Dazzling Designs :: Stoa of Attalos

Welcome back to the next installment of Dazzling Designs!

 

     The Stoa of Attalos in Athens, Greece is a remarkable structure.  Built in 138 B.C. by King Attalos II, this Mediterranean wonder served as a perfect place for the people to gather for events.  It provides protection from the elements while still letting light and fresh air in.  Forty-two shops reside inside the stoa which serves as an important landmark for trade and commerce in Athens.

     The front facade and columns are made out of beautiful marble taken from quarries nearby in the mountains and the walls on the inside are made of limestone.  The modern reconstruction rests almost exactly on the first foundation, and luckily the original front facade was intact showing the height of the old roof.  This helped the reconstruction process tremendously as they knew how high the roof was.

Before Reconstruction:

After Reconstruction:

 

      The stoa still serves as a gathering place for the people of Athens.  Greek architecture is one of my favorites.  They use marble, limestone, and sandstone to create very ornate and intricate structures.  I noticed many Greek structures have very flat and gradual roofs which I really like.  I will be incorporating this style into some future Minecraft projects which you'll be seeing very soon!

References-(all pictures and information):

>> http://www.agathe.gr/overview/the_stoa_of_attalos.html

Update :: 9-17-13

 EDIT (9-22): I've been quite busy and haven't gotten around to posting.  Hopefully I'll get the next Dazzling Designs out by the end of this week.

Be looking for a new post later this week!  It will be the next installment in my Dazzling Designs series and will cover the Stoa of Attalos in Athens!

>> Picture from agathe.gr

Skyrim Architecture :: Raven Rock

Welcome to the next installment of my Skyrim Architecture series, where I scout the Skyrim world in search of the most beautiful structures and landmarks Bethesda's award-winning franchise has to offer.  This time I am covering the Dragonborn DLC.

 

 

    Raven Rock sits on the island of Solstheim.  Prior to the eruption of the volcano in Vvardenfell, the settlement was a mining town owned by the East Empire Company.  To this day, it serves as the main port for Solstheim, but since the devastation caused by the Red Mountain erupting in 4E 05, Raven Rock has been declining.  Eleven years later in 4E 16, the High King of Skyrim gives Solstheim to the Dunmer for refugees coming from Vvardenfell and Morrowind.  The entire island is now covered in ashes.

 

    Almost every building was destroyed after the eruption.  After 4E 16, the Dunmer started rebuilding the city leading to the prominence of Dunmer culture and architecture.  These mysterious people from Vvardenfell and Morrowind have very different architectural styles than the Empire.  Most structures look as if they were made from the exoskeleton of an insect.

 

    

    Dunmer architecture is something worth admiring.  They have a strong culture and rich heritage that includes some of the most breathtaking structures in the Elder Scrolls universe.  Although I find it difficult to analyze their structures, I can definitively say that these insect-like buildings are very interesting.  (I could not find many pictures on the wiki or more examples of Dunmer architecture.  If I had a PC copy of Skyrim, I would take all the pictures myself.  Keep in mind that for now I want to stay purely with Skyrim.  I am considering covering some of the older games in the future.)

 

All pictures and information from The Elder Scrolls Wiki.

>> Previous Skyrim Architecture Post





Minecraft Building Guide :: Introduction

     Building things and making them look epic in Minecraft is tough.  (Especially with the default texture pack)  You have to have the right sense for aesthetics and know how colors mix and match.  You have to know how to add depth and detail, and you have to know how it ultimately affects the build as a whole.  Building in Minecraft is like painting on a 3D canvas, and this post is devoted to teaching you the basics of how to turn a very simple build into something people will admire.  This will teach you the fundamental concepts for building epic things in Minecraft.

Update :: 8-22-13

Be looking for a new post (most likely) tomorrow night on fundamental Minecraft architecture concepts.

 

 

 

 

 

>> Photos taken by me!

Back to Paradise?...We'll See.

       Hi all!  It has been awhile hasn't it?  Motivation and inspiration have been gone from me for this blog for almost a year now.  Many have commented since that post in October, and thank you for all the friendly, encouraging comments, questions, and feedback!  I will be starting to post again.  How frequently you might ask? 

       It will definitely not be compared to 2012 (at least for the time-being).  My guess is (depending on school work and such) not that much.  I cannot give you a straight answer on this, sorry!  Inspiration is also a factor.  I don't want to whip out crappy content™ when I'm not inspired or feeling totally out of it. I know of many YouTubers that say the exact same thing.  But without question, I am finally back from a massive hiatus, and I hope to see you all soon.

EDIT: I just added an easy way to keep up with my blog: Following by Email

To follow by email! (this is the best way to follow in my opinion): go to the bottom of the page and submit the email address you want updates to be sent to every time I make a new post!

Today's ArchiPic #112 :: Heddal (Stave Church)

     Heddal stave church (Heddal stavkirke) in Norway | Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.org

    Today's ArchiPic is the Heddal (triple nave) Stave Church in the municipality of Notodden in Norway.  It is Norway's oldest stave church.  Look at the layers of roof! :D  This thing was built in the 13th century and has gone through a series of restorations that have changed it slightly from its original appearance.

Circa 1890-1900



             This church has a rich history, but it also has its own legend!  Yes a legend.  Want to see it?

Sources:
>>The Legend and History.
>>Don't know what a "stave church" is? Then check this out!

- More posts to come!  (not as frequent like they used to be in 2012 though, for the foreseeable future at least)

Today's ArchiPic #111

    The Claiborne Pell Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island | Picture courtesy wikipedia.org

    Today's ArchiPic is the Newport Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island.  The bridge is named after the U.S. senator, Claiborne Pell, and was built in 1969.  At around 55 million dollars, this beautiful bridge isn't cheap.  I've traveled across this bridge countless times while on my three vacations to the New England area.  Fort Adams is very close and (I believe) is on the right side of the picture.
 

Minecraft Architecture | Space Needle

    Ever since May of this year we've been working in a new world on the server.  This world is totally survival.  It is not creative where you give yourself the resources.  Anyways, just last night I recreated the Moonlight Space Needle from my first Minecraft Architecture post on the first world in May of last year.  It's very similar, especially at the top, but the differences in the tube and base make it look so much better.  Here's a picture of the old and new version.

 

ORIGINAL

 

NEW VERSION

 

    To get up and down from it, it uses a minecart elevator by just right clicking.  As you can see it has more curves to it then the old version and is more rounded, which in turn makes it look way better.  I didn't mean it to look this way, but it's similar in shape to a coke bottle!  (in my opinion)

*There might be more posts soon.  I've just felt out of it, but I felt like sharing an age old creation.*





Minecraft Architecture Teaser?

    I'm back!  Ya, I kind of got inspired from Skyrim again.  But this is just a teaser...I am going to post alot more on my blog when school starts again.  Summer fun is just too much fun.