Davidleonthesisdocument

GAME START Imagined Reality/ Real Experience David Leon

Master of Architecture School of Architecture and Community Design University of South Florida April 2016 Professor Nancy Sanders

GAME START Imagined Reality/ Real Experience David Leon A masters research project presented to the Graduate School of Architecture and Community Design at the University of South Florida in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Architecture

Faculty Chair:

Nancy Sanders

Associate Professor of Architecture University of South Florida Faculty Committee:

Robert MacLeod

Program Director University of South Florida

Martin Gundersen Professor of Architecture University of Flordia

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Dedication This document and my education is the result of many people that have helped me along the way: To my loving parents who have showered me with all the love and support that I could ever want.

To my brothers and sisters that have looked out for me and been there when I needed them.

To my studio friends who have made me laugh and consoled me when I have cried.

To all my professors who have guided me and revealed my full potential.

To Professor Nancy Sanders and Dean Robert MacLeod, who have been especially influential in my architectural education.

Thank you so much for everything! I am truly blessed to have had so many people to help me along my way.

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Figure No. 1 Portrait

Table of Contents Abstract

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Preface

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LEVEL I

Introduction & Research

11 12 14 16 24 28

LEVEL II

Simulated and Real World

31 32 34 62 64

LEVEL III

Urban Site and Narratives

73 74 80 86 92 98

•Introduction

•Rene Descartes

•Videogame Precedent

•Piranesi’s ‘Imaginary Prisons’

•‘Level up’ Precedent

•Overworld and Netherworld

•Netherworld Program

•Above and Below •Urban Above/ Below Precedent

•Hong Kong Legislative Building •Notre Dame Cathedral de Paris •New York’s Bryant Park

•Paris Army Museum

•Narrative Book Stand PAGE

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LEVEL IV

Unfolding the Netherworld

107 108 110 112

LEVEL V

Conclusion

123 124 126 132

•Netherworld Cube •Netherworld Sections •Section Armature

•Conclusion

•List of Figures

•Work Cited

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Abstract Videogames are a recent phenomenon that has immersed many people into vastly imaginative worlds. However, this phenomenon has existed long before the creation of said media. Videogames like other forms of media contain imaginative worlds that draw occupants to explore and experience.

This notion of inhabiting other worlds apart from the real world are cemented through philosophical and historical research and precedents. This document reveals the juxtaposition of both inhabiting a city or a place in the real world and exploring a series of spaces in the simulated through a threshold. In addition, this document examines the concept of framing the media-scape, the imagined world’s source, which permeates in the real world.

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Figure No. 2 Space Invaders Graphic

Preface I was a normal boy growing up in a modest home, a kind family, good friends, and an ordinary life. I would wake up early every day and make my way to school where I would learn and grow. I would have fun with my friends during lunch and in between classes. But when I came home, I would make my way to the living room to play videogames. I would grab my hard-plastic cartridge of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and insert it into the slot of the faded black Nintendo 64 console hooked to the massive black television box. I held my grey controller in one hand and I turned on the console with the other. I walked to the soft couch in the living room and made myself comfortable in preparation of what is to come. The screen came to life with the title of the game and the prompt to “press start.” My finger hovered over the start button on my controller and preceded to hit it to start the game.

The colossus black brick, that was my family’s television, was the threshold to exciting simulated worlds of Hyrule of Legend of Zelda, the Mushroom Kingdom of Super Mario 64, and the Lylat system of Star Fox 64. Oblivious to my surroundings, I would spend hours sucked into this imagined world.

The afternoon where I began turned to dusk in a blink of an eye. It astounded me how easily I lost track of time from this experience. And yet the drive to proceed further into these fantastical worlds was still prevalent. My hands gripped the controller with fervor as I proceeded further; it was as if my hands had a mind of their own. The experience felt as if I was opening a door into a world that enticed me with wonder I could never dream of.

I could discard the life that I had as a typical boy and replace it with a bold hero traversing through ruins of a castle on a quest to save the world from the clutches of an evil fiend. And all of this is happening in the comfort and safety of my living room. From then on, I have been interested in this duality of existing between these two worlds, the real and imagined, simultaneously.

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Figure No. 3 Nintendo 64 Game Titles

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LEVEL Introduction & Research

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Introduction Shigeru Miyamoto, game designer at Nintendo who created some of the most influential videogames in the history of its media, spoke of this transitions into another worlds: “What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn’t? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it is really a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you’ll find many unexpected things.”

Miyamoto believes that the lines of reality and imagination are blurred through media like videogames.

Beyond the physical qualities that contain the games, the electronic core and the plastic casing, reside worlds of wonder and fantasy.

Videogames like any other medium are a constructed experience assembled to create an imagined world. Players of the game, experience another person’s fabricated world. According to Rigby and Ryan, “That we can imagine and enter fully into the imagination of others allows us to transcend our limitations and constraints, opening up new possibilities and imagining new areas of growth and connection” (Rigby & Ryan 82). The imagination is not limited to our own but rather can extend to the imagination that others weave. Rigby and Ryan go on further to say, “Amazingly, it doesn’t even matter that the stories we create for ourselves are real or even plausible. When we are immersed, our emotions trump the boring world of facts” (Rigby & Ryan 83). Reality can be suspended in place for an alternate/ imagined reality regardless of whether it is believable or not. The term “immersed” becomes a common notion in the juxtaposition of reality and the imagined.

According to dictionary.com, immersion can be defined as a, “state of being deeply engaged or involved; absorption.” Reality, whether real or imagined, has immersive qualities in which people are drawn into the experience that is offered. In the same source, experience is defined as, “a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something.” Videogames provide experiences to the players as they progress through the spaces in an imagined world. So, putting together immersion and PAGE 12 experience, the product would be the act of deeply or totally involving oneself in an encountered reality.

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Figure No. 4 Legend of Zelda concept Illustration

Rene Decartes Philosophically, the notion of an imagined world and the portal connecting to reality like that found in videogames can be traced back to Rene Descartes. A French philosopher during the 1600s, Rene spoke about this notion of doubt. Descartes begins by stating: “…I rightly conclude that my essence consists solely in the fact that I am a thinking thing [or a substance whose whole essence or nature is to think]. And although possibly (or rather certainly, as I shall say in a moment) I possess a body with which I am very intimately conjoined, yet because, on the one side, I have a clear and distinct idea of myself inasmuch as I am only a thinking and unextended thing, and as, on the other, I possess a distinct idea of body, inasmuch as it is only an extended and unthinking thing, it is certain that this I [that is to say, my soul by which I am what I am], is entirely and absolutely distinct from my body, and can exist without it” (Descartes 198-199).

This notion of the mind and the body are separate entities that are also connected together to form a person. The mind is an entity that thinks but cannot interact with the tangible surrounding. On the other hand, the body is the inverse because it perceptually interacts with the surroundings but cannot think nor reason.

This dualism of both entities is supported by Descartes’ initial reasoning about doubt. Descartes wrote, “I have learned either from the senses or through the senses; but it is sometimes proved to me that these senses are deceptive, and it is wiser not to trust entirely to any thing by which we have once been deceived” (Descartes 150). Because the body is a perceptual entity, it has the ability to be deceived by its senses. This is best explained in the Descartes’ wax candle example.

“Let us take, for example, this piece of wax: it has been taken quite freshly from the hive, and it has not yet lost the sweetness of the honey which it contains; it still retains somewhat of the odor of the flowers from which it has been culled; its colour, its figure, its size are apparent: it is hard, cold, easily handled, and if you strike it with the finger, it will emit a sound. Finally all the things which are requisite to cause us distinctly to recognize a body, PAGE are met with in it. But notice that while I speak and approach the fire what remained of 14

the taste is exhaled, the smell evaporates, the colour alters, the figure is destroyed, and when one strikes it, no sound is emitted. Does the same wax remain after this change?

We must confess that it remains; none would judge otherwise. What then did I know so distinctly in this piece of wax? It could certainly be nothing of all that the senses brought to my notice, since all these things which fall under taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing, are found to be changed, and yet the same wax remains” (Descartes 160).

Descartes’ experience depicts the discrepancy of an object, in this case wax, having certain physical qualities in one instance and then changing into something else next.

To further elaborate on this notion of doubt, Descartes said, “But if it is so that I have no body it is also true that I can neither walk nor take nourishment. Another attribute is sensation. But one cannot feel without body, and besides I have thought I perceived many things during sleep that I recognized in my waking moments as not having been experienced at all” (Descartes 157). The body’s ability to accurately perceive reality is called into question when an object is observed to completely change.

Now that reality is not as absolute as originally believed, then the immersive imagined worlds found in videogames and other media can be superimposed with the real world.

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Figure No. 5 Rene Descartes Etched Portrait

Figure No. 6 Wax Candle Photo

Videogame Precedent: Halo 5

While there are multiple videogames with immersive simulated worlds, this project highlights four videogame precedents. Those are Halo 4, Bioshock Infinite, Journey, and Dark Souls. Halo 4 is a first-person shooter based in the Halo game series by 343 Industries and Certain Affinity. In this game, futuristic imagined worlds are explored with intergalactic ships, alien planets, future cities and floating mechanical structures/ ruins. The story follows a protagonist named Master Chief, a super-soldier, as he fights overwhelming alien races. The game is effective as an immersive experience through the use of level design for the game’s narrative and the multiplayer maps. At the same time, the music is an integral component because it captures the player’s experience at key moments found in the game. This allows players to become invested into the world that they are experiencing.

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Figure No. 7 Halo Forerunner City concept Illustration

Videogame Precedent: Bioshock Infinite

Developed by Irrational Games, Bioshock Infinite is the third game in the Bioshock series.

The game is set in an alternate world where up in the sky, the city of Columbia floats over the clouds.

The use of vivid colors along with light and shadow are used to express the atmosphere and tone of the game. This also aids by indirectly narrates the story. The use of quantum mechanics and the relationship with the NPC, non-player character, in the story draws the player from start to finish. The immersive world is filled with dynamic floating spaces and an innovative travel mechanic that is unique to the game.

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Figure No. 8 Bioshock Infinite Screenshot

Videogame Precedent: Journey

Journey is one of the few artistic masterpieces in the videogame industry. This game was developed by Thatgamecompany and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The story revolves around the personal journey of a sentient fabric being in the form of a cloaked figure. The setting takes place in a vast desert at the base of a mountain. Scattered around the beautiful landscape exist ruins of a past civilization devoured by the sands. Arabic and desert based cultures serve as influence of the game’s aesthetics and atmosphere.

The story is told through the lens of a being discovering its lost culture as it makes their way to the top of the mountain. The use of landscape and ruins contribute to the theme of the story along with the player’s immersion.

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Figure No. 9 Journey Screenshot

Videogame Precedent: Dark Souls

The final precedent is Dark Souls which was developed by FromSoftware. Dark Souls embodies the medieval and fantasy game genre in an interconnected expansive world. From immaculate castles to ancient ruins, the setting architecture is embedded into the narrative of the game. This simulated world is rich with story and atmosphere through the artifacts and NPCs, the light and color, and the types of spaces that weave in the world.

The player’s agency of how to progress in the game and the difficulty of the enemies allow the player to become invested when they experience the game’s imagined world.

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Figure No. 10 Dark Souls Screenshot

Piranesi’s ‘Imaginary Prisons’ While there are immersive simulated worlds found in videogames, this does not mean that there aren’t other media with such worlds. One such historical precedent of this is Piranesi’s ‘Imaginary Prisons.’ Born in 1720, Giovanni Battista Piranesi is a Venetian artist and etcher who was known for the Carceri d’Invenzioine (Imaginary Prisons). This work consisted of a series of 14 etched plates depicting monumental subterranean prisons. Wilton-Ely spoke about the plates and said, “Hastily etched in a highly idiosyncratic style, these works arose from what was little short of a creative crisis, providing an outlet for Piranesi’s frustrated architectural imagination …” (Wilton-Ely 81). These plates were born from a need to express an imagined world that Piranesi envisioned.

In these plates, the prisons are populated with forms to characterize that simulated world. In his book, Wilton-Ely explains, “Seen by itself each structural element, whether arch, pillar, vault or beam, exist as a credible form until related to its context. Furthermore, pulley ropes, cables, grilles, joists and bars serve to produce a mesh of visual snares as menacing and brittle as a spider’s web” (Wilton-Ely 83-85). This collective aggregate of monumental architectural elements along with stairs, machines, and pulleys aid in grounding the artificial reality being depicted in the etchings. At the same time, these elements also aid in alluring the viewer into the spaces. Wilton-Ely wrote, “… the Carceri compel the spectator to undergo an optical journey of frenetic motion by means of a succession of stairs, ramps, bridges, balconies, catwalks and galleries – a nervous continuum with no point of stability or rest throughout” (Wilton-Ely 83). Elements like the stairs were used to draw and lead the eyes of viewers.

Wilton-Ely goes on by explaining, “An extended system of staircases, galleries and roof structures recedes into infinity with that spirit of self-generation that De Quincey considered a property of the highly developed imagination out of control” (Wilton-Ely 85). So Piranesi is using elements to draw the eye throughout the spaces and then implying a larger world with the use of these elements disappearing from the boundaries of the plate.

Piranesi takes a dynamic approach to creating spaces in each plate. This is elaborated in Wilton-Ely’s book, he said, “In the Carceri we have reached a situation where each plate no longer simply PAGE 24 represents but is an architectural experience in itself” (Wilton-Ely 85). Rather than imitating, the etch-

ings have created experiential spaces for the viewer to become invested in. Wilton-Ely goes on to say: “Through the most complex system of decoding where conventional perspective sets up expectations only to deny them by introducing fresh patterns, the spectator becomes inescapably involved in the creative process. Each plate embodies a set of endless possibilities. As never before, the Western system of pictorial space is questioned with all its implications concerning the nature of perception” (Wilton-Ely 85).

So the observer is now integral into the experience of the plates. The perception of the observer is challenged as the spaces dynamically break the norm of other works done during that time. Thus, the plates are now immersing the spectator in the process that Piranesi is pursuing in his work. Wilton-Ely goes on to say, “If they can be considered to have a personal meaning for Piranesi himself, the Carceri are concerned with this process of creation, invenzione” (Wilton-Ely 90-91). This ‘process’ is a means for Piranesi to attempt to explore a new imagined architectural world. This is an attempt of completing, through process, the incomplete world that Piranesi is depicting.

But this world that Piranesi created was grounded in his training and influences of that time. Wilton-Ely said, “… the Carceri are rooted in the creative process of the early 1740s is borne out by their evident origins in Piranesi’s formative training in stage design, both in Rome and in Venice” (Wilton-Ely 81). His background in stage design along with his fascination with the roman ruins contributed to the immersive and imaginative reality shown in his etchings. Wilton-Ely describes the world Piranesi created when he said, “… Piranesi reduces the Carceri to a drama of stark economy, an almost abstract play of structural forms rendered in terms of pure masonry where the proportional system of Vitruvian ornament no longer inhibits the imagination” (Wilton-Ely 83). Piranesi is not concerned with the ornamental that is only a façade that gets in the way of the experiential qualities of a space. So, he needed to break away from the norm that was clouding the possibilities of creativity. Thus, an imagined world could arise from the real world.

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Figure No. 11 The Drawbridge, plate VII

Figure No. 12 The Smoking Fire, plate VI

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Figure No. 13 The Pier with Chains, plate XVI

‘Level up’ Precedent Now that it is established that videogames contain immersive worlds with experiential spaces to inhabit, the question remains as to if there are recent architectural precedents that use videogames as a catalyst for design. The answer is the project called ‘Level Up’ by Yah-chuen-shen in the Architectural Association School of Architecture. In his work, Yah-chuen-shen wrote, “Hence, as the mine expands the natural and artificial topography can provide more possibilities to simulate new forms of reality for the proposal to explore” (Yah-chuen-shen 5). It is here that the possibility to inhabit a newly created reality through the real and artificial. The design of the program is shaped by aspects of level/ world design of videogames with the physical act and socialization of game play. Therefore, the juxtaposition of the real and imagined are combined to form a new reality for the benefit of gamers and gaming culture.

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Figure No. 14 Building Typologies Graphic

Figure No. 15 Video Game Spatial Chronology Graphic

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Figure No. 16 An assortment of Alternate Realities Graphic

Figure No. 17 Proposal Expansion

Figure No. 18 Umwelt Investigation Graphic

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LEVEL Simulated and Real World

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Overworld and Netherworld Distilling a spatial program from videogames and other immersive media begins with the concept of the ‘Overworld.’ The ‘Overworld’ is the world or landscape in which the other spaces are connected to. It is the main armature that supports and holds these spaces as they connect to it and to other related spaces. It is the real world that grounds the imagined. So, if the ‘Overworld’ is the real world, than the other spaces belong to the simulated world called the ‘Netherworld.’ These spaces include entrance, puzzle, communal, commercial, saving, residential, vault, and boss. This juxtaposition of the ‘Overworld’ and the ‘Netherworld’ is the central theme of this project.

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Figure No. 19 Imagined World Program Diagram

Overworld Space

reality/ context

Saving Space

vault Space

entrance Space

BoSS Space

puzzle Space

commercial Space

communal Space reSidential Space

Figure No. 20 Journey Entrance Screenshot

Figure No. 21 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Screenshot

Figure No. 22 Second Life Screenshot

Figure No. 23 Mass Effect 3 Screenshot

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Figure No. 24 Dark Souls Bonfire Screenshot

Figure No. 25 Assassin’s Creed II Villa Auditore Image

Figure No. 26 Assassin’s Creed Chest Wallpaper

Figure No. 27 Dark Souls II Screenshot

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Netherworld Program Entrance Space

The ‘Overworld’ and the ‘Netherworld’ spaces are connected with the ‘Entrance’ space. This space is the transition between these two worlds.

Experiential media such as videogames, novels, etc. all create a bridge for the interacting observer to enter into the imagined world created in that mediaIn other words, the ‘Entrance’ space is the portal between such media and the reality. This threshold then connects to all the other simulated spaces found in the ‘Netherworld.’

• Portal, threshold • Main introduction to other Netherworld spaces • Transition of reality to simulated

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Figure No. 20 Journey Entrance Screenshot

Netherworld Program Puzzle Space

While the name appears to be unorthodox, the truth is that the name ‘Puzzle’ perfectly reflects this kind of space. The ‘Puzzle’ space is ultimately a space that allows for the occupant to interact or to engage with the space. Found in videogames, this space engages the player to solve a problem through the interaction of the player and the space. The space is dynamic because it has kinetically moving elements that move based on the occupant’s whim. An example of this can be found in pushing sliding panels to create a larger space.

The occupant can feel the smoothness of the steel lever as they turn it to lower the window’s louvers for light. Or they can feel the warmth of the large wooden panel as it slides from the wall for sitting.

• Engaging/ problem solving/ dynamic • Allow to proceed to next space • Discovery/ growth/ accomplishment PAGE

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Figure No. 21 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Screenshot

Netherworld Program Communal Space

Socialization is just as important in the real world as it is in the simulated world. In a ‘Communal’ space, occupants can gather to meet and to socialize with each other. A ‘Communal’ space in the imagined worlds found in media facilitate a congregation of people as they meander through the simulated world and other spaces. At the same time, individuals can also engage in activities that range in leisure to energetic. The space allows for this interaction to take place by being generally open and wide. Additionally, this space is located near commercial spaces because each space complement each other with their use. Both draw in crowds and both aid in socialization and daily life activities.

• Open, wide • Allow option of interaction & activities • Place to meet, gathering space PAGE

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Figure No. 22 Second Life Screenshot

Netherworld Program Commercial Space

In videogames and other similar media, the ‘Commercial’ space is used to gather resources or items to prepare for other spaces. Attached to the ‘Communal’ space is the ‘Commercial’ space.

Like its counterpart, this space is open and accessible for individuals to gather. People are drawn to come to this space and engage in socialization.

The difference is that the true intent of this space is for retail and entertainment. Boutiques, theaters, restaurants, and offices can be found in this type of space because they provide goods and services to be bought.

• Retail • Inviting, Open, Lighted • Accessible

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Figure No. 23 Mass Effect 3 Screenshot

Netherworld Program Saving Space

Seen at first glance, the ‘Saving’ space is another peculiar type of space found in videogames as well as other imagined worlds. In videogames, this space is a means for a player to save and protect their progress before advancing to another space. In other words, the ‘Saving’ space is a place of remembering. It is a private and serene space that a person can take a pause from the excitement of the other spaces in the ‘Netherworld.’ It is like a haven from the maelstrom that people encounter.

That person can reflect on where they came from and prepare for the next sequence of spaces.

• Private, haven/ retreat • Place of reflection • Space of remembering

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Figure No. 24 Dark Souls Bonfire Screenshot

Netherworld Program Residential Space

Another common programmatic space, the ‘Residential’ space is a private haven for an individual. The imagined worlds found in media depict this space as a place where a person goes to rest in privacy away from society and other public spaces. So, this is a reclusive space that is separated away from ‘Communal’ and other social spaces.

This differs from the ‘Saving’ space in that it isn’t about reflection or remembering, rather it is more of a state of rest. In a videogame, a player can go to their private space and recuperate their bodies and leave when ready.

• Private space • Away from other spaces • Reclusive yet can navigate to other spaces

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Figure No. 25 Assassin’s Creed II Villa Auditore Image

Netherworld Program Vault Space

Above all the other spaces, the ‘Vault’ space is the most secure because it contains something of value. In videogames and other media, this space holds a relic or item of extreme importance and worth that a player seeks out. In said imagined world, this relic is in a guarded and sealed place that requires fortitude to attain. In other words, the ‘Vault’ space is like a tomb or a cellar or a treasury that is embedded by a means to keep it protected.

It is as if it is so close and yet out of reach because it entices people to find and yet it is guarded to prevent access.

• Secure, blocked off, guarded • Have to go through to attain • Need relic in vault to proceed further

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Figure No. 26 Assassin’s Creed Chest Wallpaper

Netherworld Program Boss Space

The last space is also one of the most important because it is the climax of all the other ‘Netherworld’ spaces. In videogames, the ‘Boss’ space is a place where the player reaches to fight the boss of the game. This showdown is a hurdle that must be overcome through the player’s actions. This is found in other imagined worlds in other media like books, art, etc. This is a monumental space for the purpose of performance. Like the Colosseum or a stadium, this place accentuates the drama of the performance and allows spectators to witness the event taking place. So, the ‘Boss’ space is an area for the observation of immense competition and exhibition.

• Hurdle, triumph over, performance • Monolithic/ monumental • Colosseum, stadium, theater PAGE

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Figure No. 27 Dark Souls II Screenshot

Netherworld Program Plexi Perspective Construct

Utilizing the concept of Descartes’ sense unreliability and Piranesi’s use of perspective, the programmatic spaces of the ‘Netherworld’ are manifested through a plexi perspective construct. This 2-D construct creates the illusion of 3-d space by a series of scored and sticky-backed Plexiglas.

The scored elements create objects in perspective while the sticky-back adds tone to objects as they overlap each other in space. So, depth is created physically with elements existing in different layers of the Plexiglas series and implied through the vanishing lines of the perspective. Thus an imagined 3-dimensional space is created by the philosophy of Descartes and the techniques of Piranesi.

This plexi perspective construct expresses the ‘Entrance’ space by creating a portal or threshold. The elements of the perspective wrap around the vanishing point giving a sense of standing in the space. At the same time, the eye is drawn forward as if to pull you to the end of the space and onward.

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Figure No. 28 Plexi Perspective Construct

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Figure No. 29 Plexi Perspective Construct Side View

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Figure No. 30 Plexi Perspective Construct Front View

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Figure No. 31 Night Photo Plexi Perspective Construct Side View

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Figure No. 32 Night Photo Plexi Perspective Construct

Netherworld Program Plexi Perspective Armature

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Continuing from the previous plexi construct, this one incorporates four ‘Netherworld’ spaces called entrance, saving, vault, and boss space arranged in a plexi armature that supports each space. Like the original construct, this armature utilizes perspective made by the scored and stickybacked Plexiglas. The ‘Entrance’ space creates a funnel like condition to draw the eyes of the viewer to the perspective’s vanishing point. The elements wrap around the frame’s foreground and vanishes as it goes to the background. The ‘Saving’ space is created by a center vanishing point that allows for the viewer to feel like they are in the space.

The elements are composed around a stereotomic element that forms the structure of the space to make it intimate. The ‘Vault’ space is composed of a two-point perspective and gives a view of it from a distance. The monolithic element composes the armature of the space while the planes form the rest of the space that is concealed from the viewer.

Lastly, the ‘Boss’ space is composed of vertical two point perspective. This allows for the main space to float and rise from the base. This gives drama to the space and allows for a spectacle to be seen.

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Figure No. 33 Plexi Perspective Armature

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Figure No. 34 Plexi Perspective Armature Front View

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Figure No. 35 Night Photo Plexi Perspective Armature Side View

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Figure No. 36 Night Photo Plexi Perspective Armature Back View

Above and Below While the ‘Netherworld’ has programmatic spaces that create a simulated world that was explored through the previous constructs, it lacks the contextual real world that grounds the spaces to a site. The juxtaposition of the ‘Overworld’ and the ‘Netherworld’ can be expressed through the concept of the ‘Above’ and ‘Below.’ The ‘Overworld’ is the above world while the ‘Netherworld’ is the below. So, these two opposites connect through the thresholds that permeate between the two worlds.

This conclusion sparked a search to find precedents that successfully express the concept of the ‘Above’ and the ‘Below’ in the urban context.

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Figure No. 37 Above & Below Graphic

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Urban Above/ Below Precedent: Carrousel Du Louvre Paris, France

The louvre is a museum that is connected to an underground gallery and shopping center. This urban site is composed of an open public space and the enveloping museum. The monolithic museum act as an anchor for the rest of the site. This allows for the opportunity to imbed the underground spaces into the site. The site is landmarked by the juxtaposition of the baroque architecture with the modern glass pyramid that act as the site’s beacon.

At the same time, the glass pyramid is also the entrance into the spaces below. This further emphasizes the threshold between the above world and the underground.

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Figure No. 38 Carrousel du Louvre Photo

Urban Above/ Below Precedent: 9/11 Memorial

New York City, New York The towers are symbolized by the grand waterfalls on the original tower footprints. Composed of two square sunken memorial pools, tree groves, a new train station, and a plaza surrounding the context. The memorial pools act as a precious relic that dictates the elements of the site. Underneath the plaza, the history of that day is preserved in an subterranean museum. The museum houses multiple exhibition galleries displaying relics of that event along with remnants of the tower’s structure.

The portal into this underground world is created by a slanted ramp that eases the transition of the above with the below.

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Figure No. 39 September 11 Memorial and Museum Photo

Urban Above/ Below Precedent: St Paul’s Cathedral Ruins Macau Island, Macau

St Paul’s exist as a ruin with the front facade and the crypt/ relics intact. The rest of the cathedral was burned down leaving a footprint of the remaining building. The site is now a public plaza on the top of a hill with a grand staircase. The front façade and the crypt anchor the remaining site to allow for an intervention to take place there. Rather than leave it as an unused place, the cathedral is paired with a museum that was constructed underneath to preserve said relics. The crypts and the museum peek through the site with glass cases that allow for light and viewing between above and below. Along with the threshold on the back end of the cathedral, these portals allow for bridging the above public plaza with the underground museum/ crypt that exist below.

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Figure No. 40 Cathedral of Saint Paul Photo

Urban Above/ Below Precedent: Roman Ruins Verona, Italy

The Roman Empire leaves traces of its existence with the remains of its ruins underneath Italian cities. The existing site consists of the historical façade of the surrounding context along with a paved public plaza. Over time, the modern city was built over said ruins which creates an ‘Overworld’ and ‘Netherworld’ spaces. Contrary to the other precedents, the underground spaces have always existed there. However, the underground spaces were recently excavated and then exhibited with display cut outs from the plaza. Other underground spaces have glass cases that allow for light and viewing through to the Roman ruins. So, the above and below spaces which were separated through time is now connected through these thresholds.

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Figure No. 41 Verona Roman Ruins Photo

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LEVEL Urban Site and Narratives

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Hong Kong Legislative Building Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland

The Hong Kong Legislative Building is the former courthouse of the city of Hong Kong. The site includes the Legislative Building (neo-classical style), a public garden called Chater garden, and two public squares (Cenotaph square and Statue square). Surrounding the site is a densely urban context of modern towers like the Bank of China Building and the HSBC Headquarters Building. The Hong Kong subway system along with commercial spaces snake underneath the site and throughout the city. The Legislative Building is the heart of the site with the garden and squares organized around it. Analysis of the site included speculation of the site’s structure. Because the Legislative Building is the heart of the site, it acts as the armature that holds the garden and squares to it. At the same time, it shows the possibility of ‘Netherworld’ spaces that could happen underneath.

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Figure No. 42 Hong Kong Legislative Building Section Sketch

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE BUILDING HONG KONG, CHINA

Figure No. 43 Hong Kong Legislative Building Site Graphic

Figure No. 44 Legislative Building Axonometric Site Armature Drawing

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“In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled “ORANGE MARMALADE,” but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of the cupboards as she fell past it” (Carroll 7-8).

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Figure No. 45 Page 91 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

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Figure No. 46 Page 110 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Figure No. 47 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Book Cover

A whimsical and nonsensical tale of a girl named Alice and her descent into Wonderland through a rabbit hole. Her adventure begins in a field when Alice, bored with her life, follows a clothed white rabbit into said hole. Wonderland is a vibrant and fantastical world filled with anthropomorphic creatures such as talking rabbits, large playing cards with limbs, vanishing Cheshire cats, and much more. Like the rabbit hole, Hong Kong is a city with portals to a fantastical subterranean world filled with the cities’ subway system and commercial spaces. A person could spend the whole day traversing through the city without ever returning to the surface.

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Figure No. 48 Legislative Building and Alice in Wonderland Axonometric Graphic

Notre Dame Cathedral de Paris Divine Comedy: The Inferno

In Paris, the Notre Dame is a gothic cathedral that landmarks the site that it sits on. Included in the site is the cathedral itself, the public plaza, a public square called Jean XXIII square, and the Seine River. The urban fabric of the surrounding site is composed of dense buildings with classical French facades. Underneath lies the crypts of the cathedral where bodies are laid to rest and historical religious relics are stored for security. Like the first site, analysis included the speculation of the site’s structure and organization. The monolithic artifact that is the cathedral is the center of the site.

So, the cathedral’s frame forms the armature that move underneath and hold the adjacent plaza and square.

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Figure No. 49 Notre Dame Cathedral Section Sketch

NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL PARIS, FRANCE

Figure No. 50 Notre Dame Cathedral Site Graphic

Figure No. 51 Notre Dame Cathedral Axonometric Site Armature Drawing

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“And he then as initiate to novice: “Here must you put by all division of spirit and gather your soul against all cowardice.

This is the place I told you to expect.

Here you shall pass among the fallen people, souls who have lost the good of intellect.”

So saying, he put forth his hand to me, and with a gentle and encouraging smile he led me through the gate of mystery.

Here sighs and cries and wails coiled and recoiled on the starless air, spilling my soul to tears.

A confusion of tongues and monstrous accents toiled in pain and anger. Voices hoarse and shrill and sounds of blows, all intermingled, raised tumult and pandemonium that still whirls on the air forever dirty with it, as if a whirlwind sucked at sand. And I, holding my head in horror, cried: “Sweet spirit, what souls are these who run through this black haze?”

And he to me: “These are the nearly soulless whose lives concluded neither blame nor praise” (Alighieri and Ciardi 18).

Figure No. 52 Charon herds the sinners onto his boat, plate 10

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Figure No. 53 Lucifer, King of Hell Illustration

Figure No. 54 Divine Comedy Book Cover

A man named Dante travels through the nine circles of the Inferno (a.k.a. Hell) that resides deep within the Earth. Lost in the dark wilderness, Dante is escorted by Virgil, a Roman poet, into the gates of Hell and witnesses the sequential journey of a soul’s damnation. The Inferno is populated by the deceased and placed into specific circles based on their sins. Limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery are embodied by the sin’s punishment in each circle. The Inferno is a subterranean vessel like the crypts and relic vaults beneath Notre Dame Cathedral. In addition, the cathedral inverses the Inferno with its ascension of looking up towards god through its verticality while the Inferno is the distention into the Earth.

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Figure No. 55 Notre Dame Cathedral and the Inferno Axonometric Graphic

New York’s Bryant Park Coraline

On the corner of West 42nd Street and 5th Avenue is Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. Surrounding the site is a densely urban context of historical/ modern high-rise buildings and a strict grid of streets/ blocks. The Public Library has a new subterranean library stacks underneath Bryant Park. Like the second site, analysis included the speculation of the site’s structure and organization. The Public Library is on the Eastern most side of the site and its monolithic quality makes it the main element of the site. So, the armature of the site originates from the monolithic library that supports the frame of Bryant Park.

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Figure No. 56 Bryant Park Section Sketch

BRYANT PARK

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Figure No. 57 Bryant Park Site Graphic

Figure No. 58 Bryant Park Axonometric Site Armature Drawing

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“She pulled Coraline back into the hallway and advanced upon the mirror at the end of the hall. Then she pushed the tiny key into the fabric of the mirror, and she twisted it.

It opened like a door, revealing a dark space behind it. “You may come out when you’ve learned some manners,” said the other mother. “And when you’re ready to be a loving daughter.”

She picked Coraline up and pushed her into the dim space behind the mirror. A fragment of beetle was sticking to her lower lip, and there was no expression at all in her black button eyes.

Then she swung the mirror door closed, and left Coraline in darkness” (Gaiman and McKean 77-78).

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Figure No. 59 Coraline Illustration

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Figure No. 60 Dave McKean Illustration

Figure No. 61 Coraline Book Cover

A parable about the cleverness of a girl named Coraline as she ventures into an alluring and dangerous parallel world. Alone and bored in a new house, Coraline discovers a small locked door containing a long corridor bridging to a vibrant version of her own world. She meets her “other� mother, identical to her mother except with black buttons for eyes, who entices her with delicious food and games. But this world was created to lure unwary children and Coraline must use her wit to escape.

Beneath Bryant Park lies the subterranean library stacks which connect to the park through a benign escape hatch. This connection relates to the small locked door in the story of Coraline as well as the knowledge locked beyond that threshold.

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Figure No. 62 Bryant Park and Coraline Axonometric Graphic

Paris Army Museum Peter and Wendy

To the East of the Eiffel Tower is the Paris Army Museum that is the main element of its site.

The site includes the Army Museum, the Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, a public plaza, and a series of garden and grass fields. Surrounding the site is a sea of urban fabric composed of low residential buildings covered by classical French facades.

Underneath lies the subterranean crypts that snake through the city of Paris. This is the last site chosen and analysis includes the speculation of the site’s structure and organization. On the southern end of the site is the museum and the act as the main element of the site. Because of this, the armature of the museum extends below the site as it frames the plaza and gardens in the North.

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Figure No. 63 Army Museum Section Sketch

PARIS ARMY MUSEUM PARIS, FRANCE

Figure No. 64 Army Museum Site Graphic

Figure No. 65 Army Museum Axonometric Site Armature Drawing

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“In they went; I don’t know how there was room for them, but you can squeeze very tight in the Neverland. And that was the first of the many joyous evenings they had with Wendy. By and by she tucked them up in the great bed in the home under the trees, but she herself slept that night in the little house, and Peter kept watch outside with drawn sword, for the pirates could be heard carousing far away and the wolves were on the prowl. The little house looked so cozy and safe in the darkness, with a bright light showing through its blinds, and the chimney smoking beautifully, and Peter standing on guard.

After a time he fell asleep, and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their way home from an orgy. Any of the other boys obstructing the fairy path at night they would have mischiefed,14 but they just tweaked Peter’s nose and passed on” (Barrie and Tatar 8687).

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Figure No. 66 02 Peter and Wendy Illustration

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Figure No. 67 09 Peter and Wendy Illustration

Figure No. 68 The Annotated Peter Pan Book Cover

The preservation of innocence is explored with the story of Peter Pan and his adventures in the virgin world of Neverland. Wendy, a girl in London, and her brothers follow Peter, the boy who never grows up, as he returns to Neverland to tell bedtime stories. Neverland is a wondrous place with fairies, pirates, Native Americans, and Peter’s gang called the Lost Boys. But, this escapism is only an ephemeral fantasy for Wendy and the other children, except for Peter, who wish to live out their lives. Like Neverland, the Paris Army Museum is an island populated with lush gardens and is surrounded by a sea of urban context. Additionally, the idea of a museum and the story of Peter Pan is the preservation of time.

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Figure No. 69 Army Museum and Peter Pan Axonometric Graphic

Narrative Book Stand Media Armature

While a site act as the ‘Overworld’ that supports the ‘Netherworld’ spaces of the chosen narratives, the physical manifestation of this armature can be expressed as a frame for the simulated world’s media. So, the scale of the ‘Overworld’ is accommodated to the scale of the media, the physical copy of the book, for the purpose of supporting and joining of both the real and imagined world.

This means the design of a book stand that acts as the armature for the imagined world contained in each chosen narrative. The stand allows for the book to rest comfortably open at an angle on the spine and arms of the stand. This allows for the book to be propped open for the display and comfortable reading of the pages of the book. In addition, each book stand comes with bracers on the bed of the stand to keep any page within the book open for the purpose of display.

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Figure No. 70 Book Stand

Each book stand was created for the purpose of supporting any kind of book media, so each stand has the same kind of components for assembly. Plexiglas was chosen for its transparent qualities and structural rigidity. Each element is laser cut for precision and consistency for the purpose of having multiple book stands. The design incorporates notches into each piece for easy assembly/ disassembly, strong joint connection, and not requiring any kind of glue.

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Figure No. 72 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Book Stand

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Figure No. 74 Coraline Book Stand

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LEVEL Unfolding the Netherworld

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Netherworld Cube Taking a step back from the ‘Overworld’ of each assigned site, the ‘Netherworld’ spaces are explored. Like a cube consisting of 6 sides, the imagined world is unfolded into three armatures that hold two spaces. Each armature act as the ‘corridor’ that abstractly connects and holds each space that exists in the ‘Netherworld.’ The ‘corridor’ is the space that bridges the two ‘Netherworld’ spaces and provides a route for occupants to move through. Like the book stand, the armature also provides the frame that holds the spaces. Each set of spaces correspond with each other by their programmatic similarity to each other.

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Netherworld Sections Six out of the eight types of ‘Netherworld’ spaces were chosen to develop through section drawings. These spaces were entrance, puzzle, boss, saving, communal, and vault. Light/ shadow and volume are explored in the development of each space. The ‘Entrance’ space is a gentle transition through the threshold with an uninterrupted staircase down into the space. The ‘Puzzle’ space uses adjustable overhead elements that shape the amount of light and the height of the space. The ‘Boss’ space has a descending set of platforms and seating for a subterranean theater which pierces through to the ground above. The ‘Saving’ space comfortably envelops occupants with striking light that floods the space from the corner. The ‘Communal’ space is a large and expansive space composed of a series of cascading platforms bathed in light. Lastly, the ‘Vault’ space is the most subterranean that doesn’t touch the surface. It is composed of a series of interlocking spaces that has light radiating from its center.

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Figure No. 77 Entrance Space Section Graphic

Figure No. 78 Boss Space Section Graphic

Figure No. 79 Communal Space Section Graphic

Figure No. 80 Puzzle Space Section Graphic

Figure No. 81 Saving Space Section Graphic

Figure No. 82 Vault Space Section Graphic

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Section Armature Each armature connects to two sections that were developed prior. The ‘Entrance’ space is paired with the ‘Puzzle’ space. The ‘Boss’ space and ‘Saving’ space are connected together. Lastly, the ‘Communal’ space is linked to the ‘Vault’ space. The sections are expressed through a series of Plexiglas overlays that form depth like in the earlier plexi constructs. These sections integrate through the armature with the museum board and bass wood. In addition, the armatures form the volumetric mass of that space and goes to form the bridge that holds the sections together. Each armature act as the ‘corridor’ that abstractly connects and holds each space that exists in the ‘Netherworld.’ The ‘corridor’ is the space that bridges the two ‘Netherworld’ spaces and provides a route for occupants to move through. The sticky back represents the armature that holds the media which contains the imagined worlds. Thus the sections and spaces themselves are the frame for the media which inspired the sections themselves. So, these constructs hold books and other media in there dispersed ‘media-scape.’

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113 Figure No. 83 Entrance and Puzzle Space Section Armature

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Figure No. 84 Boss and Saving Space Section Armature

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Figure No. 86 Night Photo of All Section Armatures

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Figure No. 87 Night Photo Communal and Vault Space Section Armature

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Figure No. 89 Night Photo Entrance and Puzzle Space Section Armature

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LEVEL Conclusion

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Conclusion As time moves on, the city is becoming blurred with the concept of the ‘media-scape.’ This is born from the imagine worlds that are found in multiple types of media such as videogames, books, art, and more. This allows for the threshold that connects both the real and imagined world.

This means that these worlds are blurring to become one hybrid world. This adds layers to the palimpsest city that exist today. Does the mean that the city can incorporate the design principles of the simulated or do they remain as an additional layer composed of the media that forms it?

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List of Figures Figure No. 1 Figure No. 2 Figure No. 3 Figure No. 4 Figure No. 5 Figure No. 6 Figure No. 7 Figure No. 8 Figure No. 9 Figure No. 10 Figure No. 11 Figure No. 12 Figure No. 13 PAGE

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Portrait (Photo: Jorgelina Daniela) Space Invaders Graphic (http://eskipaper.com/images/space-invaders-2.jpg) Nintendo 64 Game Titles (http://gamemoir.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/N64.jpg) Legend of Zelda concept Illustration (http://www.eggplante.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2557861-zelda_001.jpg) Rene Descartes Etched Portrait (https://blogs.harvard.edu/houghton/files/2012/01/MS-Hyde-77-1-48-1.jpg) Wax Candle Photo (https://deliciouspeaceofmind.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/burning-candle.jpg) Halo Forerunner City concept Illustration (https://cdn2.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/310/378/large/espen-saetervik-forerunner2. jpg?1443928366) Bioshock Infinite Screenshot (http://www.gamespersecond.com/media/2013/03/bioshock-infinite-city-in-the-sky-trailer4.jpg) Journey Screenshot (http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesps3/journey_10a.jpg) Dark Souls Screenshot (http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/7/70675/1976441-darksouls_anorlondo.jpg) The Drawbridge, plate VII (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mMpMinCpczs/TUHuZ9Qgf3I/AAAAAAAAAJs/APNv-ZmhXgA/s1600/Piranesi9c.jpg) The Smoking Fire, plate VI (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Piranesi01.jpg) The Pier with Chains, plate XVI (http://www.bocamuseum.org/clientuploads/EXHIBITION_IMAGES/Romanticism/Piranesi_Pier_with_ Chains.jpg)

Figure No. 14 Figure No. 15 Figure No. 16 Figure No. 17 Figure No. 18 Figure No. 19 Figure No. 20 Figure No. 21 Figure No. 22 Figure No. 23 Figure No. 24

Building Typologies Graphic (http://pr2015.aaschool.ac.uk/submission/uploaded_files/DIP-05/yah-chuen-shen-02_Gaming%20Oubliette-Building%20Typologies.jpg) Video Game Spatial Chronology Graphic (http://pr2015.aaschool.ac.uk/submission/uploaded_files/DIP-05/yah-chuen-shen-03_Video%20 Game%20Spatial%20Chronology.jpg) An assortment of Alternate Realities Graphic (http://pr2015.aaschool.ac.uk/submission/uploaded_files/DIP-05/yah-chuen-shen-04_Gaming%20Oubliette-An%20assortment%20of%20Alternate%20Realities.jpg) Proposal Expansion (http://pr2015.aaschool.ac.uk/submission/uploaded_files/DIP-05/yah-chuen-shen-05_Gaming%20Oubliette-Proposal%20Expansion.jpg) Umwelt Investigation Graphic (http://pr2015.aaschool.ac.uk/submission/uploaded_files/DIP-05/yah-chuen-shen-01_Gaming%20Oubliette-Umwelt%20Investigation.jpg) Imagined World Program Diagram Journey Entrance Screenshot (http://blogs-images.forbes.com/games/files/2015/07/Journey-PS4-Head.jpg) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Screenshot (https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lI7DYpTv7tw/maxresdefault.jpg) Second Life Screenshot (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwgL7FmKYdg/UrPtJxLKdTI/AAAAAAAAHf0/L9GWkjrc0Kg/s1600/1337-68511-PB.jpg) Mass Effect 3 Screenshot (http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/masseffect/images/0/00/ME3_Shops_NosAstraSportingGoods.png/ revision/latest?cb=20120417070655) Dark Souls Bonfire Screenshot (http://equityarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1580890.png) PAGE

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Figure No. 25 Figure No. 26 Figure No. 27 Figure No. 28 Figure No. 29 Figure No. 30 Figure No. 31 Figure No. 32 Figure No. 33 Figure No. 34 Figure No. 35 Figure No. 36 Figure No. 37 Figure No. 38 Figure No. 39 Figure No. 40 Figure No. 41

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Figure No. 42 Figure No. 43

Assassin’s Creed II Villa Auditore Image (http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/assassinscreed/images/a/aa/AC2_renovated_villa_auditore.png/revision/latest?cb=20121015233146) Assassin’s Creed Chest Wallpaper (https://wallpaperscraft.com/image/assassins_creed_chest_house_bats_fan_art_19620_3840x2400.jpg) Dark Souls II Screenshot (http://blogs-images.forbes.com/erikkain/files/2014/06/Dark-Souls-2-crown-trilogy.jpg) Plexi Perspective Construct Plexi Perspective Construct Side View Plexi Perspective Construct Front View Night Photo Plexi Perspective Construct Side View Night Photo Plexi Perspective Construct Plexi Perspective Armature Plexi Perspective Armature Front View Night Photo Plexi Perspective Armature Side View Night Photo Plexi Perspective Armature Back View Above & Below Graphic Carrousel du Louvre Photo (http://www.paks-gallery.com/images/louvre_carrousel-du-louvre.jpg) September 11 Memorial and Museum Photo (http://koaa.images.worldnow.com/images/8775185_G.jpg) Cathedral of Saint Paul Photo (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Macau_Cathedral_of_Saint_Paul_back_square.

JPG) Verona Roman Ruins Photo (http://www.romanheritage.com/imagftp/IMm1_101135607-254_Roman_ruins_by_Porta_Leoni_Roman_ gate_Verona_-Copiar-.JPG) Hong Kong Legislative Building Section Sketch Hong Kong Legislative Building Site Graphic

Figure No. 44 Figure No. 45 Figure No. 46 Figure No. 47 Figure No. 48 Figure No. 49 Figure No. 50 Figure No. 51 Figure No. 52 Figure No. 53 Figure No. 54 Figure No. 55 Figure No. 56 Figure No. 57 Figure No. 58 Figure No. 59 Figure No. 60 Figure No. 61

Legislative Building Axonometric Site Armature Drawing Page 91 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Lewis_Carroll_-_Alice’s_Adventures_in_ Wonderland.djvu/page111-1024px-Lewis_Carroll_-_Alice’s_Adventures_in_Wonderland.djvu.jpg) Page 110 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Lewis_Carroll_-_Alice’s_Adventures_in_ Wonderland.djvu/page130-2357px-Lewis_Carroll_-_Alice’s_Adventures_in_Wonderland.djvu.jpg) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Book Cover (https://img1.etsystatic.com/075/0/6085453/il_fullxfull.816490573_a7wp.jpg) Legislative Building and Alice in Wonderland Axonometric Graphic Notre Dame Cathedral Section Sketch Notre Dame Cathedral Site Graphic Notre Dame Cathedral Axonometric Site Armature Drawing Charon herds the sinners onto his boat, plate 10 (https://theviewfromsarisworld.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/gustave_dorecc81_-_dante_alighieri_-_inferno_-_plate_10_canto_iii_-_charon_herds_the_sinners_onto_his_boat.jpg) Lucifer, King of Hell Illustration (http://40.media.tumblr.com/b4b32304c8fad82bc026dec0b3119a80/tumblr_n8d0zqUQt31seaxkqo1_1280.jpg) Divine Comedy Book Cover Notre Dame Cathedral and the Inferno Axonometric Graphic Bryant Park Section Sketch Bryant Park Site Graphic Bryant Park Axonometric Site Armature Drawing Coraline Illustration (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a1/9b/43/a19b43108549927075cfc9138b992dee.jpg) Dave McKean Illustration (http://www.prae.hu/prae/content/articles/11880.jpg) Coraline Book Cover (http://pictures.abebooks.com/DREAMHAVENBOOKS/14383249701.jpg)

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Figure No. 62 Figure No. 63 Figure No. 64 Figure No. 65 Figure No. 66 Figure No. 67 Figure No. 68

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Figure No. 69 Figure No. 70 Figure No. 71 Figure No. 72 Figure No. 73 Figure No. 74 Figure No. 75 Figure No. 76 Figure No. 77 Figure No. 78 Figure No. 79 Figure No. 80 Figure No. 81 Figure No. 82 Figure No. 83 Figure No. 84 Figure No. 85 Figure No. 86 Figure No. 87

Bryant Park and Coraline Axonometric Graphic Army Museum Section Sketch Army Museum Site Graphic Army Museum Axonometric Site Armature Drawing 02 Peter and Wendy Illustration (http://panmusical.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/02+Peter+and+Wendy+-+F+D+Bedford+-+Title+Page+-+1911.jpg) 09 Peter and Wendy Illustration (http://poictesme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/09-peter-and-wendy-f-d-bedford-1911.jpg) The Annotated Peter Pan Book Cover (http://bibliocosmos.com/images/detailed/2/THE_ANNOTATED_PETER_PAN.jpg?t=1437388355) Army Museum and Peter Pan Axonometric Graphic Book Stand Book Stand Assembly Graphic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Book Stand Divine Comedy Book Stand Coraline Book Stand Peter and Wendy Book Stand Netherworld Section & Armature Cube Entrance Space Section Graphic Boss Space Section Graphic Communal Space Section Graphic Puzzle Space Section Graphic Saving Space Section Graphic Vault Space Section Graphic Entrance and Puzzle Space Section Armature Boss and Saving Space Section Armature Communal and Vault Space Section Armature Night Photo of All Section Armatures Night Photo Communal and Vault Space Section Armature

Figure No. 88 Figure No. 89 Figure No. 90

Night Photo Boss and Saving Space Section Armature Night Photo Entrance and Puzzle Space Section Armature Night Photo Boss and Saving Space Section Armature Side View

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Work Cited Alighieri, Dante, and John Ciardi. Divine Comedy. Pennsylvania: Franklin Library, 1977. Print.

Barrie, J. M., Maria Tatar, and Arthur Rackham. The Annotated Peter Pan. New York: W.W. Norton, 2011. Print.

Bioshock Infinite. 2K Games. 2013. Video game.

Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ; Through the Looking Glass. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2015. Print.

Dark Souls. Namco Bandai Games. 2011. Video game.

Descartes, René, Elizabeth Sanderson Haldane, and G. R. T. Ross. Philosophical Works. Pennsylvania: Franklin Library, 1981. Print. “experience”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. Web. 29 Apr. 2016. <Dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/browse/experience>.

Gaiman, Neil, and Dave McKean. Coraline. New York: HarperTrophy, 2002. Print.

Halo 4. Microsoft Studios. 2012. Video game.

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“immersion”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. Web. 29 Apr. 2016. <Dictionary.com http://www.dictionary.com/browse/immersion>.

Journey. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2012. Video game.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo Co., Ltd. 1998. Video game.

Rigby, Scott; Ryan, Richard. Glued to Games : How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound. Westport: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Ebook Library. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

“Shigeru Miyamoto.” AZQuotes.com. Wind and Fly LTD, 2016. Web. 29 April 2016. http://www. azquotes.com/quote/437362 Star Fox 64. Nintendo Co., Ltd. 1997. Video game.

Super Mario 64. Nintendo Co.,Ltd. 1996. Video game.

Wilton-Ely, John. The Mind and Art of Giovanni Battista Piranesi. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978.

Print.

Yah-Chuen-Shen. Level up. aaschool.ac.uk. Architectural Association Inc, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

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