Travelogue-Veteris (artist: Peter Voulkos)
Those not local to Veteris would be given a single
indication that they were within bounds of the city. A lone arch stood at least
10 metres tall made of stone. Oddly shaped it give a small insight into
Veteris’ more ‘obscure’ architecture. Beside this gate there were no walls, it
simply stood as a reminder for any passer-by of the city’s unique mind set on
design.
Never static, ever building, ever changing and never afraid
to stray from what has already been accepted; Veteris was a different kind of
place. The biggest influence that the people have held in their hearts was
their collective living space.
After the joining of two families both groups would follow
the tradition of constructing a new home. This was done by taking apart their
own homes and bringing in the combined materials forming a new structure. Over
time the living space would grow larger, stretching towards the sky.
Upon closer inspection the tall buildings appear to be
formed from multiple shapes. Intricate layers folding into each other, curved walls
revolving around the base and sporadic shapes sprouting out from the ground,
each part carefully balanced contributing to the building.
It was over time the people forgot how their skyscrapers,
their houses and their homes looked like. Eventually the conventional,
conforming buildings began to fade away with time. The architecture changed yet
no one noticed. Families took great pride in the formation of their new homes
pushing the design in both function and aesthetics. With the households living
within close proximity of each other one can only admire at their neighbour’s
construct. Each rebuilding led to a revised structure, improving from the
previous one, improving the city as a whole.
Resulting in the culmination of the years gone by and
reshaping of the city, no home was the same. This was not taking into account
of the individual changes made by those who lived inside. With the buildings
being made from the same material throughout the entire width it makes it
difficult to differentiate between the functional and atheistic layers. It was
the small differences that would describe the family who lived inside. Despite
this one rule always stood true in Veteris’ society, the larger the building
the bigger the family and thus the more power they held.
Connecting all the buildings were bridges carrying flowing
water. Bound to every building, these aqueducts act as the main source of
income with goods being imported and exported between the surrounding cities. Goods
come from outside to the largest of the buildings before having a portion sent
to next biggest buildings. This would continue until the smallest of families
received what was need. As the littlest of families are unable to take part in
the trade they contribute through other means preparing food, crafting clothes,
providing medical care and so on. Without each other both the largest and
smallest of the families would suffer. Not only did these aqueducts bring in necessities
for living but also connected the collective families.
It was for this reason the tall structures not only acted as
a home for families but also as a way of living, providing the much need food,
water and essentials. Each ‘house’ connected to another through one form or
another, rely upon another. The flowing water moving goods also serving as a
form of transportation between houses with as many boats carrying people as
there were commodities.
Even with the designs forming wild and constructive shapes
advancing the form there were still limitations. One such limitation was the
material that was available from the previous houses. As a result the new age
designs juxtaposed the material that was used in conjunction. The varying angles that the layers draw from
are crafted from reconstituted materials that have been adhered to each other
using different techniques. All structures are of the same worn, dense sturdy
and bone like material. Never the less the walls have stood the ages always
proving its worth when needed withstanding the rain, wind and storms.
Alongside the buildings, tall structures protruded from the
ground. Often found in the same style as that of the building they stood by, chains
of lamps would be hung. Others would draw themselves higher in order to hold up
the aqueducts. Laced around the angular paths of the city one’s eye would be easily
drawn up to meet the man-made objects above them. Much like the inhabited
structures the material appeared to be of a solid material, worn away by the
time. Sturdy enough to be held in the patterned brick pavements yet well
balanced, these lamps lit the city for all to see at night.
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