Tannhäuser Gate
 Tannhäuser Gate
| |
 The Castle with the Martello Tower | |
| About | |
|---|---|
| Owner |  SlowRiot
|
| Contributors |  nosefish,  dorn284,  Edessa
|
| Category | Castles |
| Underground? | No |
| Public? | Yes |
| Started | 25 Oct 2011 |
| Size north to south | 60m |
| Size west to east | 100m |
| Height | 50m |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | X=3987 Y=75 Z=823 |
| Dimension | Overworld |
| Map Link | |
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain." -Roy Batty (Blade Runner)
The Tannhauser Gate and Martello Tower are a pair of primarily decorative fortified buildings to the North and North-West of the picturesque seaside town of Port Dhal. Upon completion of the Northern Quarter of Port Dhal, a new-town style expansion that brought prosperous villas and an expansion of the walls to the historical small town, the builders 
Lothendal and nosefish commissioned additional builders to contribute work around the town; two such commissions were for a watchtower on a small island in the bay in front of the Northern Quarter, and a fortress on a nearby island which was at this point uninhabited and in danger of falling prey to cobble cube constructions. SlowRiot accepted the commission for these two buildings, and decided to combine them via an extended bridge.
Tannhäuser Gate
Name and inspiration
The castle is inspired by, and loosely based around the well-known Neuschwanstein Castle, a Romanesque Revival styled palace on a hill in Bavaria. That castle itself was inspired by the operas of Wagner, and Ludwig II claimed that Wagner would be reminded of his opera Tannhäuser upon seeing it. Rising from the mists in the distance as viewed from the city walls, the tableau presented by this castle at Port Dhal is intended to be similarly theatrical, drawing the viewer in to the frame.
The Tannhauser Gate name is itself a multiple reference. The fortress was intended as an extended gatehouse to the Martello Tower, providing primary access to the bridgeway over the bay, and controlling access to it from the direction of the town, and serving as a buffer against land-based invasion of the town in case the Tower was overrun. However, "Tannhauser Gate" is also a reference to a speech at the conclusion of the Blade Runner film (see [1])
A critic remarks on the relation between Wagner's opera and Roy Batty's reference, and suggests that Batty aligns himself with Wagner's Tannhauser, a character who has fallen from grace both with men and with God. Due to personal events in his life, this is a feeling that SlowRiot as the architect of this building was especially intimately familiar with at the time of construction, and the comparison hit a resonant note during this time of inspiration.
Eastern Gatehouse
The Eastern gatehouse was the first portion of the castle to be completed, built overlooking the sea bridge crossing the bay to the Martello Tower. It is a visibly defensive building, constructed into the overhanging cliff, flanked by two small towers which make effective shooting positions. There is ladder access down to the sewage outflow room, with an observation window allowing a view of the underside of the bridge steps and the water below. Waste water from the castle flows out here, via a gap cut in the cliff rock, and forms a waterfall down into the bay. This room also leads to an underground corridor access to the drawbridge control room for the Southern gatehouse
Southern Gatehouse and Moat
The Southern side of the castle is defended by an artificial moat outside its wall; this moat is kept filled from a water supply inside the castle itself. This water flows through pipes below the gatehouse on either side, and flows out on either side of the drawbridge.
A working drawbridge spans this moat, and is called to open automatically upon detection of a visitor at the crossing platform in times of peace. The drawbridge can be toggled manually using the switches in the drawbridge control room, below the Southern gatehouse.
Courtyard
Passing either of the gatehouses, the visitor enters the courtyard to the sound of running water. A fountain is prominent in the south-east corner of the courtyard, and aquaducts lead its outflow down and below the southern gatehouse on either side, to supply the moat. A path leads up towards the main building, past the barracks.
Barracks
Although the barracks building is placed dominantly in the courtyard, there are no access doors to it directly; it must be accessed via a passageway from the main block, adding an extra layer of security, and making the entrance path for visitors clearer. The barracks building itself houses a dining hall on the ground level, with a decorative chandelier, and ladder access up to a dormitory above featuring beds and storage chests. It is possible to exit onto the roof of this building, which provides a comfortable overview of the courtyard and the walls.
Covered passageway
A sheltered walkway leads to the barracks building from the main block, providing a second level of protection to soldiers in case the walls are breached, preventing archers from firing from the courtyard or the walls into this narrow passage. This walkway is inspired by a similar passage in Craignethan Castle in Lanarkshire, Scotland, near where SlowRiot and 
runechan used to live, and once visited. Other interior elements of Craignethan also inspire this castle.
Main block
The interior of the main block is still under construction at the time of writing. It is characterised by a cuboidal main stone structure, with a brick superstructure on top allowing formal egress onto the roof, which in itself forms a smaller courtyard, and access to most of the towers. The superstructure has a wooden extension leaning out over the sea to the West, and giving a magnificent view out over the water.
Throne room
A large open wooden space with a prominent ornate chandelier and a pair of thrones on a raised dais in the corner.
Banquet hall
A space suitable for offering dining to a decent number of guests.
During construction
Ballroom
Under construction at the time of writing.
File:2011-11-24_21.36.54.png|During construction
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Indoor garden
A small picturesque indoor garden is located in the lowest tower, on the South-West corner of the castle. This is topped by a magnificent tree, and is the first part of the castle that is seen by visitors arriving by boat towards Port Dhal from the West. The garden itself features vines, benches and water features in a serene atmosphere, as well as an elevated walkway accessed by ladder, reminiscent of many British botanical gardens - especially those in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Towers and spires
The castle has a variety of towers at different heights, which are primarily for observation and decoration. Each is crenellated in the signature "Disney" style of the Romanesque Revival castles such as Neuschwanstein, widening out from the base, and topped with a wooden superstructure with a canted roof. The majority of the roofs are in stone brick, as are most of the walls of the castle. However, some use has been made of brick to break up the monotony. Both are very expensive materials, stone brick being very new at the time of this building's construction, and are a sign of wealth and opulence. The castle also makes extensive use of glass panes and iron bars, also new block types. The North-West tower is the tallest, and the heights of the towers mimic the distribution of those in Neuschwanstein.
Martello Tower
The Martello Tower is a simple round tower-house with an expansion wing and basic wooden superstructure for observation. It has been permitted to descend into a state of some decay, many of the stone bricks becoming cracked, and moss-grown - especially near the waterline. This tower is on a small sea island, so the waves occasionally lap at its foundations. Only one tree stands on the island beside the tower. Vines grow down the north side of the tower.
Name and inspiration
The name is intended to convey not only a reference to the Martello Towers of the British Empire, the general style of which it resembles, but more specifically the tower located at Sandycove near Dublin, Ireland at which James Joyce stayed for a period of time, and which served as the inspiration for a location in the stream of consciousness novel Ulysses, which was also a major inspiration for SlowRiot. Riot's own visit to Dublin is a time associated with last chances, artificial extensions, and ultimately failure - he did not find time to visit the famous Martello tower as he had planned on that trip. As such the construction is somewhat of a wish-fulfilment fantasy act by the architect.
Oubliette
The martello tower (at the time of writing, although further modification is planned) differs from the standard style in that the core is hollow, and all chambers have been opened into one continuous room. The space at the bottom of this room which would have housed the water tanks in a traditional Martello has been excavated to slightly below sea level, and is badly lit and has no easy mode of egress. This dungeon-like space has been named the Oubliette, as is traditional for underground prison rooms - literally a "forgetting place", where you put someone you wish to forget about. [2]
"Oubliette" is also the name of an X-Files episode (series 3, episode 57); the architect associates the series with his visit to Dublin, as both are something shared with a former partner at around this time, leaving a lasting impression - no doubt the connection is intentional.