More Research - Achitecture

[Scorpiоn]

Not sure I spelled that right...  Anyway this is still concerning World War II, and quite simply I need the predominant style of buildings around the country at that time, stereotypical would be better though.  This is what I have:

• Aliies
  
  • U.S. - Steel/Modern
  • Britain - Brick*
• Axis
  
  • Germany - Neo-Baroque*
  • Italy - Greco/Roman
  • Japan - Padoga
• Other
  
  • Russia - Don't know the name.  Here's a picture though.

*I really need help with these.



I having problems with Britain and German mostly.  When I think of say, London, I can't think of any one type of style.  I've pretty much just used a dirty, industrial type of building.  I guess I could use the style in Big Ben/Parliament, but to me that's kind of ugly.  What would that be?  Victorian?  And I remember Mr. Adolf planned on using Neo-Baroque a lot, and I looked into that - that stuff's really ugly.  I'm basing Neo-Baroque on this, I'm not sure what I'm really doing. I'm basically looking for a building style that will really convey it country, just when someone looks at it.  Show someone a Padoga, and 9 times out of 10 they'll think: Japan or CHina.

[Hagar]

Scorp. I can't think of a typical British building. It would depend so much on the area & period. From your list you're making the mistake of thinking that London is Britain. The buildings in different areas range from thatched country cottages, farmhouses, stately homes, castles & cathedrals through the art deco period of the 30s to the rows of workers tenements & factories in the industrial North. The Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) is not at all typical although instantly recognisable. The present building was designed specifially for the purpose & finished in 1840. I suppose that would make it Victorian although the site was laid out & used by Edward the Confessor 1,000 years ago. http://www.plus44.com/london44/tour/parliament.html

Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral finished in 1697, was the symbol of London to most people during WWII. http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Saint_Pauls_Cathedral.html

I suspect you're a city type. I always think of beautiful wooden houses as typical of the US.

[Scorpiоn]

Well I was having a lot of trouble with Britain and Germany, so I just had to pick something.  I'm sleuthing for German stuff, but I'm still clueless for Britain.  I picked London, because it's erm... the capitol.  What better to symbolize a nation that it's capitol?  Although you said it best, can't think of a typical British building.  But if you had to pick a style, what would you choose.  I need something that people will think, "Britain!", right when they see it it.  Or is this simply impossible.

PS: I live in Houston, TX, fouth largest city in the US.

[Hagar]

Well Scorp. I think the subject is too broad. If I knew what you're trying to do maybe I could help more. The most typical buildings would be the churches & cathedrals. Again, the design varies with the period they were built. Every village & town has a church. Most are very old & sited in a predominant place. As I live in the south of England I tend to think of country villages & towns rather than cities. Until recently these had remained virtually unchanged for centuries. The scenery in CFS1 is a very good representation of the Sussex countryside I know.

I think everyone has their own idea of buildings typical to a certain country. I've only visited Germany once, very briefly many years ago. The first thing that springs to mind about it are the fairytale castles (schlosses) on the Rhine. Then there's the chalets in Bavaria.

Your Russian building is St. Basil's Cathedral at the southern end of Red Square, just outside the Kremlin.
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~powellm/redsquare.html
It's instantly recognisable but I doubt it's typical of Russian or even Moscow architecture. I think the area around St Petersburg (once known as Leningrad) might give you a better idea. http://www.saint-petersburg.com/history/index.asp
Some of those buildings remind me of London & would look at home in any European city. Remember that Russia is a vast country with many different influences.

[Scorpiоn]

Well, as much as I hate to say it, my motivations are nothing more honorable than a game. I plan to modify this strategy game I have to accomodate World War II.  But to do so I need to model buildings, and since I'm still doing concept art and such now, I'm messing around with styles.  For example, Russia's "Command Center" looks like that church in St. Petersburg.  Each country's set of buildings needs to have a uniform style.

[Hagar]

In that case how about the Admiralty building in London


& the old Reichstag in Berlin.


All official buildings tend to look much the same.