Russell Thomas - Nexus - Just for Play

[TheAllusionist]

Hey guys, just for the fun of it I am going to try and put something together, so you know that I am in the trenches with you. I am not really competing and I cannot officially enter this contest. I am just going to try and play with you guys when time allows and doesn't affect my job promoting the contest. I may not have time to complete it, but I will try to progress along with the official contestants as time allows.

Nexus: I have chosen the form of an egg which symbolizes the birth of something. Mine will be a seat of government for a community re-developement type project. The idea is a giant plaza amongst the city scape with an urban like park in the shadows of the symbol of a cities re-birth as it were. I plan water features and having major artilleries serve as urban canyons leading to this new city center. The plaza will have water features and landscaped amphitheaters, etc. breaking up the huge volume into little secluded spaces more intimate and appropriate for human scale. I chose a large structure to hopefully give it the "WOW" factor and perhaps help it be an architectural ornament.

I have decided to treat the egg as a jewel that is in an ornate setting (structure) to celebrate its precence and symbolize how precious the new symbol of the cities prosperity is. The scene as planned at this time will take place at night with dramatic lighting and hopefully interesting reflections in the pool at it's base.

It is just something I sketched up while procrastinating over packing for the weekend. I have to leave town and will be back Sunday night, so if I don't respond it is not because I was snubbing you. Let it rip, honest critiques, I have a thick skin and think input improves the project. Remember this is just for fun in my case I am trying to keep participation going and have some fun playing with the other kids!

[TheAllusionist]

Oh yeah! It is a little heavy handed at this point, the next step will be to refine it and make it a little more elegant and perhaps more modern and contemporary. That is what the concept skech is for, to express a concept and refine it from there, so come on everybody, lets see your ideas!

[CAHDsman]

It kind of looks like an alien spacecraft landed after conquering the planet, either that or a new 'Pokeman"! LOL I know Russell and he is a kidder I know he will take those comments in the jest they were meant.

It does look like an ancient ornament and with your plans so far, if you can make it come across as a building, I think it has the potential to come across as 'Wonderous' and intrigue the viewer. Something the real contestants should keep in mind, it needs to be an architectural wonder, the judging is on the visual image and is judged on its strength and aesthetics,if my interpretation of the assignment is correct. Not that the contestants aren't doing that, I just mean they shouldn't lose site of that, IMHO

[TheAllusionist]

It is a new 'Pokemon", called "Archichu", his powers are that he drains your capital thru cost over runs and change orders! LOL

Actually after viewing the entries, it dawns on me that subconsciously I may have borrowed some suggestions for Medicsmurfs entry and thus I should probably come up with another concept. I will try to come up with something else and submit it.

[Designer]

"Archichu" sounds like your average 'Contractor'.

[Max40]

It will be interesting to see how this thing transpires. It looks rather funky. It must be very large in scale..!?

[TheAllusionist]

Yeah, well it would have required a lot of refinement, but like I said above, I sub-consciously borrowed some suggestion/ideas from another post and as soon as I realized I decided to abondon this one, I will try to come up with another concept, but it is just for fun.

[Kadious]

I could see this as a half glass half concrete structure, lots of windows and arches....cool I keep watching this one.

[TheAllusionist]

OK, I put together a new concept sketch for reasons explained above. The structure will serve the same function as my first concept, a civic center.

After listening to discussions I decided not to refer or allude to historic wonders, but to go in a direction that the ancient architects couldn't, upward. I am going after an architecture that relies on modern engineering and materials to carry it off.

A tower with a precarious base laterally supported by elliptical steel half arches that create something similar to a compression ring centering forces above the surface, visually showing the structure that is keeping it from tipping over, demonstrating how the community around it supports the centralized government. The shell will alternate between heavy shell and translucent skin stepping up to the sky in a sleek form. The interlocking pieces indicate how the different divisions of government come together to form an integral body, but are separate. This is basically a celebration of where we are today in terms of technology and construction techniques.

Couple items I definately need to address: I could make it more slender to seem more elegant, I am undecided on that. The middle section where there is only a glazing shell, the lower shell is too thin at the stepping section, it will be deepened (this will make it more slender and taller) so it doesn't look so weak there. The major item is that there is no sense of arrival, I plan on leading up to the entries with an arcade of smaller tube elipses with perhaps glass shed type roofs alternating and mimicing the slope of the angled terminations on the building itself. Last but not least there will be a plaza with elements such as described in my first concept.

Well this is as far as time has allowed, this is just for fun in my case.

[Inigo]

Cheers for saluting the importance of the city center! Your second sketch reminds me of a Frank Lloyd Wright Stained glass window or Charles Mcintosh...great balance, contrast and depth. The idea of clarity through symmetry comes to mind...that creates a powerful effect.

Looking forward to the imagery of streets "serve as urban canyons leading to this new city center. " i'll be dreaming of that imagery for sure!

thanks for the motivation.