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• the observatory is perched on the cliff rift - it is a combination of open flowing small palace that might reminisce of a better time and place for Nemo - it is the only structure completely above ground (everything else is secretive hidden - except the dream structures) and open and associated with Nemo and not of the subconscious dream theme - it may also be a modern/futuristic design in the back of Nemo’s mind
• this is our only real excuse to have an open air grand architecture

• the design manipulates this into the participants social heart of the island in 5 ways and will be a popular place at night fall

1. a human non dream non age non culture structure
2. a great view
3. central placement
4. evening temperature in the high desert is extreme and mechanically triggers a lighted fountain specifically designed to create a bonfire gathering feel.
5. it also has access to the underground sequence (by way of the min-sub "dolphins" on tracks - through the bonsai enclosure) which will be a natural to visit when the island goes through night (participants more likely to do the underground sequence at night) - may make this structure as a futuristic piece as envisioned by sci-fi authors and artists from one hundred years ago

• a gathering place with classical music to go with the times and the fire water fall and garden - a babbling brook to prompt chatting

• tiled floor map of island at cliff house is tiled because it is exposed to weather - a map at this central location encourages the sharing of information between the participants- a giant mirror and small parallel mirror could both point by reflected sun to same spot on the actual terrain and the tile map as pin pointer - outdoor tile map of island has light shining on areas of interest? From reflection splitter at high noon? off roof?
• tiles should be tiny square tiles of one color on each - as an artistic tribute to pixels - and kind of ancient Greek too - with dolphins depicted in the water etc. - make the volcano depiction with smoke
• a nearby fixed giant shadow/sun dial - casts a shadow across the map in line with a line that runs across the middle of the map - big clue and teacher that a shadow is a constant as it runs in a straight line - the edge of map and the E-W line will have the E and W on the appropriate side - a right angle line through the middle could do the same thing for N and S - so use the sun dial as indicator of time and direction - the tip of the shadow always falls on the E.W. line and the hours marked on the line - in the earliest hours the shadow would fall on the Western part of the island - and where the shadow falls on a particular hour marking is a possible dictation of when surreal events happen across the island - so participant would realize they can predict events by looking at the hour marks on the EW line on the tile map - example the shadow falls in the region of the retreat cabin - late in the evening (Eastern side of island) - that would be when it has its most surreal animations - could also arrange all manifestations of Nemo's memory chronologically across island from east to west - so this means the light house would be moved over closer to the east side as a child hood memory
• see the inscription for the sun dial here - initially even as a static piece of art - it will still give a message if the shadow tip is on the E.W. line - the upright that casts the shadow is called a gnomon - gnomon (said no man or no men) also means interpreter - could use this as a name for dream guides that plays on the artificial intelligence of the guide
• in the future the Sundial will actually work and accurately give the time
• green flash when sun sets on ocean - ocean horizon can’t be a fixed point - must be able to see further out depending on height - from beach it will be a higher horizon but closer - ocean should always be darkest on the side away from the sun - with smooth gradient from the sun side where light is reflecting to viewer to the down sun side
• cliff house pool only fluctuates with the pressure (combined with tide coming into sphere) coming from the condensation sphere - pool is fresh water from condensation sphere
• huge bonfire shaped water fountain only the water is fiery or molten liquid as bright as fire by the lighting used - overflow is minimal and runs in a mini garden stream to the edge of the cliff - so fountain provides some water to support the minimal desert garden - use the rock walls nearby etc. for reflection of the fountains light etc. for that night time party atmosphere around a bonfire only its water as in Nemo- a very cool addition to the cliff house for night time partying as the light bounces off the avatars and a park like setting and the ripples of the pool - the night party meeting place - the heart of the island with its floor mapped tile etc. - bonfire fountain makes splashing ambient sound and dancing fire light - another play on Nemo’s water as the be all versus the power of fire
• pool is fed from fire fountain and fountain from a (water tower principle) holding area that is only released in the evening! Fountain feeds pool from one side and the garden and stream on other side - spill off from pool feeds back into lower part of garden that drops from the other side of fountain - perhaps I can use the extreme change of temperature in a high desert between day and night to mechanically allow the water to flow from the gravity feed to the fountain and at same time make it apparent to the observer
• 2 gardens split off from the fountain going around each side of observatory toward cliff - one formal and one natural
• reflecting pools to show off moon and stars (interactant would circle body of water just to see if moon is reflected) - over using these effects would work in the "sur-real-scape" - can go fantastical with richer colors and don’t have to have the photo-realistic - pond reflection or glass reflection effect where you can see the ripples or through the glass/water or you can see the reflection
• condensation should leave mossy growth like outside my frozen button room - should be able to go up and rub the moss or condensation off
• Atlantis road goes by observatory as partial trail but able to track to observatory/ city of poison lake etc. - so you have to predict where roads heading is and look in direction to see lay of land to predict where to find more of it
• tiled floor map of island at the observatory/cliff house - each tile is a grid - put details other than just geography on it? - might be cool way to have a hunt for the needle in the haystack - telescope could have a pointer or site mechanism to focus on the tile map where the telescope is pointing when trying to find location of a reflection in the jungle below - could use lens for fire making or as defense of observatory - to locate the "crystal house" - reflect focused sun beam as a magnifying glass to burn through ice
• rotating observatory house - has a cleared circle that shows obvious scraping or is elevated above ground - stationary roof on the mountain side - will expose a spiraling stair-case going downward - fog comes rolling up out- transforming into spiral staircase (crows nest occasionally) foggy/clouds with total darkness below - just enough lights attached to the stairs to glow in moss covered so they need to be scraped off by grabbing staircase and walking down - to show the dappled shaped ceiling dripping - entrance to staircase was opening of a pool until rotated to the staircase entrance - as you descend through the fog you begin to see lights below and start to a jungle develop below - then you drop below the cloud layer - its a rain forest - continual splattering of rain on the spiral staircase at it winds in a huge diameter downward - below is a huge gnarled oversized bonsai shaped tree that is perched on a huge rock in the middle of a rain-forest/tropics - noisy with rain - rain gets noisier as you get closer - at top of ceiling/entrance into enclosed environment you hit a button at the end of the stairs that rotates the house back to normal position and this connects to the spiral stair-case so you can continue downward - this is a one way trip unless someone above hits the control in the cliff house - a room sized bay window projects out from the cliff into or over the jungle from which hippo tubes can be seen - halfway down from the cloud a giant window on the cliff side - bottom of stairs are totally overgrown - cave of course is just massive/site seeing - make the orientation of the glass so it can’t be seen from above at any angle - it should be a surprise seen either from corral area or from inside only - overhang may help with this - looking at overhang from the inside of glass would be cool and add more hugeness too visuals - boldness - massive
• giant kite machine as a prelude to dirigible navigation etc. - you can send one person up if someone to reel you out and in off the cliff rim over the jungle to observe bunker entrance etc.
• see birds flying far below in the jungle and mist where sun hasn’t reached - mist over the water ways is the last to burn off - great way to map waterways around bunker entrance
• can see evidence of the crab paths in the swamps to the west from cliffs

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