Picketralian Capitol: Difference between revisions
Created page with "The '''Picketralian Capitol''', also known as the '''New Capitol''', is a building in Stimpton and the seat of government for Picketralia. It was originally built in 1370, with major additions in 1372, 1384, 1395, and 1396, and is continually being added on to. == Additions == === 1372 addition === After the building was finished in October of 1370, with the government moving in later that year, there were complaints of tight spaces and cramped office area. Co..." |
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The '''Picketralian Capitol''', also known as the '''New Capitol''', is a building in [[Stimpton]] and the seat of government for [[Picketralia]]. It was originally built in 1370, with major additions in 1372, 1384, 1395, and 1396, and is continually being added on to. | The '''Picketralian Capitol''', also known as the '''New Capitol''', is a building in [[Stimpton]] and the seat of government for [[Picketralia]]. It was originally built in 1370, with major additions in 1372, 1384, 1395, and 1396, and is continually being added on to. | ||
== Design and construction == | |||
After the [[Fire of Stimpton]] in 1363, the original Picketralian Capitol was one of many afflicted buildings and was damaged beyond repair. While it was made of stone, the building was over 300 years old and was not well maintained, and the fire severely damaged its structural integrity. After the fire on October 7, the building was demolished on October 26, and [[King Mason I]] issued an edict to the [[Library of Picketralia]], located south of the Capitol in [[Frogton-by-Farm]], to use their space until a new building was constructed. Most of the government had moved in to the building by the spring of 1364. However, the move was not well received and employees and public officials complained of cramped spaces, as nobody had their own office and everyone had open desk spaces. | |||
On June 2, 1364, the King established the "Capitol Committee" which was to find a suitable design for the new Capitol. They created a bidding process and over 200 architects from all over the world submitted designs, all varying in grandiosity, with the most grand submitted by Morian palatial architect Daer Nimbel-Nossis, featuring tall, vaulted ceilings, a grand golden dome, and being over five stories tall, while less grand designs were submitted by various Picketralian architects who believed that the Capitol should honor those who's lives were lost in the fire. Eventually, the Lind Stanley design was selected, which was a simple rectangular building, only two stories tall, and featuring a small third floor that was aligned in such a way that the sun would shine through the windows as visible on West Road when it rose in the morning. | |||
Ground was broken on January 3, 1365, but progress was stalled as materials proved hard to find that were of satisfactory quality to Stanley. He insisted that the building should remain fireproof but also resemble the old building. Eventually, they found a vein of quartz strong enough under [[Mount Bushley]], but the Director of Royal Lands objected to the idea of quarrying stone there, which delayed the process by over nine months, until he agreed to allow them to quarry stone. Work restarted on June 14, 1367, and was finally completed on October 14, 1370. Eager to leave the cramped library after seven years, the government moved in by Christmas of 1370. | |||
== Additions == | == Additions == | ||
=== 1372 addition === | === 1372 addition === | ||
After the building was finished in October of 1370, with the government moving in later that year, there were complaints of tight spaces and cramped office area. Compared to the original Picketralian Capitol, the building was 41% smaller and much shorter, with positions such as the Director of | After the building was finished in October of 1370, with the government moving in later that year, there were complaints of tight spaces and cramped office area. Compared to the original Picketralian Capitol, the building was 41% smaller and much shorter, with positions such as the Director of Public Relations being relegated to small cramped offices on the third floor of the building, only accessible via a ladder. This lead to the construction of the addition in 1372, being finished in record time thanks to the availability of materials. | ||
On the exterior, it is almost identical to the original building, with a hallway connecting it through two cobblestone courtyards with four oak trees each. The new addition also featured a large hall, named the Tabularium, because of the large map presence, with a secondary name of Stanley Hall, named for architect Lind Stanley. Most importantly, it contained many offices, which proved important after the passage of the Counties Act of 1373, splitting the country into eight counties. | On the exterior, it is almost identical to the original building, with a hallway connecting it through two cobblestone courtyards with four oak trees each. The new addition also featured a large hall, named the Tabularium, because of the large map presence, with a secondary name of Stanley Hall, named for architect Lind Stanley. Most importantly, it contained many offices, which proved important after the passage of the Counties Act of 1373, splitting the country into eight counties. | ||
In addition, the third floor addition in the original building was renovated to satisfy the needs of the press corps. The old Director of Public Relations' office was converted into a practice room/buffer area for speakers in the press room, and the press room was expanded with the old vault room demolished and it's contents moved to various locations around the Capitol. | |||
=== 1384 addition === | === 1384 addition === | ||
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On the other hand, the "B Basement" was a far larger space, the result of the 1384 addition. The names come from the format of room numbers, with all rooms in the original building featuring an "A___" room number, and all rooms in the additions featuring a "B___" room number. | On the other hand, the "B Basement" was a far larger space, the result of the 1384 addition. The names come from the format of room numbers, with all rooms in the original building featuring an "A___" room number, and all rooms in the additions featuring a "B___" room number. | ||
The additions were staggered and were | The additions were staggered and were not well received, being described as a "maze" and "confusing array of hallways." The additions were constructed of spruce wood for the floors, ceilings, and walls, and while they were not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as the above-ground building, they were instrumental in alleviating crowding upstairs for various departments. | ||
The 1395-1396 additions included: | The 1395-1396 additions included: | ||
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* An auditorium | * An auditorium | ||
The additions also included a kitchen on every floor to satisfy the needs of the employees, a fire marshal on every floor, and renovated the records library in the original building to be able to contain tax documents from counties without a dedicated assessor's office, as well as a permit office to request a copy. | The additions also included a kitchen on every floor to satisfy the needs of the employees, a fire marshal on every floor, and renovated the records library in the original building to be able to contain tax documents from counties without a dedicated assessor's office, as well as a permit office to request a copy. Forced air through copper grates was also installed in various rooms in the building, such as the king's office, the press room, the senate chamber, and the Tabularium. | ||
Finally, the additions established a security office to defend the Capitol, and a copper double-door system was installed at the front door, which could be shut in the event of a lockdown, as well as the widening of rooms A104 and A214, which had both been built of double-thickness stone for an unknown reason originally in 1370. | |||
== Architecture == | |||