9 replies to this topic

[marksab]

hi there, i'm mark from montreal, qc canada. i am 21 years old and have a oassion forf conceiving maps of imaginary cities.

here are a few of my drawings
Ville Battista
Part of Central Sylvania (full map has more than twenty 18x24 panels)

there is a lot more, i'm having trouble finding my pictures but i have drawsn hundred s of cities by hand, lately my effort has shifted towards greater realism and bigger towns in general.

[frax]

Hi, and welcome!

That sounds very interesting - what is your inspiration for the drawings?

[benbakelaar]

I second frax, super interesting! Please share more when you find those pictures.

Is there a story to go with each city/map? A reasoning for where certain features go, and which features are contained within each city (e.g. city hall, hotels, castles, offices)?

[marksab]

I second frax, super interesting! Please share more when you find those pictures.

Is there a story to go with each city/map? A reasoning for where certain features go, and which features are contained within each city (e.g. city hall, hotels, castles, offices)?

i don't know where to begin, the cities exist in my mind, so i must draw them. it began when i was quite young. though each line is imagined, the ideas are composed of my own theory on what makes a beautiful and liveable urban environment, inspirations from many great architects and their own plans as well as the nature of the great cities of the world. i will spend hours studying the road networks, transport, economy, geography, culture, architecture and other influences of places i visit (or study) and assimilate it all into the world i create.

perhaps my most important influence of late has been moshe safdie, the two cities i presented below are an attempt to design a whole human habitat. i have also used his brilliant idea of the utility car [notice on ville battista map-blue squares beside purple rectangle(rail stations), these are u-car depots).

in the past two years i have focused on the drawing of the major cities of a nation, and in a way i am progressing towards an urbanism thesis (or is it a work of art all in all because people make the city, all i can do is breed an interesting environment for human connection and progress).

nearly everything i can imagine is included in the frame of these cities...and they are by no means perfect. whole districts may be planned and at other times i let my pencil run free to fill in whatever seems right in the spaces.

[marksab]

I second frax, super interesting! Please share more when you find those pictures.

Is there a story to go with each city/map? A reasoning for where certain features go, and which features are contained within each city (e.g. city hall, hotels, castles, offices)?

some features of ville battista:
top of map faces due north

1)EFT station (extremely fast train-like TGV)
-major intercity rail station
-hub for local light rail network

2)st-simeon hospital (northwest of EFT station)
-important regional mega-hospital (for total population of 1.3 million)

3)federal university (surrounds hospital)
-large technical college

4)newman circle (East of EFT station) major roundabout of city. home to old market, office building turn of the entury neon lights.
5)grand parade-southeast from newman circle-major shopping and entertainment area, neighbourhood filled with large office building and hotels. some loft style appartments nearby. street itself has two reserved bus hov lanes.

6)old portuguese town-east of newman circle south of perry cove- small pedestrian walkways, boutiques, bazaars, theatres, restaurants, cafes. main focal point portugal square

7)bordered to the south by the national museum and the museum green, two blocks south of the green is the performing arts centre

[marksab]

more pictures of sylvania:

central and new city
central and west side
magnification new city (la defense style building area)

in progression from west to east-an outer district of the city.
aurora gate district (far west) panel 1
aurora panel 2
aurora panel 3
aurora panel 4

[frax]

Please note that not all of those links works...

(makes me want to play simcity again...)

[MapMedia]

Wow! Cool. You should show your work to your local city planner! You sound like a natural for the field.

[CHART]

Welcome to Cartotalk.

Over the holidays I saw my nieces and nephews playing one of those 'kill them all' xbox games. The one I saw had an imaginary city to guide the player (or killer). Maybe your talents as a map and city designer can be used as a job seeking portfolio. Montreal his home to a lot of game designing companies.

Regards,

[marksab]

links fixed (stupid .JPG vs. .jpg problem...anyways
in progression from west to east-an outer district of the city.
aurora gate district (far west) panel 1
aurora panel 2
aurora panel 3
aurora panel 4