I agree with Sammy. Much too open IMO and it messes up the whole scaling of the area. Huge buildings followed by openness with small stalls doesn't remind me of Paris. Also that grey building is hideous. The crown molding over the windows ruins it for me. Maybe try that Liam mason arch?!?
It is a theme park and not a city recreation, so my focus isn't to recreate Paris but to take parts of it or mainly the building style and do my own thing with it.
I didn't word that quite right. I'm not expecting a huge city in the middle of the park. I just feel that three huge buildings in the middle of an open area with few other tiny buildings and small stalls is just odd for a theme park IMO. It doesn't really mesh with the surroundings.
The architecture doesn't really make me think of Paris. It looks French, don't get me wrong, but it looks much more like a smaller town or city, not really Paris.
I think the buildings are far too top heavy. It seems like you've put all the detail into the top halves of the building rather than the bottom. This makes little sense coming from either a Parisian standpoint or a theme park standpoint.
In Paris, the main difference between buildings is whatever you see at floor level. The different shops and restaurants use vivid colours and more detail to attract people. The higher up the building, the less detail it tends to have and the floors also tend to get smaller.
In a theme park, people aren't going to look up at your architecture and admire it. People want to get to the next ride and just take things in for their ambiance. Having all your detail towards the top of the building and then the only thing at the bottom of the building are some thin sticks to hold up the entire building makes it seem top heavy in detail and also top heavy structurally.
Cocoa does French architecture fantastically here. He has detail towards the top of the building, but your eye is always drawn to street level. The way to make this more Parisian feel is to use more railings and balconies, but not in a way that distracts from the street level details.
The tan building seems the most Parisian to me (from my limited experience there). Trav summed up my feelings on the architecture very well already, but I agree that the openness and setting (from what I can see) does feel like it's a bit of a random chunk of buildings.
agree about the sparse surroundings with just three tall buildings. the left two are really good though, but I'm not such a fan of the grey ones. a bit more of a transition to a dense city, and more of the quality of the tan one, and it'll be a winner
Good advice from Trav. This feels generic French, not Parisian. The typical Parisian architecture we think of is a particular style influenced by Haussman: it's monolithic and massive, regular but ornate. It is monochromatic, beige or gray with color coming from the awnings and ground floor details.
Just look at the uniform density of Paris:
Those are all 7+ story buildings in a continuous mass, giving the city a character of a solid block of buildings that's being carved out with boulevards and roads instead of singular volumes dotting the landscape. You really can't recreate the feel of Paris with small isolated chunks, it must be done as a massive block or it won't have the same feel.
I agree with Julow that you shouldn't brand it as "Paris", which has very specific characteristics beyond being French, but rather simply "Small French Town", which is more generic and also fits what you've built more closely because they have more green space and openness than Paris.
I don't think you should or can expect hausmann-era planning and density in a theme park though. I can see Robbie or even you doing that, Avanine, but for the context of what RWE is going for I think it's an unfair assessment.
I agree that 3 buildings out in the open isn't enough to evoke Paris, or even a small town for that matter.. I'd at least try and make a full square of buildings or perhaps river on one side.
I don't think you should or can expect hausmann-era planning and density in a theme park though. I can see Robbie or even you doing that, Avanine, but for the context of what RWE is going for I think it's an unfair assessment.
Which is why "Paris" probably isn't the best idea for a theme park like this, and why Julow, Fisch and I all suggested RWE to change the theme to a more generic French town instead of "Paris".
and Alex that's good advice too, many smaller French cities and towns have a center square with a cathedral or important public buildings, and less density as it spreads out from there. I can see that working out nicely in this setting for RWE.
14 Comments
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SSSammy Offline
one clump of buildings doesnt make me think of paris. it needs to be more city-like if its going to be paris, it's a bit too open at the moment
Bubbsy41 Offline
I agree with Sammy. Much too open IMO and it messes up the whole scaling of the area. Huge buildings followed by openness with small stalls doesn't remind me of Paris. Also that grey building is hideous. The crown molding over the windows ruins it for me. Maybe try that Liam mason arch?!?
RWE Offline
Bubbsy41 Offline
I didn't word that quite right. I'm not expecting a huge city in the middle of the park. I just feel that three huge buildings in the middle of an open area with few other tiny buildings and small stalls is just odd for a theme park IMO. It doesn't really mesh with the surroundings.
trav Offline
The architecture doesn't really make me think of Paris. It looks French, don't get me wrong, but it looks much more like a smaller town or city, not really Paris.
I think the buildings are far too top heavy. It seems like you've put all the detail into the top halves of the building rather than the bottom. This makes little sense coming from either a Parisian standpoint or a theme park standpoint.
In Paris, the main difference between buildings is whatever you see at floor level. The different shops and restaurants use vivid colours and more detail to attract people. The higher up the building, the less detail it tends to have and the floors also tend to get smaller.
In a theme park, people aren't going to look up at your architecture and admire it. People want to get to the next ride and just take things in for their ambiance. Having all your detail towards the top of the building and then the only thing at the bottom of the building are some thin sticks to hold up the entire building makes it seem top heavy in detail and also top heavy structurally.
https://www.nedesign...h-architecture/
Cocoa does French architecture fantastically here. He has detail towards the top of the building, but your eye is always drawn to street level. The way to make this more Parisian feel is to use more railings and balconies, but not in a way that distracts from the street level details.
Julow Offline
Yeah to be honest it doesn't feel very parisian, but still looks nice.
Maybe change the name of the land and just name it "France" or "French quarter".
Also, the buildings are maybe a bit too big for this area but it's not that much bothering, the ferry's wheel looks really nice combined to them.
However, keep it up, really liking this project !
CoasterCreator9 Offline
The tan building seems the most Parisian to me (from my limited experience there). Trav summed up my feelings on the architecture very well already, but I agree that the openness and setting (from what I can see) does feel like it's a bit of a random chunk of buildings.
Cocoa Offline
agree about the sparse surroundings with just three tall buildings. the left two are really good though, but I'm not such a fan of the grey ones. a bit more of a transition to a dense city, and more of the quality of the tan one, and it'll be a winner
AvanineCommuter Offline
Good advice from Trav. This feels generic French, not Parisian. The typical Parisian architecture we think of is a particular style influenced by Haussman: it's monolithic and massive, regular but ornate. It is monochromatic, beige or gray with color coming from the awnings and ground floor details.
Just look at the uniform density of Paris:
Those are all 7+ story buildings in a continuous mass, giving the city a character of a solid block of buildings that's being carved out with boulevards and roads instead of singular volumes dotting the landscape. You really can't recreate the feel of Paris with small isolated chunks, it must be done as a massive block or it won't have the same feel.
I agree with Julow that you shouldn't brand it as "Paris", which has very specific characteristics beyond being French, but rather simply "Small French Town", which is more generic and also fits what you've built more closely because they have more green space and openness than Paris.
Xeccah Offline
I don't think you should or can expect hausmann-era planning and density in a theme park though. I can see Robbie or even you doing that, Avanine, but for the context of what RWE is going for I think it's an unfair assessment.
alex Offline
I agree that 3 buildings out in the open isn't enough to evoke Paris, or even a small town for that matter.. I'd at least try and make a full square of buildings or perhaps river on one side.
Fisch Offline
Haha Avanine, that's almost exactly what I told RWE via pm.
AvanineCommuter Offline
Which is why "Paris" probably isn't the best idea for a theme park like this, and why Julow, Fisch and I all suggested RWE to change the theme to a more generic French town instead of "Paris".
and Alex that's good advice too, many smaller French cities and towns have a center square with a cathedral or important public buildings, and less density as it spreads out from there. I can see that working out nicely in this setting for RWE.
Examples:
Dijon, France
Sarlat
Bagnol sur Cèze
Arles
RWE Offline
Thank you all for your comments. I will think about renaming the area, also good reference picks, Avanine, thank you for that!