Rapture Tower vs. Rockefeller Center?

[PhrozenSky117]

If I do say so myself, the Rapture Tower/Lighthouse holds an interesting similarity with the Rockefeller Center in NYC.

Is it by chance coincidence that Atlas, with the world on his shoulders, stands directly below the Rockefeller Center? The same sculpture that inspired Ayn Rand to write the novel that consists of all the philosophies on which the world of Rapture is based?

I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but I do believe this is absolute genius....

http://www.geocities.com/kemmylim/Atlas.jpg

http://arstechnica.com/reviews/games/a-different-kind-of-rapture-a-review-of-bioshock.media/1.jpg

[Blue Lightning]

If I do say so myself, the Rapture Tower/Lighthouse holds an interesting similarity with the Rockefeller Center in NYC.

Is it by chance coincidence that Atlas, with the world on his shoulders, stands directly below the Rockefeller Center? The same sculpture that inspired Ayn Rand to write the novel that consists of all the philosophies on which the world of Rapture is based?

Well Ken Levine did say that when he set out to make BioShock an undersea city, he went to New York and started sketching different buildings. So yeah, it could of been inspired by the rockefeller plaza.

If you notice while in Rapture and looking up through glass ceilings, you see several buildings that resemble New York buildings. The most obvious one is the Chrysler tower.

[PhrozenSky117]

Well Ken Levine did say that when he set out to make BioShock an undersea city, he went to New York and started sketching different buildings. So yeah, it could of been inspired by the rockefeller plaza.

If you notice while in Rapture and looking up through glass ceilings, you see several buildings that resemble New York buildings. The most obvious one is the Chrysler tower.

I would love to find a screenshot of that specific building...

[BioShock Freak]

Here you go. :) I also found a lot of similarities to New York buildings.
http://www.wadias.in/site/arzan/blog/Chrysler%20building.jpg
http://web.mit.edu/ealba/www/empirestatebuilding.jpg
~Mari.

[Blue Lightning]

Yeah, I'll see if I can get some screenies to match against your pics Mari. :D

Note the top of the Chrysler tower that Mari posted...the art deco design. That buliding was completed in 1930 I think...the height of the art deco period.

[Atlas.]

There seem to be alot of similarities between them and the Rapture buildings. Like the Chrysler and also the Empire State (opened 1931) were both completed around that time. I love the Chrysler building myself, the art deco top just suits Rapture perfectly :)

[BioShock Freak]

Most definately. I think New York has the most beautiful buildings. :)
~Mari.

[Blue Lightning]

Almost every city in the east, has at least one art-deco or neo-gothic type skyscraper...it's kind of like a cities own trademark from that era I guess. I have lived in some of these cities. But of course, New York has a miriad of these skyscrapers, instead of just one or two, so New York is the most famous city for that. And of course, it is also why Levine chose New York to mirror some of his buldings after.

[PhrozenSky117]

I just got back form New York recently (I live in Cali). It was such a change. And so beautiful. The buildings reminded me of Rapture the second I saw them all up close.

And thanks for your guys' efforts with the screenies!

[GreeseDog101]

yea, i've seen these similarities as well, but i personally dont think New York has the best buildings, im gonna have to go with where i live, Chicago.

[Blue Lightning]

I decided to go with some photo action since the forum members seem to like it. Here I wanted to illustrate the Chrysler Tower (1930), and give some information on it since we see it in BioShock, while in Rapture. I espicially wanted to highlight it's crown, which perhaps illustrates art deco better than any building in the world. In the photo below, notice the curved layers on the crown...how one layer is the same shape as the layer before it. This type of layering is art deco. Also, art deco can contain shapes like triangles. Here you can see the triangle windows up close, that adorn the towers crown. And the crown's facade is covered in Stainless Steel, which was a new idea at the time.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i139/realknight34/450px-Chrysler_Building_detail.jpg

The windows are actually functional stories of the tower! Here is a look out of one of the triangle windows from within!
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i139/realknight34/450px-Chrysler_Building_Office_Nort.jpg

At 77 stories and 1,046 ft. high, the building was the worlds tallest until the next year, 1931, when the Empire State building was completed. The Chrysler tower was famous not only because of it's wildley outrages art-deco style, but because it's outer layer was brick instead of the usual stone. It remains the tallest brick building in the world, and it took 3,826,000 bricks to build it! In addition, the building was treated with some "extras". In the below shot, notice that just past half way up, you see things sticking out of the building.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i139/realknight34/ChryslerBuilding.jpg

Those "things" are eagles made of a chrome-nickel-steel alloy! Here is a close-up of one on the 61st floor. Metalic adornments are a common theme for art-deco buildings.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i139/realknight34/Chrysler_building_eagle.jpg

The building remains one of the most admired in the world.

photos courtesy of Wikipedia

[Blue Lightning]

Oh, and here is a nice shot of the tallest building in New York, which Mari already posted a shot of. Of course, this is the Empire State building, which we also see in Rapture. It too is famous for it's art-deco design. This is a beautiful shot of it at dusk.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i139/realknight34/480px-Manhattan_at_Dusk_by_slonecke.jpg

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

[BioShock Freak]

Wow, all of those pictures are REALLY nice. Now I want to go visit them. :)
I wonder if the inside's decorated too. Old style I mean, like Rapture.
~Mari.

[Blue Lightning]

They are. :) When I get a chance, I'll see if I can post some shots.

Since we are getting off the subject of the thread title, which is supposed to be about the Rockafeller plaza, mabey I will make a new thread about buildings in Rapture vs. buildings in real life...and make it a screen shot thread! What do you think?