (Features Twin Towers at left, Central Domed Structure, and Twin Pyramids)

An underground train concourse allows convenient transportation connections between all of these buildings.

Update: original video removed. Most recent video rendering is located later in this thread.

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I plan to spend the rest of the year working on this project. I will make periodic new updates as they occur.

is this supposed to be nazi-ish/Greek architecture because it really looks like it especially with eagles on those domes.

Well, i really like it. That entrance gate looks sweet. cool vid too.:)

I drew significant inspiration from the old model of proposed Germania, and the Nazi style of larger than life classical/neoclassical architecture, as was proposed for Germany during that era. (As a disclaimer, beyond the architecture, no further political intent should be perceived.)

One of my main goals from the beginning has been to employ a style which implies authority and scope without relying excessively on height to achieve that goal.

As an additional note, the text which appears on various buildings throughout the model is an alternate alphabet which I designed (based loosely on flag semaphore symbols) in an effort to give the project further distinction. Many of the inscriptions allude to the titles of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian deities.

Kinda unique stuff here! Yeah does remind me of some of Albert Speers work. It also makes me think of a new age cult - scientology if you will! I'll be interested to see what form the city takes. I reckon all those columns will slow it down though?

Interesting concept! I think the architectural style you've created is unique-looking yet still very believable. Great modeling too! Only thing that is not to my liking are the windmills on the roof. But hey, if that's the way of this empire, then that's their business, not mine. :)

i like it! but those towers hold an EXTREMLY large simalarity to the old WTC in new york.

12,000 faces later... Update 1.59 (The project now registers 159,000 faces)

The twin towers are now fully connected to the still unfinished central domed complex, and I have begun working on Tricentennial Tower.

Tricentennial Tower is designed to be the headquarters of the Imperial Commercial Corporation. It is comprised of three connected towers, each having 100 floors. It stands 1,477 feet tall including top-level mechanical space and ornamentation, with the highest usable floor topping out at 1,102'. It is decorated atop by a massive pick and hammer, reminiscent of the style of the Soviet Union. The ICC is symbolized by the uppercase letter Phi, which appears on each of the tower's three sides.

The fiction of this Empire suggests that the economy is monopolized by a State-run corporation (Imagine an entity like the U.S. Federal Reserve acting on unlimited power over all commerce). Thus, the Corporate headquarters is to be separate from the government, but nevertheless inextricably linked to it and funded by it.

Presumably, beyond the core capitol complex of federal and military buildings, almost all architecture throughout the (yet unbuilt) city is commissioned either by the Cultural Ministry or the Commercial Corporation. The Tricentennial Tower serves as the centerpiece for all finance, public and private.

The individual floors of the new tower are visible, but the skin of the building has not yet been added.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...88/wcp159a.jpg

Most free-market-based urban landscapes reflect a blend of functionality and randomness. Cities slowly evolve over time as the commercial and residential demands of their region evolve. When a new building does go in, it reflects (ideally) the vision of the company/entity which will reside in the building, or the architectural style of an individual designer.

In contrast, and as is the case in my project, we are imagining an urban landscape which is taking shape by order and design of a central government. As an imperial project, little thought concerning the cost (or even, in some cases, the practicality) of the project need be taken into consideration; for the primary purpose of the construction, unlike commercial construction projects, is to create monuments serving as an all-dominating civil reminder of the grandeur of the Empire.

While such a scenario provides cause for an absolutely enormous scope in the building of government projects, it also suggests that civil architecture, meaning anything that is part of (in this case) the rather limited private sector will likely be of a surprisingly low key, at least in comparison to what most of us would expect of a large city. Like villiagers dwelling in the shadow of a massive castle, the average people in this empire are, theoretically, rather poor, while the officially sanctioned imperial building projects are of unparallelled glory.

When I started this project, I resolved against designing anything without first understanding the structure's function. Additionally, I am trying to emulate a specific urban atmosphere which can only be appreciated if one also understands the nature of the economy and political structure of the environment for which they are designed (hense the fiction subtext which I am splicing in here as I go).

The roof of the towers are 1,375' tall. The tower fitted with an antenna tops out at 1,776'. They each have 110 floors and two sky lobbies, as did the towers in New York. As these towers are intended to serve as fictional housing for the U.S. Embassy and related international functions, the design is a deliberate tip of the hat to the late WTC. :)

Your city reminds me on my own capital i started some years ago but never finished. So i just combined different buildings from GE Warehouse to build up new ones...

Here just some pics to show you ;)

The city grid
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...samtplan01.png

one of the uge places at the entrance to the inner city
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...samtplan03.png

the imperial palace
http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/y...iserpalast.png

hope you' ll do it better than me in finnishing your capital :)

Really like of what you have done Jhoward. Really like the style of architecture you have done so far..

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Cool.........melikes.

Update 1.66 - The project has grown by 7,000 faces since my last post. The ICC/Tricentennial Tower and central complexes are now primarily complete. There are a number of finishing touches that I am planning for the central campus, but for now Phases I-III are completed enough for me to start active work on the design for phase IV.

Phase Four introduces the State Street Project (High-Density State-Commissioned Residential Housing), which is beginning to take shape in the latest rendered picture:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...P20100520s.jpg

The State Street Project is the first group of buildings conforming to an urban grid system. The large red letters engraved on the sides of the new buildings spell the word "STATE". They serve as a reminder to visitors and citizens alike of the power of the State. Citizens of the Empire (more especially those in the capitol city) work for the State Corporation, live in State Housing, and everywhere are surrounded by symbols of the Empire's power in (and over) their lives.

Looks really nice. Looks like you put a lot of time into this.Nice job!!

Update 1.69 - ^First of all, thanks Flamesrule, and everybody else thusfar who has cruised into this thread and commented. :-)

A frontal view of the State Street Residential Project shows recently added Ascension Spire (Trivia: I got the open-topped pentacle design idea from an episode of The Dresden Files, where it appeared briefly.) Three taller towers will soon be going up behind the complex:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...P201005222.jpg

A pseudo-night time/negative view looking north from South State Street is shown below. A 200-foot cross and lightning bolt monument (intended to be the primary symbol of the FFF, or Fellowship of Federal Fraternities, which is the Empire's primary pseudo-religious State-sanctioned institution) stands directly in front of the Stock Exchange building. (Athena Tower)

The left and presently undeveloped side of State Street as shown below is going to be turned into medium-density commercial and residential city blocks. Most of the buildings there will be two to not more than ten stories tall, marking a distinct contrast from the trend of large scale buildings. Additionally, trees, grass, small monuments and lamp posts will be going in soon, in order to make the streets themselves more clearly defined.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...1005223Nrs.jpg

Looking really cool! The designs are consistent and the night shot looks great. Is it just inverted colors, or is it really a night time render with lights and all?

It would be nice to see some trees and people to get an idea of the scale of the buildings.

^ The dark shot that I posted earlier was an just an inverted color version. I'll be adding trees and some grass after a while, but for the time being I have started by adding some cars to the boulevard itself to help give the project scale reference.

Work on the West side of State Street has begun, adding the new buildings pictured below, which include a medium-sized retail space, a 14-story hotel (which also occupies the smaller buildings immediately connected to its main tower), 8 stories of leased/contract office space, and a public garage with six parking levels.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...P201005225.jpg

Update 1.76: this new 56-second video rendering offers a quick glimpse into the newly emerging State Street Neighborhood on the south side of the development, continuing through the Federal district, and ending with a brief flythrough of the underground concourse.

Update: original video removed. Most recent video rendering is located later in this thread.

The cars really help to give a sense of scale and just how big this whole model actually is. State St looks like it might have more 'ordinary' buildings lining the left side. I don't think I'd like to be a citizen in your city though, its kinda scary architecture!

Update 1.89
 

Imperial Opera and Dominion Television Complex

Located on the west side of State Street, The lower levels of this building are occupied by a centre for the arts, while the 340 foot tall arch-shaped tower houses State television networks:

Seen from front:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...CP20100531.jpg

Seen from above:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...P201005312.jpg

Seen from west:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...P201005313.jpg

Happy Memorial Day, Folks! :)

EDIT: My first propaganda poster: :)

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...tateStreet.jpg

I really do not think this is scary architecture. It's not my favorite taste but you have done a great job for this project with design and the design.


Very nice job!!!!!!!!!1

Update 1.93
 

200 Gult Avenue (Atlas Tower) is the new headquarters of the Free Market Capital & Trade Party, an organization which rivals the Imperial Commercial Corporation. With a total height of 2,441 feet, the building has 130 stories and stands as the new tallest structure in the city. (To provide an idea of proportion, Atlas Tower is approximately 276' shorter than the real world Burj Dubai/Khalifa.)

Gult Avenue is the main East-West arterial which intersects with State Street. 200 Gult Ave is the first building to be assigned an official street address. If it isn't obvious, just as the Federal Complex is a tip of the hat to fascism, and the ICC tower was a tip of the hat to Communism, the Atlas Project is inspired by Anarcho-Capitalism, Ayn Rand-esque ideologies, and Corporatism.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...AtlasTower.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h.../GultTower.jpg

Holy Sh*t!!!! Thats Massive!!!

I'm a big fan of this city as I am of Communist Architecture and Communist Art. This City is a nice breeze of fresh air here on this forum, there's just no other city like it! My only complaint would be the coloring of the city, your first shots show a completely red and white city, It gave the city a very surreal future Communist look, but now I've noticed you've been adding color to some of your new structures, including the Atlas Tower. But since you've said the other buildings are fascist and communist and the Atlas Tower is capitalist, will all buildings that are communist styled be white while the capitalist styled buildings be colored?

:previous: Thanks, Patrick. I put some thought into what you were saying about color themes, and decided to neutralize all colors in the model other than the black/red/gold which I have been using sparingly for special components like writing and logos.

Sticking to a primarily white/plain theme adds to a sense of uniformity throughout the project while also giving me the added flexibility of being able to flip to a negative image and easily create fairly realistic pseudo-night renderings. It also helps ensure that I won't let myself allow colors or textures to start detracting from actual model detail.

I really like the premise of having completely separate color themes for different sectors, but for now to keep things simple, let us assume that Red represents the Communist Party; Gold represents the Capitalist Party; and Black represents the Common Party, or Nationalists. Various organizations throughout the Empire may employ a variety of combinations of these three colors depending on their political affiliation or relevance. Those three colors may be used together, or seperately. When all three are used together, they imply an element of commonality shared between the three parties.

Here is both a light and dark new rendering of Atlas Tower showing the change. At its base, the Daventry district can be seen, which includes a mix of Retail and Office space, Musical Venues, an Art Gallery, and a small convention center:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...lasProject.jpg

The Daventry district in more detail:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...688/Atlas3.jpg

The cars you added really helped to get the feel of the scale. Now I really see the buildings are incredibly massive, yet the scale feels even more realistic than before and fits the backround story perfectly.

Update 2.0
 

Just in time for update 2.0... The Tri-Party Congressional and Diplomatic Assembly Complex is now visible, significantly filling out the skyline as it appears when viewed from the southwest.

The Tri-Party Congress & Diplomatic Assembly will be the Empire's administration of international affairs (also known as the NCCP), having duties ranging from diplomacy and foreign policy to intelligence abroad. It is intended to be the global face of the Empire, as well as host to an international peacekeeping panel similar to the real-world United Nations.

During a later phase, the Southwest edge of the city will be developed as a coastal region, offering opportunity for the city to eventually host seafaring vessels. Presence of water is taken into consideration for added effect in the latest rendering:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...88/Skyline.jpg

Phase IV In Final Stage, Phase V To be Launched Soon

Moving forward from here my plan is to make sure that everything that has been added to the project up to this point is complete, and put together a new consolidated summary and history of the Empire with more specific details concerning the specs and peculiar significance of each building constructed thusfar.

Some of the large projects slated for the beginning of the next phase include a large shopping mall complex and international business district (a sector open to foreign corporations) and the North State Street Health Ministry Complex, as well as a massive headquarters and operations base for the Department of Public Works and Corrections (PWC).

Advancing the Fiction - Labor Issues in the Empire

I am creating a picture of a project which would be of unprecedented scale if it were to be created in the context of reality. From ancient Egypt to modern Dubai, massive projects designed to bring glory to an Empire usually come at an uncomfortable and often unmentioned human expense. In the context of the fiction of my Empire, such is no less the case.

The Department of Public Works and Corrections is jointly responsible for punishing law or code violations and for supplying the manpower necessary to build and maintain the Empire's many projects. The citizen is given a civil obedience rating similar to a credit score, which is issued to him or her in the form of what is known as a CCN Number. The more law-abiding the citizen happens to be, the higher his or her score is likely to be. The Empire punishes even the smallest offenses - such as littering - by automatically lowering the CCN rating of offenders.

Citizens with the lowest common denominating CCN rating are generally unable to find any form of federal or contract employment whatsoever, and are thus forced to live in a PWC Labor Facility and accept a delegated job assignment. In this way, the Empire rewards order by giving the greatest degree of freedom and opportunity to the most compliant folks, while recruiting everyone else for forced labor; and that is how the ongoing glory of the Empire, and its lavish construction projects, are driven forward.

The Free Market Capital & Trade Party opposes the practices of the PWC, but is limited in its ability to change them due to the fact that it controls only one third of votes cast in the Tri-Party Congress, and majorities of both the Communist and Nationalist congressional delegates support austere policies.

awesome work, keep it up, looking forward to your updates

Definitely an interesting project. Like a clash between early 20th Century Communism and Futurism.

The north face of the Tri-Party Congress Building:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...aH688/1910.jpg

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Wicked!!.................

Amazing. And you even included some competish to the Imperial Corporation with that Galt Tower. I can't help but wonder how both can coexist in the same city, but I guess you explained that when you mixed free market and corporatism in the same line.

Love the scenario though, frighteningly reminiscent of everywhere I dread. And your alphabet looks strikingly similar to German "Runes" revived during the 30s.

Keep up the good work, can't wait to see a fenced camp with a chimney on the outskirts.

^ Thanks for your feedback, verticalextropy! :) The question of how Totalitarianism and Communism can exist in the same context as Individualism and Capitalism is intended to add a tone of surrealism to the project. It is also intended to provoke thought of some sort.

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In any case, work continues on the Tri-Party Congress Complex. The Diplomatic Assembly Tower stands 1,200 feet and 87 Stories tall, while newly designed 20-Story-Tall banners decorate the south and west sides of the building, along with the official date upon which the Empire was founded, which was January 13, 1908. The official calendar of the Empire is always set exactly 100 years earlier than the modern equivalent. For example, 1908 and 1910, in the Empire, are metaphorical of 2008 and 2010 in real life, respectively. January 13, 2008 is the day when I began working on some of the early concepts leading to the broader project, which is why that "founding" date was chosen.

On the North side of the complex, the date "1910" is inscribed, which marks the year in which the building was constructed. On either side of it, the International/Universal flag colors are represented by six stripes of descending Red, White, Red, Gold, Red, and Black. The line of coded letters spells "Tri Party Congress".

It is worth noting that the west tunnel entrance of the Tri-Party Congress complex is the first major landmark which visitors, generally entering the city by train, witness as they approach the central terminals.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ConNorth2A.jpg

To avoid lag, I am designing this building in a separate file for later import into the main city, which is why no other buildings appear around it in the above shots.

The sheer mass of the Twin Towers next to the Reich Chancellery gives a very powerful imagery. It actually sent chills down my spine.

I can't believe the consistency (architecture/story) of your work.

Might want to see how the peebs live though. You could make just three different housing projects and then copy them in an efficient, orderly yet not necessarily aesthetic manner. Maybe a "Home of the Street Sweepers" ?

Update 2.51
 

^ I will be addressing the shortage of residential buildings in the next phase with several new large scale housing projects in the northwest part of the map. I will also make a color-coded top-down map that has the names and uses of current buildings and a zone chart of future plans in undeveloped areas soon. Finally, the Congressional Complex is complete and integrated with the rest of the model.

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The Peace Assembly Center is the first, and thusfar only exhibition of State tolerance for foreign or International organizations. In spite of certain austere practices, systems, and departments which exist by government authority, the Empire unveils new offices which it has provided for the United Nations and Amnesty International.

A part of the recently unveiled Congressional and Diplomatic Complex, the Peace Assembly Center is a symbol of international goodwill and reflects the Empire's desire to demonstrate to the world its interest in complying with universal standards for equality and human rights. Nevertheless, for security reasons International guests are not permitted to travel freely within the Empire without a State-appointed escort accompanying them.

Proponents of the Empire applaud the grace which it extends to the rest of the world, while critics question the motives of High Command and insist that the new "Peace Assembly" is powerless and ignorant of alleged concerns beyond its jurisdiction.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...CongressF4.jpg

Congress Loop Road is an elevated expressway allowing direct rooftop access to the Peace Assembly Center and ease of access to upper lobbies of the Congressional Complex on the north side. It is visible in these new shots, as the new addition appears for the first time in full detail against the backdrop of the entire city:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...CongressF3.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...CongressF1.jpg

Bird's-Eye view of Congressional Complex from Second Sky Lobby of the US Embassy Complex North Tower:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...yCongressF.jpg

This is mental! Very unique architectural style you've got going. The whole city is looking huge and frightening - big brother is watching you!

Video Update 2.51 Coming Soon
 

As I write this, the rendering process continues for what will be my first full-detail video animation of the project at its current development stage, which I will post within the next day or so. Due to computing limitations, it takes about 10 hours to create each minute of completed video animation, so suffice to say things are going a bit slow. :)

Meanwhile, early design work has begun on the next phase of housing developments, which will provide residence for another 20,000+ people. I will probably have them finished and integrated into the model in about a week.

In any case, here is a quick list of completed and planned buildings, and their functions:

Part I: Federal
East (Themis) Tower (Civilian Amenities)
Judicial Wing North (Enforcement Division)
Judicial Wing South (Legislative Division)
Pentagon II Complex South (Military Administration, Nationalist Party)
Pentagon II Complex North (Economic Administration)
West Mall Memorial (Department of Tourism)
South (Athena) Tower (HC352 Indicator / Commonwealth Stock Exchange)
North Marker (Civilian Memorial)
Sigma Center East Pyramids (Department of Archives and Records)
Sigma Center Dome (Ministry of Culture, Library of Congress)
Embassy Center Towers (United States Embassy, International Consolates)
Tri-Centennial Tower (Imperial Commercial Corporation, Communist Party)

Part II: Private Sector
State Street Project (Federal Commissioned Residential Housing)
Imperial Contract Zone (Commercial Development, under jurisdiction of ICC, under construction)
Gult Tower (Capitalist Party)
Daventry District (Civilian Arts and Consumer Amenities, Historic District)
Mint Building (Monetary Agency, under construction)
Dominion Television Center (State Broadcasting, Arts Venue)

Part III: International Sector
Tri Party Congressional Assembly Dome (Seat of Government)
Diplomatic Assembly Center (Hotel, Convention Center)
Peace Assembly Center (United Nations, Amnesty International, other international organizations)
International Business District (project not yet started)
Docks (project not yet started)

Part IV: Works and Corrections
PWC Residential District (light to medium density residential space for 20,000+ civilian residents / under construction)
North State Street Department of Health and Education Complex (project not yet started)
PWC Industry and Detention (project not yet started)
PWC Agricultural Division (project not yet started)
Publics Works & Corrections Headquarters (project not yet started)
HOPE II Mass Housing Initiative (project not yet started)

The Fellowship of Federal Fraternities (State Church/Social Organization) Headquarters is another large concept building which is planned for the distant future, along with a substantial shopping mall of some variety.

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I first started developing ideas which eventually evolved and gave birth to this extended project a little over 2 years ago. My early work with sketchup started at some point in the second half of last year (2009). What began as a rather trivial bit of fun has since evolved into an increasingly dynamic project. It has become apparent to me that I probably will not be wrapping up before the end of the year as originally planned.

While most or all of the projects listed above will most likely be completed in 2010, the ongoing project at large is now officially open-ended and may ultimately be spanned over the course of several years.

wow, you have really out done yourself this time. The architecture is very well done, and this project is very well planned out. I wish Tennington was this planned out~

I also can't wait until your video!

the elevated highway looks a bit funny here: http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...CongressF3.jpg

otherwise, a great city!!! (with lots and lots of thought being put into it)

^ Thanks for the feedback, guys. Innsertnamehere, I see what you are saying about that elevated roadway. I think it would look better if I had made it a gradual, softly descending curve instead of using the double-humped design which I did. Perhaps at some point down the road I'll go back in there and redesign it one way or another. There are a number of things that I would really like to go back in and refine, but due to lag in the main model, they will probably wind up waiting until I upgrade my computer system.

In any case, the great unveiling is upon us. Enjoy the Show. :)

Update: original video removed. Most recent video rendering is located later in this thread.

Brilliant propaganda video:tup: . All you need are the smiling, waving populace to complete the scene. The architecture you've created is truly unique as well, a bit of Nazi, Stalinist, Russian Constructivist, Italian futurist - genius. I'll be interested to know how you're going to expand outwards the city, and its gonna look so impressive and scary to see the centre surrounded by the workers houses.

Man, that must've taken you a while to make. How long id the movie make? I really like the outcome of it.

Keep it comin!

^^^ The video took about 50 hours or so for the computer to render. You know what they say: Rome wasn't built in a day. :)

Imagine that there were no world wars in the twentieth century. Instead, Germany, the USSR, and the United States all became allies. National Socialists, Communists, and Capitalists all worked together, forming the Tri-Party Congress. Together they forged a powerful coalition government; and as a result, the economic and political turmoil of the early twenty-first century was averted. In that alternative timeline on September 11, 2001, there were no terrorist attacks. Nobody died, and this was New York:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...8/MergeWTC.jpg

Imagination aside, I made the above photoshop so that you could see the fictional buildings superimposed against a backdrop of real-world buildings for a true sense of scale.

This is the current Sector Map, showing current and future development districts:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...orldcapMap.jpg

Sector 1 - The Federal District (Completed)

Sector 2 - Capitalist District (50% Done) - These are buildings which are directly related to the Capitalist Party or are otherwise unregulated by the various federal powers that be. Just about anything can be built in there.

Sector 3 - International District (Completed)

Sector 4A - Private Imperial Contract Zone (Early in Development Phase) - This area is home to private businesses operating by contractual authorization from the ICC.

Sector 4B - International Imperial Contract Zone (Not yet begun) - This area will house offices of international businesses welcomed with federal permission. Early concept work has begun for the first building in this zone, which will be leased to IBM. More details later.

Sector 5 - Mass Residential Development - This is what I am currently working on primarily. Phase I introduces housing for 20,000 people. Phase II will be much larger.

Sector 6 - Industry, Science, Agricultural Tech Buildings and other Services - This sector is to be designed in rough conjunction with Sector 5.

Sector 7 - Retail, Public Commerce, more Residential Areas - This will be the first "liberal" part of the city, as the Empire opens its doors to the modern retail phenomenon. I'll get to the backstory concerning that later on.

Sector 8 - Docks, Waterfront Area - This part of the model will, when all is said and done, probably be on the west end of a peninsula. Sector 8 will reveal the shape of the coastline.

After Sector 8, the model will probably expand toward the East, right side of the map. At minimum, I hope to have Sectors 1-6 completed this year. Sector 7 and 8 design work may not begin until 2011.

Finally, here is a quick shot of some of the light-density housing units being designed presently for Phase I of Sector 5:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...usingFlats.jpg

Each three-story modular houses 12 ~600 Square Foot units rated for a capacity of up to four citizens each.

Very consistent and believable work! That superimposed shot is very well done. Those buildings really are gigantic!

New Proposed:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...BMBuilding.jpg

I like the classical 40s post-modern look and they're so detailed. Good job on it.

The model now contains more than 300,000 faces, with the unveiling of IBM center:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...688/wcp301.jpg

The Tri-Party Congress passed a motion 4-2 allowing foreign corporations residence within the Empire and permitting the construction of an international business district. The terms of the bill require that all participating companies receive an express congressional requisition for their services.

International Business Machines, the international information services company, unveiled a new independent branch which operates under the title of "Imperial Business Machines" within the Empire and reports directly to High Command of the same. While it remains financially linked to its mother company abroad, all other aspects of its business are strictly imperial.

The IBM Subsidiary will be responsible for maintaining the Empire's Government data and computing systems, in addition to offering standard public products and services.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h.../Tallest10.jpg

The Sector 5 residential zone has been officially named the Volksheim District. Three large residential towers serve as the project's centerpiece, each standing 355' tall. An outlying grid of medium-density residential buildings surround them.


The present view showcasing new residential towers and surrounding apartment buildings as seen from Volksheim Street facing North:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h.../volksheim.jpg

As a side note, computing power continues to be a growing problem. While I plan to purchase a new computer system as soon as finances prudently permit, until that happens progress is likely to be somewhat hampered. ;)

I think the IBM Building is my favorite so far. That residential zone looks quite intimidating.

Thanks Vellu.

I thought I'd thow in another sneak peak from Sector 5, which - in spite of the lack of frequent updates - is indeed making significant progress. I have updated my plans for the residential district to include some mixed use high-density commercial development.

Several new towers are going in which surpass 600 feet, as well as at least one new supertall at 1000+ feet. Additionally, the amount of planned high density residential area has increased. While the final population figure for the zone isn't final, I am certain that it will be much higher than the earlier predicted 20,000.

This is the base of Squeak! Communications tower, exhibiting some decorative public statues in the new Volksheim Downtown District. Note that this is the first instance in which buildings are situated on a traditional urban grid layout, marking a major step forward for the urban development of the project overall:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ect/Squeek.jpg

I expect to have Volksheim 100% finished and integrated into the main model within the next week or so, at which time I will release a full detail update. I'm putting a great deal of thought into this particular phase, which is why the more interesting parts are being kept under wraps until the unveiling. :)

Awsome work you've got going!

Like the render!