Alhambra From an Environment Project View

After finding a floor plan of the Alhambra and discovering that the palace was rather large, I decided to choose an area of the palace to work on instead of attempting the whole thing. I wanted to choose an area with both interior and exterior elements. I also wanted an area that would work well as a game level with multiple rooms, levels and variations in appearance. For this reason I decided to choose the area surrounding the Patio of the Lions.

After deciding on an area, the next stage to research what will be placed in each room asset wise, any key features and make a plan of action.

Patio of the Lions

•  12 lion fountain made from white marble
• 124 white marble columns
• Large semi-circular arches leading to the two halls on either side

Marten Kuilman, (2012), DOC69/8267 - Plan of the Court of Lions (Patio de los Leones) [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/quadralectics/8145825124/in/photostream/ [Accessed 27 September 14].

Hall of the Abencerrajes  

• Named after the knights who were beheaded there
•  Rust stain covering part of the marble fountain in the centre which is said to be a bloodstain from this event

 islamic-arts.org Team, (2011), Alhambra: Hall of the Abencerrajes [ONLINE]. Available at: http://islamic-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/5837067000_052fe51c65_o.jpg [Accessed 27 September 14].

Hall of the Two Sisters

• Named after the twin marble flagstones in part of the floor
• Entered through stone archway with wooden doors
• Channel of water that leads to Patio of the Lions

The interiors of both of the side rooms are fairly empty of assets and most of the detailing is in the tiling and stonework. In order to have some creativity, and to make the rooms more interesting from a game level perspective, I will look at the various interiors of Moorish rooms and add in some furniture, cushions and various assets from these. All will be from the same time period and historically accurate just in a different location.

Research into Moorish Architecture

The most important thing to do after deciding upon a style was to find a building and floor plans to use for my project. I began by searching for famous Moorish buildings and came across the The Alhambra in Granada which I quickly loved the idea of making. I also looked briefly into the history of the Moorish style and the basic characteristics of the style so I could make informed design decisions.

Moorish History
The Moors were Muslims that lived in the areas mainly around Spain, Gibraltar, Southern France and Portugal around the time of 711 AD. After the invasion there was a great deal of conflict between the Muslim religion and the Christians in Europe at the time. This conflict eventually came to an end in 1492 when the city of Granada fell.

Basic Moorish architecture characteristics
- Horseshoe arches
- Ogee arches
- Decorative tiling
- Intricate stonework

A Brief History of The Alhambra

The Alhambra gained its name after the reddish colour of its walls - the name meaning Red Castle in Arabic. The building is situated on a high point that overlooks the whole city beneath it. This has lead historians to believe that there were other buildings already on the site when the Muslims arrived. 

The first historical records of the Alhambra are dated in the 9th century and show a rebellious leader by the name of Sawwar Ben Hamdun, taking refuge in the oldest part of the Alhambra, the Alcazaba fortress. Sawwar also had to repair some areas as civil war was destroying the Caliphate (Islamic state) which Granada belonged to. 

A castle was added later in the 9th century but no royal residence was established until Mohammed Ben Al-Hamar arrived in the 13th century. This arrival brought the start of a period of building and reinforcement where the watch tower, warehouses and keep were built, water drawn in from the river Darro and public baths and mosque were added. All these improvements were added during the royal residence of Mohammed I, II and III. 

Many of the more famous areas of the Alhambra were added during the residence of Yusuf I and Mohammed V. These include the Patio of Lions, Justice Gate and the Comares Room. Later in history, Charles V ordered the destruction of an area of the Alhambra in order to build a palace in his name. The Emperors Chambers and Queen's Dressing Room were also added.

The Alhambra was abandoned during the 18th century and much of it was destroyed when the French domination occurred. During the 19th century, the process of rebuilding and refurbishing the fortress began and continues to this day.

Alhambra of Granada. Tickets, Guided tours, information, photographies, Guide of Granada.. [online] Alhambra de Granada. Available at: http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/ [Accessed 24th September 2014].

Constantin Uhde, (1888), 116 Tafel 6 Grenada Alhambra - Plano del Palacio Arabe [ONLINE]. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra#mediaviewer/File:116_Tafel_6_Grenada_Alhambra_-_Plano_del_Palacio_Arabe.jpg [Accessed 24 September 14].

The Brief and Initial Thoughts

The assignment for this module of A3D is to create a character or an environment based on a set time period in history. I will be creating an environment as I am much more interested in this area of 3D game art. The choices for an the environment time periods were Gothic, World War 1 and Moorish.

I began by researching the styles of all three of these genres. I began with World War 1 as it was the one I knew the most about. I found most of the landscapes and buildings from this era to be bland and I was not keen on the subject matter and history behind the time period so moved onto the next topic, Gothic. Gothic style buildings and the time period interested me much more. I liked the detail in the towering spires on the cathedrals and the lead framed windows however I also found this time period to be lacking in colours and material differences. A lot of stonework and wrought iron fences with not much colour. Due to this I settled with a Moorish style for my environment.

The Moorish style appealed to me a lot. Each building has a lot of detail in the stonework and there are lots of colourful patterns adoring the walls and floors. I also felt drawn to the idea of doing a building with both interior and exterior areas which Moorish buildings appear to have upon first inspection. My next task will be to find a specific building that I feel I can recreate accurately and that will work well as a game environment.

Kristina_R, (2010), Courtyard Alcazar [ONLINE]. Available at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/kristinarphotos/6804378362/in/set-72157629505723697/ [Accessed 24 September 14].