Staunton - A Google SketchUp City

[Vellu]

Nice skyline shot! The Galcorp has same kind of presence in the skyline as the old WTC had in NY, but I also like how the AtlantiCorp Center dominates the left side of the skyline.

The canyon shots look great too! I think the Stock Exchange looks even better at the end of that street than the Chicago Board of Trade looks at the end of LaSalle Street.

In some edition of Staunton you had street textures with cars in them. I think especially those canyon shots would benefit from them and make them look even greater.

[Skydragon42]

I just noticed that you have a tower that looks like the Empire state building!
I actually like it the best of all your buildings, keep up the nice work.

[Patrick]

Thank you for the comments guys, I appreciate them, really!

Originally Posted by Vellu

Nice skyline shot! The Galcorp has same kind of presence in the skyline as the old WTC had in NY

I'm really happy you noticed that because that's exactly what I was going for with Galcorp! It's so huge that it can be seen from virtually anywhere in Staunton, just like the Twins!

Originally Posted by Skydragon42

I just noticed that you have a tower that looks like the Empire state building!

Yup that's the Gloucester Building! It's been with Staunton from the very beginning, it didn't always look that similar to the ESB. After it's makeover the building became a hybrid of the ESB and 500 5th Avenue, both buildings designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, so if Staunton was real it would have been designed by the same firm as the ESB.


~~~

Downtown is getting closer to completion, it just needs a lot of filler buildings and infrastructure. I created a SSP-esque diagram of Staunton's tallest, of downtown's top 12, only 3 have made it from the 2006 incarnation, 5 are from past version, and 4 are completely new. It should be noted that Staunton will eventually have a uptown, so the lineup is bound to change. Before I can get to uptown I still need to model the freeways that encircle downtown, the city's grand cathedral, train station, shopping mall, ferry terminal, and low rise waterfront district. Staunton is finally going to have a grand park again, this is where Fort Staunton and the city's art museum will be located. Fort Staunton Park is going to be huge and will face Jefferson and the south river.

The uptown skyline wont be as tall or big as the downtown skyline but it will have a couple pre-war skyscrapers mixed in with 21st century residential towers (notice all the skyscrapers in downtown are strictly office space). Staunton Square will also be located in uptown but it won't resemble Times Square like it did in the past in terms of the layout (there will still be plenty of advertisements). Midtown is where the civic center will be located. One of the major problems with Staunton in the past is that I never had enough room for a grand civic center. Staunton's new civic center will be huge, I have a pretty good vision of what I want the it to look like so stay tuned, it will be beautiful!!!

[Pingyao]

Sounds exciting Patrick. Good to hear you've got plans for how to move Staunton forward. Have you created a street network yet for the next phase. It would be interesting to see how you expand from the existing model.

[Pzuriz]

very nice!

[BoiseAirport]

Bravissimo!!

I LOVE this render. It makes me feel like a unscrupulous CEO looking down at the miserable peons below. I'll take you up on sending you some fictional company logos. I need stuff to fill my design portfolio anyway and it would be a great challenge.



And of course, you have a very solid vision for what you want Staunton to be, so as a fellow designer I of course won't be offended if you reject anything I make for not fitting in with what you're looking for. If anything I'll just be happy to contribute.

Keep it up, it's looking gorgeous!

[Austin55]

This makes me so happy.

One Ferry Plaza is the SEX.

[Patrick]

I haven't yet Pingyao so far only downtown has been mapped out I've just been procrastinating doing it.

I'll be waiting for those logos BoiseAirport! I'm sure you get the idea of what kind of companies would reside in Staunton.

And thanks Austin, One Ferry Plaza is a definite favorite of a mine since it's one of my more creative buildings.

~~~

Here's a shot looking west from the Atlantic Ocean, good morning Staunton!

[Skydragon42]

The skyline looks very compact to me, I like it from that angle.

[Vellu]

To me the skyline looks better from north than from east. I like to see quite a lot of height variation in a skyline. I have to say, though, that the Galcorp and the Gloucester lurk quite nicely in the back

What the latest shot shows very well is that Staunton certainly has a lot of interesting looking buildings from many era's. Very realistic looking. I really hope that someday you will make it to the suburbs, so the downtown skyline can be viewed from a distance.

Any chance of a shot looking up the Gloucester Building with the Galcorp Building in the back?

[mity1021]

Wow!

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Vellu

Any chance of a shot looking up the Gloucester Building with the Galcorp Building in the back?

Of course! Here are some shots demonstrating the relationship between Staunton's king & queen.

I haven't had much free time at all lately because of school so I don't have anything new to show, but Staunton will finally see it's first train station soon!

Another morning in Staunton...



Lurking in the shadows of the Stock Exchange district.



High above the financial core of the city (Ignore the empty plot in the left-hand corner, this is where the cathedral will rise, if I ever find the time to model it!)



Hanging out at Kent Plaza, looking up at the Gloucester Building with One Allied American Plaza in the foreground.



Looking towards the Atlantic Ocean with Staunton's biggest players in the foreground, what a view!

[Pingyao]

Beautiful shots, I love the big city vibe of Staunton. I hadn't realised how dense it was until I saw that aerial.

[Skydragon42]

I like the aerial view, it does show how dense the city is.
I hope you start your cathedral model soon, I'd like to see it

[Vellu]

Thanks, Patrick. Those shots are exactly what I was hoping for. Gloucester Building and Galcorp Building fit together really well. My favorite picture is the one looking upwards from Kent Plaza at the Gloucester Building with the Galcorp looming behind.

[Patrick]

Thanks guys!!!

Here is an overview of downtown, I've been concentrating mainly on Terminal Square which can be seen in the foreground. Staunton's Union Station can be seen center-left, connected to the STA (Staunton Transit Authority) Transportation Center. The older building just right of the STA Transportation Center is the U.S. Post Office Building, the Post Office Annex is the three-winged building behind the train tracks.



I'll never forget my first impression of visiting Chicago, I got off the train at the LaSalle Street Station and was immediately greeted by The Willis Tower and 311 Wacker Drive, which towered over the LaSalle Street Station, I knew from then on that Staunton's main train station would have to be located by Galcorp Plaza. Many years later this view is finally recreated in Staunton. I wanted to create an iconic view for the thousands of commuters that entered Staunton every morning. Instead of a cathedral I decided to place Staunton's post office in-between Galcorp and Terminal Square. The cathedral will rise in the green space beneath the Gloucester Building in the above photo.



Staunton's Post Office is notoriously small and needed more space only a few years after it's completion in 1931. This lead to the construction of the post office annex building across the street (seen in the very bottom right corner).



Additional shot of downtown, more soon!

[Pingyao]

Those large lower rise buildings really help to fill out Staunton and helps to give you some great vista's when looking up. Its amazing what you can do with some blocks and textures. Are you planning on a governmental/courthouse/judicial area like the part around NYC's City Hall? The area in front of the Gilbert building would be great for this.

[Skydragon42]

The city is looking really good, I can't wait to see your cathedral!

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Pingyao

Are you planning on a governmental/courthouse/judicial area like the part around NYC's City Hall? The area in front of the Gilbert building would be great for this.

I am! Staunton's going to get a huge civic center just right of the Gilbert Building, the block directly in front of the Gilbert Building is a thin strip of park, the city's cathederal will be right next to this park in front of One Galcorp Plaza. This overview below should help illustrate what I'm talking about:



Here's a shot looking across the STA Railyard at the Post Office Annex Building.



On the corner of United American Avenue and Callahan Boulevard.



Here's a shot of Terminal Square from the top of the STA Bus Terminal/Parking Garage. The buildings of the civic center (and city hall) will rise behind the buildings on the right.

[Austin55]

I love trying to figure out what real buildings the textures are from.