Automata Streetcar is set in Nelson, BC, along the 2-block section of Baker Street where the old streetcar system once operated. The streetcars connected different neighbourhoods of the community directly through the City's downtown core.
Today, Baker Street is well known for its collection of historic buildings which seem to have changed little over the years. There are, however, many properties along the street where the original structures were replaced with newer buildings, which in turn were replaced with even more modern structures. Some of those replacements are now considered heritage buildings in their own right.
As part of the project, the streetcar section of Baker Street will be recreated as a computer model to represent the way it appeared in several different eras, from the 1920's to the late-1940s. The first steps in that process have now begun by "blocking-in" the street-grid and general building forms which can then be refined and upgraded as the project develops.
Once the basic layout is set-up, individual buildings can then be designed and placed into the computer model. Many of the street's historic buildings still exist and can be examined first-hand. Other buildings have been lost, and must be reproduced using historic photographs and drawings, which requires a mix of research and subjective interpretation.
The image above shows basic building forms for two structures on Baker Street (and a preliminary model of a streetcar). The building on the right (KWC Block) still exists today, whereas the building on the left (Madden Hotel) was demolished in 1959. The basic models for both buildings will help develop other artwork and interactive elements in the project, and will be refined and upgraded as the project progresses.
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