Sublime Heresy Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Hi all I was thinking about this subject today, and discussing it with a friend. Basically, what exactly would "Imperial" architecture look like at this point? I say imperial, as of course the Imperium was absorbing MANY cultures with their unique styles, so it'd vary a lot, but the core, Terran architecture would likely have a certain style. It would of course be very different from the 40K gothic look, and is often described as clean and utilitarian iirc, but being at work I lack sources right now. So, what do people think it'd be like? Personally I see it as clean lines, very little ornamentation, and relatively high tech mostly. There will be slums, and Mechanicus is a whole different bag of crazy, but this is how I kind of picture it overall. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Basically, you want to de-gothicise 40k archictecture. No skulls (the Imperium hasn't got that morbid yet), no Imperial saints (the Ecclesiarchy has yet to exist - it turns up quite some time after the heresy) and no cathedral-esque mega-buildings. Like you said, practicality is the key. I suggest looking up Functionalism, Bauhaus, Brutalism and Structural Expressionism for influences. I'd just like to point out - I'm no expert. This is just stuff I'd thought might fit in, style-wise. :P Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160050 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ubermensch Commander Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 One part utilitarian, one part over the top grandeoise. The Great Crusade is an era of majesty, glory, and hope for an eternal dawn of man. The enemies of mankind lay smashed and as the early Horus Heresy books intros mention "gleaming citadels" of marble and gold are erected to celebrate the Imperium's triumphs. Of course, the realm of man is also expanding at a breakneck pace, so prefabricated hubs and austere mechanicum buildings and machines are also present. Depends on where the building is, what its purpose is, and to whom it belongs. The big names get a bit more bling in their works. :) We have descriptions of buildings and shuttles modeled to look like the Imperial Aquila. Deliverance Lost mentions a few instances of this, from the Emperor's shuttle in Corax flashback, to parts of the Palace on Terra, to the Phalanx/Skygarden of the Imperial Fists. Remember, at Ullanor, they terraformed a huge chunk of a world to make a triumphal PARADE GROUND. Think big...then think BIGGER! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160232 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachnid99 Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 In Know no Fear we get a description of a new museum the smurfs are building on Calth which sounds very modernist but in general I would say an awkward mix of prefabs and still under construction mega-projects generally in a non-Gothic 20th century architectural vernacular. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160293 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime Heresy Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 Basically, you want to de-gothicise 40k archictecture. No skulls (the Imperium hasn't got that morbid yet), no Imperial saints (the Ecclesiarchy has yet to exist - it turns up quite some time after the heresy) and no cathedral-esque mega-buildings. Like you said, practicality is the key. I suggest looking up Functionalism, Bauhaus, Brutalism and Structural Expressionism for influences. I'd just like to point out - I'm no expert. This is just stuff I'd thought might fit in, style-wise. :D I spent some time looking all these architectural styles up, thanks. Was really quite interesting! What do people think of these? All quite different, just trying to get a feel. Reason I ask btw is that I make a lot of terrain (on commission for conventions etc) and I want to do a full, big Heresy table. The making shouldn't be bad, but i'm having a real issue conceptualising. City 1 City 2 City 3 City 4 City 5 Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160344 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 I'd say those pictures seem like a very good platform to build upon. Whack some aquilas on, militarise the cityscape a smidge and you'd be close to what I've got in my head. :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160358 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachnid99 Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 City 3 with a few Anti-air batteries and some aquilas is exactly how I imagine an 30k Imperial city. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160475 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ubermensch Commander Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Basically, you want to de-gothicise 40k archictecture. No skulls (the Imperium hasn't got that morbid yet), no Imperial saints (the Ecclesiarchy has yet to exist - it turns up quite some time after the heresy) and no cathedral-esque mega-buildings. Like you said, practicality is the key. I suggest looking up Functionalism, Bauhaus, Brutalism and Structural Expressionism for influences. I'd just like to point out - I'm no expert. This is just stuff I'd thought might fit in, style-wise. :) I spent some time looking all these architectural styles up, thanks. Was really quite interesting! What do people think of these? All quite different, just trying to get a feel. Reason I ask btw is that I make a lot of terrain (on commission for conventions etc) and I want to do a full, big Heresy table. The making shouldn't be bad, but i'm having a real issue conceptualising. City 1 City 2 City 3 City 4 City 5 Cities 2-4 are good bases for Imperial cities! As others have said, slap some 40K tech and iconography on there and good to go :) I think as a rule there must be ONE Golden Aquila symbol or building in the city...just because. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160524 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siege40k Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Sorry but City 5 reminds me of what the capital of Calth would have looked like... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160731 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rune Priest Ridcully Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I think you may have had some gothic style architecture, certainly without Skull, but the architectural style that comes to dominate the imperium needs to start somewhere, love the pics though. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160930 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime Heresy Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 I can't really get too much gothic from the text descriptions, thats the thing. The Crusade was a period of great hope and optimism among humanity, and as mentioned above was very much about glorious celebration of their return to the universe. I can't really reconcile that with anything too brodding or Gothic. Don't forget, the style could have started WAY after this point and still come to dominate the Imperium with time to spare. In less time than the gap between the Crusade and 40K, look at how many times architecture has changed on earth.... Personaly I suspect the brooding and skulls would have begun after the Heresy concluded. The Imperium was nearly shattered, most of the Astartes dead or rebuilding, the Emperor confined and dying. Humanity had finally been brought face to face with it's own precarious mortality, which would fit. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3160953 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachnid99 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Personaly I suspect the brooding and skulls would have begun after the Heresy concluded. The Imperium was nearly shattered, most of the Astartes dead or rebuilding, the Emperor confined and dying. Humanity had finally been brought face to face with it's own precarious mortality, which would fit. Agreed with a side of the Gothic style finally coming out on top when the Ecclesiarchy is formed and adopts the style for all it's building. After a while anything but Gothic is HERESY!!! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3161137 Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpediem Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Hmm... I've always imagined that the Pre-Heresy Imperium is still consolidating, hence that there is no standard artistic or architectural style as such. Granted, worlds conquered by certain legions (especially the Ultramarines) would probably take on a certain look. Military architecture (starships, shuttles etc.) is probably more standardized, and on the basis of what has been said earlier, may tend towards lots of Aquilas, wings, laurels and roman lightning bolts. I've been building an imaginary version of the Imperial Palace, before it got bombed halfway to hell, for quite a while now, and I've nicked favourite architectural features from places as diverse as the Pantheon in Rome, the British Museum, Wells Cathedral and the Mezquita de Cordoba, even the belltower from my alma mater and the stained glass window from my local department store! The point being that the Pre-Heresy palace ought to be open, airy, well lit, and conspicuously lacking in statures of the Emperor(!), and that its should only start developing into a tumorous mess of skulls and GOTHIC as the Imperium starts goes down the pan. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3161486 Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nephilim Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I think city 3 nails it. City 4 is a good close second, but is ruined by the giant statue. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3161775 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life Guard of Justice Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 In all honestly I think the structures would be more roman the closer to Terra you get. (Terra itself being very Roman) On the flip side I think Each planet that was taken by a space marine legion would reflect the legion itself. If you look at the description of the Fortress of Redemption that GW sells, it says that they were built by the Dark Angels during the time of the Heresy. So its reasonable to assume that the style of architecture on Caliban would reflect those fortresses. Also if you read the books about the Word Bearers or the Emperors Children they talk about how after they subjicate a planet, they spend some time there teaching the inhabitants imperial customs and culture. They also reshaped the cities in the "Imperial Image." As far as the concepts I would say that 5 or 2 would most resemble a Heresy era imperial world. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3164084 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother-Sergeant Bohemond Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 I would expect lots of diversity from world to world, in fact, I can see all those concepts working on different worlds. Even some form of Gothic or Neo-Gothic architecture. Just, no skulls and statues of saints. (pictures of the Emp and Primarchs are still ok) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3164189 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calgar 2.0 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/118/c/b/los_angeles_2100_by_andreewallin-d4xtuqz.jpg Maybe? I think some worlds would look a lot like the ideal city of the 50's. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3164350 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorns Padawan Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Calgar 2.0: That is a damn cool pict! It is also how I imagine one of the many cultures to look like pre Great Crusade. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3164352 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennisBall Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hintergrund, that's the fifth one. Imperial architecture is mentioned at the beginning of the Horus hersey, maybe Horus Rising. I recall the buildings being described as light, lots of glass and spires and gold. The Imperial Palace is also described in similar terms in whatever story Dorn is moaning about having to turn it into a fortress. The impression given is soaring towers, lots of windows and glass to allow light in, gold and other metals as decorations along with countless sculptures, frescoes, mosaics and other artforms. Gothic architecture ('Frankish Work' as it was originally known) by the way is light and airy compared to Roman styles. Gothic. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Cath%C3%A9drale_de_Reims_int%C3%A9rieur.jpg Roman. http://www.ditota.com/Pics/waterbury_05.jpg Buildings in the Imperium as seen in art appear in both styles. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3164368 Share on other sites More sharing options...
General_Cairn Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 In several sources mentions statues of primarchs that have been around since the dawn of the imperium. i always imagined a greco-roman industrial sprawl with, wide open aired buildings slowly being built on top of each other. you could probably have fun with miniature fresco depicting the arrival of the emperors angels. Not necessarily religious but definitely epoch worthy. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3165650 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Student Of Dorn Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 In the new BRB rulebook on the fold out on page 158+159 you can see the statues of the loyal primarchs and the empty pedestals were (i am guessing) the traitor primarchs used to be, and they are outside the palace "guarding" it Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3166040 Share on other sites More sharing options...
malika666 Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Do note that most human colonies were based on STC technology, this could also be said for their architecture. I know this is fan speculation, but the Ecopolis could be a cool basis for many pre-Imperial colonies. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/259747-great-crusadeheresy-era-architecture/#findComment-3166144 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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