To the Manor Born

The best building is like the best writing - the rule 'write what you know' becomes 'build what you know'. That of course doesn't mean that people have to go to Jupiter before they can write a sci fi novel or make a Jovian EEP.  'Knowing' can be a flexible factor. Some people do lots of research, some look within themselves to find that magical harmony of design. Look at the builds on Outworldz, like Virunga, and their Alexandria build, blogged about here.  Or how about Tosha Tyran's Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat, or Dalaran, by Wendie Blackthorn over on Kinky Haven - thoroughly researched and thought through. The same goes for Nyx Breen and his Jazzland builds. Another great example is Star Ravenhurst's Land of Xzar - based on her own novel. You can think of a dozen more, no doubt. Add them in the comments section, if you'd like.

This is Serenity Manor on Serenity Grid, by Erwan Elan. If the grid name is familiar you may remember it from a post about a year ago about the Monet House. This region doesn't have the same aim at realistic precision as Monet's place, with its phenomenal attention to factual detail,  but it is a masterclass in authenticity of genre, instinctively right in tone and proportions. 

If you know Chantilly's chateau, it comes to mind immediately upon arrival here, though this is far from a brick by brick reconstruction. If it is Chantilly, it's Chantilly-sur-mer...

... and with the kind of pool that would have given the Duke of Aumale a heart attack.  

There are endless, graceful outbuildings or guest quarters, unfurnished (thank lag for that) but exuding a versailleseque atmosphere of clientelism, of the roi soleil keeping everyone under his watchful eye, and establishing a center of gravity on his own terms. 

There's a theater too, revamped in terms of a dinner dance, rather than stuck too far in the past, and that again imparts a sense of living breathing reality, where historic buildings get repurposed without having their provenance  crushed. 

And in terms of 3D modelling, it's also something of an antiquity, with the shapes and shades of prims in the build. They add depth, and stop it being s a slick, superficial, just-uploaded build.

This is no Vegas re-imagining of the Renaissance Revival, it's more of a foreshortening, an echo of the stables, the fountains, the parterres and the park. 

This is a French palace by someone who knows French palaces. Yet, at the same time, if an animesh Heff came down the front steps to greet you, it wouldn't come as a complete surprise. That's not east to achieve. Even the cars span a century of style.

Inside, it's Opulence Center, with fan vaulted ceilings, and the red carpet treatment everywhere, with gold-silver trimmings. The paintings and the statues are equally well hung, and the library is a dreaming temple to the written word.

There's plenty more to explore here, from the marina to the equine section, and many more interiors with well placed art. It's a joyous, serene adventure into the architectural representations of time and place and self expression, comfortable in their own skin and capable of expressing it with panache. Commitment is classy.

HG Address: serenitygrid.com:8010:SERENITY-Manor

hop://serenitygrid.com:8010/SERENITY-Manor/286/208/22