Qarn Al Katra
 Qarn Al Katra
| |
 Render of the inner courtyard | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Owner |  SlowRiot
|
| Contributors |  Machines_Are_Us,  gabzwithabz,  jonathanpanda,  The_Jackal_249,  fmxstick,  AlexFD,  nodoka_miyazaki,  Rainbow_Dash2
|
| Category | Hospitality |
| Underground? | No |
| Public? | Yes |
| Started | 8 Nov 2011 |
| Completed | 10 Nov 2011 |
| Size north to south | 200m |
| Size west to east | 110m |
| Height | 25m |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | X=-4376 Y=68 Z=8903 |
| Dimension | Overworld |
| Map Link | |
Qarn Al Katra (قَرْن الكَثْرَة) means Horn of Abundance in Arabic. It is a set of three identical buildings, each comprising three interior spaces and a courtyard.
Upon completion, eight of the nine buildings have been offered to the public as highly exclusive luxury apartments; a high level of interior design skill is expected from prospective purchasers. Individual building prices range from 80 diamond blocks for the north and south rectangular ends, through 100 diamond blocks for the west-facing rectangular blocks overlooking the ocean, to 200 diamond blocks for the north and south inner ogives. The western inner ogive is reserved, and not available for sale at this time.
All apartments in the complex have been sold as of 8 Feb 2011, and no further expansion is currently planned in order to maintain the exclusivity of the locale.
Design
Inspiration
Based on a neoromanesque/baroque/arabic fusion building that appeared to SlowRiot in a dream in blueprint form, each of the three "shards" is primarily ogive in shape, tapering to a bullet-like point. The rectangular portions at the broad end are marked by baroque recurve cutaways, and the smaller interior courtyard open to the sky is especially reminiscent of Borromini's works seen in plan view, especially San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. A central roofed courtyard separates the front from the rear section of each building; the insubstantial double-humped roof recalls Waverley Train Station in Edinburgh, which is supported by oversized columns far in excess of the bulk required to support its weight structurally.
Lighting and windows
Lighting is a key feature in these buildings; the ogive tip at the end of each shard is marked internally with torches that descend the walls in progression, creating a sense of extended perspective, while the windows simultaneously curve upwards and recede. The remainder of the building is marked by oversize windows in flamboyant neoarabesque designs, appearing almost symmetrical. The front-facing windows on the outer edge of the squared off ends of the shards evolve to be reminiscent of Indonesian kris daggers; their position on either side of the primary entrances producing an aggressive defense posture holding an implication of palace guards standing on either side of a gate.
Fountains
Each courtyard is marked with a fountain - the large inner roofed courtyard with a large romanesque ornamental cascading fountain, and the smaller outdoor courtyard with a small diversionary fountain that leads the viewer past each doorway of the adjacent apartment, and breaks up line of sight across from each apartment to the other. The sound of running water is important to the atmosphere of Qarn Al Katra.
Location
A contributing factor to the exclusivity of Qarn Al Katra is the location - prior to the 1.8 update, this was a portion of the original Freedonia 18km disc that was unexplored. Subsequent to the 1.8 changes in the terrain generator, it has been explored and discovered to be home to the only natural ocean in the original Freedonia landmass. The change in the terrain generator is evidenced by the water level being one meter lower in this region, at an altitude of 63 instead of 64.
Gallery
Occupants
Only Freedonia's mega-rich can afford Qarn Al Katra's prices; as a result, the occupants are a mix of high-level donors, ruthless PVPers, and dedicated miners and traders.
West block
- South wing: Machines_Are_Us (cost: 80 diamond blocks)
- North wing: gabzwithabz (cost: 80 diamond blocks)
- Ogive: jonathanpanda (cost: 200 diamond blocks)
East block
- South wing: The_Jackal_249 (cost: 80 diamond blocks)
- North wing: fmxstick (cost: 80 diamond blocks)
- Ogive: AlexFD (cost: 200 diamond blocks)
South block
- West wing: Rainbow_Dash2 (cost: 100 diamond blocks)
- East wing: nodoka_miyazaki (cost: 100 diamond blocks)
- Ogive: reserved for SlowRiot's diamond block stash