Trying to identify a skyscraper in a video game

[Klow]

Greetings skyscraper fans,

I was wondering if you could help my identify a skyscraper.

During the development of the 2004 video game Half-Life 2, an Art Deco skyscraper nicknamed "Vertigo" was created but eventually removed from the final game. The developer of the game, Valve, often uses real-world buildings as inspiration and so I was wondering if it was inspired, in part of fully, by an actual skyscraper. Valve is from Seattle so it could be from there, but it could also be from any part of the US (New York obviously comes to mind) or Europe.

In the few maps made by Valve and leaked the year before the game's release, the building has an atrium and a basin on one side and a terrace on the opposite side, in the lower levels. It also has a set of many elevators in the center, and a mechanical floor. The interior uses mostly marble, the exterior is mostly made of grey brick and concrete. Since it was never completed, it doesn't have many details.

I attached some screenshots of these prototype maps. Any suggestions are welcome!

Image credits: The following screenshots are original, I made them in maps recompiled by myself and viewed in a fixed version of Half-Life 2's old version titled LeakNet.



Overwall view of an earlier full building prototype, with the atrium spot on the right and the terrace on the bottom left. The playable version is at least half of this and has the top destroyed but mostly has the same shape.



Outside view around the atrium.



In the atrium.



Ditto.



View of the terrace.



View of some of the 6 elevators near the atrium.



Detail of an Art Deco sconce, marble and tiles.

[The North One]

It doesn't look like it's based on any specific building, just seems like a made up tower they came up with.

I had no idea this was planned for the game. How could this even fit? It takes place in eastern Europe where none of these sort of towers exist. It could be they had the Palace of Culture and Science (which isn't art deco) in mind for this.

Looks like something straight out of Bioshock.

[geomorph]

Looks a bit like the Williams Tower in Houston.

[dtla707]

The closest building i can think of is LA City Hall, Its not a skyscraper per se but it does have quite a few similarities https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sour...50701400054988

[Klow]

Originally Posted by The North One

It doesn't look like it's based on any specific building, just seems like a made up tower they came up with.

I had no idea this was planned for the game. How could this even fit? It takes place in eastern Europe where none of these sort of towers exist. It could be they had the Palace of Culture and Science (which isn't art deco) in mind for this.

Looks like something straight out of Bioshock.

Sorry for the late answer, I didn't get a notification, then I forgot!

In the earliest stages of the game's development the game was set in a quasi North American setting, with just hints of an Eastern European style. At some point the game was to be a day longer than it eventually turned out and include an Arctic setting. Gordon and Alyx would then fly back to City 17 and crash into that skyscraper. This building was called Vertigo and, game development-wise, is the predecessor of Palace (so the one inspired by the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw).

Thank you guys for your answers.