What If Metropolis

Jess Sarah Louise Crosby

CAA, Rochester
Chosen City: Isaura

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Invisible Cities: Isaura
Isaura Exterior
Influence Map
Isaura Interior
Influence Map
Subterranean Lake research
Looking at the subterranean lake of Isaura I
decided I needed to do a few studies of rocks
and caves to investigate the structures and
forms of the city-wide water-filled cave
beneath the surface.

I looked at how the water might have

corroded away the walls of the cave to leave
spindle-y towers of rock and crystallised
shaped boulders. The jagged rock spindles
would make an interesting juxtapose to the
straight city water pipes reaching down into

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the water.

I also want the underground lake to have a

lot of intense mood and atmosphere, so I
took inspiration from my research into
Eyvind Earle and his developed gothic,
ornate style, by making my rocks and
boulders heavily contrasted in places, some
with sharp dramatic edges and points - this
adds a lot of visual interest into the
underground scene.
religious research
Knowing that Isaura is a a city deeply rooted in
religion surrounding water, I knew I needed to
look at symbols and imagery that reflects this.

I first thought of the Christian religious rite of

baptisms and how they use water to purify as part
of the initiation into the Christian church. So
from here, the most obvious imagery to further
this religious narrative would be the baptism
fonts, candles and crosses.

But I also discovered the use of Greek alphabet

letters, specifically Alpha and Omega throughout

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Christianity which was derived from a statement
in Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega,
the First and Last, the Beginning and the End”.
I thought this was a great parallel to the city of
Isaura, how there are two religions, one that
worships water at the start of the system, deep in
the lake where the source of their water is found,
and the other religion worships the end of the
system, where the water comes out of the taps
and from the buckets of the wells. From
beginning to end, like Alpha and Omega.
City architecture research
Isaura is a city limited on space, it cannot expand
beyond the perimeters of the lake below it and can
only expand upwards.

Due to this limitation, I imagine Isaura would

consist of a lot of architecture that is tower-like,
thinning out as it rises up, due to weight
restrictions and risk of collapse. Resembling much
more like scaffolding towards the summit of the
city. The top would consist of lots of points and
ends of pipes and wind pumps instead of flat
rooftops you might typically see in a city. As your

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eye is drawn up the materials turn from traditional
rock and wood to lightweight aluminum and other
metals, giving the effect that the city transitions
into a more modern environment the higher you
go.

I imagine the base of the city very solid, stone

wells, oak buildings and structures, supported on
stilts in places, very much like the old water mill
houses with the water wheels.
Exterior establishing shot

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 Close ups

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Exterior low angle shot

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 Close ups

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Interior establishing shot

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 Close ups

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Final 3 Concept Artworks
 Reworked concept

What If Metropolis
 Hero Assets

What If Metropolis
Background objects

What If Metropolis
 Matte Painting

What If Metropolis
 Orthographs

What If Metropolis
 Orthographs

What If Metropolis
 Modelling

What If Metropolis
 Modelling

What If Metropolis
 Modelling

What If Metropolis
 Wireframe

What If Metropolis
 Wireframe

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 Rendered Scene

What If Metropolis
Final Image with Matte Painting

What If Metropolis