• Strives for the fantastical and exotic, even if it could be argued at the expense of the Nemo theme.  Themes are necessary for artistic cohesion but art has other rules too.
• It is alive with light, water, fog, and movement of the towers every 5 minutes to spur the same resonance in the social scene
• It is the heart of the island as detailed in the next section below
• Grand open air architecture - no bulky square or impressive buildings to take away the visual space of this social gathering hot spot - this space is bounded by volcano on one side and the Cliff Rift on the other
• Observatory is perched on the cliff rift - it is the only structure completely above ground (everything else is secretive hidden or is surreal and not really there like the Dream Sets) and open and associated with Nemo.
• The main physical elements are the Monarch, the Towers, the illuminated fountain, the island replica, the gardens, and access to the underground
• Additional social elements like "The Fall" (see Island replica below) and New Moon celebrations etc.

• The Observatory is geographically the heart of the island
• The Observatory sits between the slope of an inaccessible volcano and the impassable Cliff Rift - the user will be forced to come through the Observatory before dropping to the west side of the island (the West side is the gateway to underwater and underground exploration)

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 geographic placement
4. evening temperature in the high desert is extreme and mechanically triggers a lighted fountain specifically designed to create a bonfire gathering feel.  The only lighted out door area for night use forces gathering of explorers unless they go underground or underwater
5. it also has access to the Bonsai Enclosure and underground sequence (sequence part only available if the explorer has attained the mini-sub Dolphin)  which will be a natural to visit when the island goes through night 

• Water - it is every where present, from fog produced by the fountain, to the movements of the towers, every feature has water present
• Anti-oppression through Monarch of the Seas
• Time - water clock towers – the sun dial
• Space - 6 directions of the tower, and the placement in a place of viewing - the island replica
• Nemo

• 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

The shadow by my finger cast

Divides the future from the past.

Behind its unreturning line

The vanished hour, no longer thine.

Before it lies the unknown hour

In darkness and beyond thine power.

One hour alone is in thine hands

The now on which the shadow stands.

 

• The gathering place.  Explorers can pass through each other and change each other's avatars by this.  Maybe changing colors of dress etc.
• "The Fall" as described in Island Replica
• New Moon celebration with the "Green Flash"

Symbols of Time, Space and Life

•  

• The Observatory serves as the social center of the island by its geographic placement, by the map of the island for users to reference to each other, spreading of rumors of island features to search for, evening sunset, access to the giant bonsai and the underground sequence, riding of the "Towers of Time and the 6 Directions"

• The Observatory area looks over the edge of the "Cliff Rift", and is flanked by 2 huge constructions.  One is metal (the Towers of Time and Space/6 Directions) and the other is stone (The Monarch of the Slaves, and also the companion to the Tower as the symbol of Life))

• The Tower of Time and the 6 Directions is a 6 pronged tower radiating from a central axis.  The axis is flush with the ground and rotates around the axis.  

• The Monarch of the Slaves is a giant whale of stone, the same dimensions as the brethren Nautilus submarine

• The Observatory is alive with babbling brook, dancing light (at night), and the tower song when it moves

• Green flash of the setting sun can only be seen from the Observatory on the night of every New Moon

Sensory Description

• As the explorer tries to travel North and West you are funneled between the Volcano and the Cliff Rift into the area of the Observatory.  The explorer could also be following the ancient stone road that passes through the Observatory.   First the explorer will see a tower and its mysterious movement or hear a mysterious mechanical combination of noises that you later find is produced by the Tower of Time

• The forced angle of approach will allow you to have the Tower in your view for some 7 minutes before reaching the Observatory area.  The mystery of this movement beckons you onward, as from a distance you see either (depending on the cycle of the rotations) the falling tower sinking into the ground and then rising back up, or falling to the left side (like a falling tree) and the replacing tower rising from the right  (due to point of view on the rotation of a tower away from the observer).

• If the explorer is following the edge of the Cliff Rift and enjoying the view down to the Shadowed Jungle, then the Tower is within visual range even longer

• As you approach you see occasional and grouped human figures falling out of the sky toward the Observatory (see Island Replica below)

• Later on when the Explorer is down on the Shadowed Jungle the movement of the towers will still be visible and always calling to the Explorer

• The mystery of this movement beckons you onward, as from a distance you see either (depending on the cycle of the rotations) the falling tower lowering into the ground or falling to the side (like a falling tree) and the replacing tower doing the opposite (either rising straight up or the top rising from the side)

• As you come to the top of a small rise and the locale of the observatory, you see the silhouette of a whale lying on the ground before the Tower

• A stone road (explorer may have been following its ruins to the Observatory) passes under the tale of the Monarch (whale) and carved steps into the rock climb up to the head.  Following the ruins of the road Eastward will lead to the "Poison Lake".  At the site of the Oservatory the road is carved directly into exposed rock.

• Following the road Westward past the Observatory will run off the Northern end of the cliff and is a hint to dive into the ocean from there, the only way to continue Westward past the Cliff Rift

• You climb these steps that suggest the ripples of water (view from above).  The steps show the veins of the rock formations they are carved out of.  You see past and behind the Monarch a large artificial alcove carved into the rock base of the Volcano - from the alcove you hear the echoes of water splashing

Monarch of the Seas 

• The first object the explorer encounters at the Observatory is the Monarch of the Seas.
• Nemo:  "The purple of royalty comes from centuries of quarrying the purple porphyry of Egypt and its use all across Europe and North to St. Petersburg, in temple columns and the sarcophagus of aristocrats.  With the rock I have found in ancient wrecks we create the Monarch of the Seas.  This whale is the monarch of all those that suffer the trampling of humanities greed"
• The Monarch straddles a gap in the ground - an extension of the cliff extending as a crack 
• The Monarch is constructed of purple porphyry (coveted stone of ancient Europe and west Asia) taken from wrecks.  The jointing is rough and gives the Monarch an aged look, when accessing the inside of the Monarch it is evident the stones are held together by metal clamps pinching together carved protrusions
• Carved into the skin of the whale are the scars of squid and harpoon
• The Monarch has messages carved into its stone describing it as the "Monarch of the Slaves" who also is subjected by those who wish to rule all.  The purple stone is described in the carvings as the prized stone of, "would be monarchs", who enslave those of NE Africa to have it quarried, hauled, and placed upon the boats  
• Example possible inscriptions.  "Earth's monarchy is in the seas."  "This 'Monarch of the Slaves' is for those of the NE deserts of Africa, who suffered for this stone, and for all who yet suffer suppression."  
• North Africa is one of the slavery hotspots in the modern world and the Monarch lends an example of how slavery also came to N Africa from outside its present culture and is not just exclusive to the region.  Shows blame for all in the world versus just local cultures
• Suddenly the tower and the Monarch begin to move.  The Monarch's head begins moving toward you as the Tower begins to fall - it rotates from a point between its head and the belly.  While the tower rotates a new arm to the sky, the whale rotates horizontally about 30 degrees and a fog releases from the spout.  You see Explorers standing atop the horizontal tail of the Monarch as they look out over a sunken garden/park between the Monarch, Tower, Volcano alcove, and Cliff rift.  You see fellow Explorer's accessing the top middle of the Monarch from a nearby high point in the "wave" rock next to it
• The Monarch also rotates to transport users from the cliff to the underground access to the Giant Bonsai (more life).  The Tower synched movement brings the head to a small pool in which Explorers wait to be scooped up in the mouth of the Monarch - then rotates back to a small plateau within a crack in the rift (access to the Giant Bonsai underground sequence)
• The explorer passes under the tail of the Monarch by using the ancient road
• On the garden side of the Monarch the solid stone surface of the area has a small rise carved (in the pattern of water ripples mixed in with the visual veins and mottling of the stone material) in steps and this can be used to step on the mid area of the Monarch when it does its rotation - the tail rotates back to a position above the bottom of the alcove and gives the social Explorer a great vantage of the whole Observatory.  The side of the tail away from the garden arches up so more explorers can stand on the tail and see over those that are between them and the garden
• On this side of the Monarch you can hear and see a fountain in an alcove carved into the volcano slope

Alcove

• an open artificial "dent" into the side of the slope that blends into the rest of the volcano crater

• obviously a product of rock quarrying since the protrusions of the rock on the ceiling follow the shape of the blocks taken out - The sharp explorer will note the size of the blocks is the same dimensions used in the ancient road when it covers broken terrain and dirt (outside the Observatory area) - The quarried blocks aren't evident at the Observatory as Atlantis Road is carved directly into the solid rock that forms the whole cliff area

• The alcove is outlined along the floor by the curved passing of the Atlantis Road which is a foot above the alcove floor

• All freshly exposed rock should have a different color than older exposed rock such as the road carved into the stone and the Alcove

• The artistic use of Alcove, besides a connection to the ancient road (blocks taken out to form the alcove) is its use as a huge light reflector.  It contains a lighted fountain that is reflected off the ceiling to cast moving light upon the Observatory at night

• images are suggested in the play of light on the alcove ceiling such as dancing dolphins or whales etc.

• The water off the fountain overflows on the Amphitheater floor and is held back by the ancient road which is carved a foot above the floor and flows over it.  The water is at least a foot deep to maximize the the water movement resulting from the fountain and therefore the movement of reflected light on the ceiling and projected out upon the Observatory grounds

• The water on the floor maximizes the light reflection off the bonfire fountain onto the alcove reflector and out onto the Observatory

• The water overflows through a break in the road and creates a small stream moving toward the cliff 

• in most conditions the abundance of water would be an easy excuse for fogging to lie over the gardens

• babbling brooks galore is the perfect background noise for enhancing conversation of explorers

• Atlantean writing and graffiti carved into the ceiling.  Anything like this should be changed on a daily basis like all petroglyphs rearranged etc. thru out the island

Island Replica

• The 3D island map is in a sunken pool (near the cliff edge) so explorers get a good birds eye view of this room sized replica oriented in the same as the island it self

• The fountain stream feeds into this pool from the SE so the rivulets can emulate actual wave patterns of the ocean.  The "Whirlpool" (the outlet for the stream) emulates an actual whirlpool that can be seen out in the ocean to the NE of the Observatory 

• Can see the shadows of the submarines and whales moving in the waters

• The fall and movement of cloud shadows upon the island and ocean is copied onto the replica

• there are prism pointers on stands around the pool for use as pointers when explorers discuss their adventures on Nemo's Mind

• A giant sun dial is positioned to cast its shadow over the island replica.  The gnomon has the inscription "The gnomon lies upon the landscape of the mind"

• As the shadow of the sun dial moves over the island Explorers will know when the hot events of the day occur.  Maybe features that only materialize on the island at the hour and at the location pinpointed by the sun dial shadow.  Jewels set into the sun dial gnomon could pinpoint (Gnomon Flash) those spots when the sun gets the angle to hit them and shines thru..

• see the sun dial inscription above

• "Lets take a fall!"  One future possibility is to make the replica a portal view (camera view) of the actual island from above, including the actual waves used.  Then you have a great opportunity to have explorers drop into the portal and fall all the way back to the observatory at realistic rate and maybe even have controls to simulate sky diving motions.  Another reason to call this the Observatory

• Doing "The Fall" at the moment of a Gnomon Flash will transport the Explorers to the pinpointed event rather than back to the Observatory

• taking a fall through the portal would be a great way to watch an accelerated sunset and to see the island come up through moonlit darkness

• "Taking a Fall" should trigger clouds that are above the island to materialize so the explorer can fall through these

• To avoid total domination of the Observatory by the possible continuous falling of avatars out of the sky, the visual representation of the figures should dissipate at a reasonable height above the observatory and then to the observer they only fade back in when they alight onto the replica decking that surrounds the replica

Sunken Garden

• In evenings and night, the sunken garden will become a pool of fog  from the fountain.  With swirls of shapes and movement that reveal different areas and parties of explorers down below.  The pool of fog will show off the 3 dimensional beauty of the garden by having islands of terrain above the fog and the borders of the garden will be made to heighten the layering of fog over the garden

• Could play with the properties of the fog when an explorer is in it to make it stay thickest in the explorers forward vision and make the peripheral screen open up.  This could add an unconscious disconcerting feel to the experience.  The fog is something to experiment with

• The fog could also be a sound distorter so sources of sound and intensity could waver

• The water that pours through the "Whirlpool" of the Island replica  comes out of the Monarch side of the Garden slope and makes streams and pools throughout the gardens

• A sunken garden occupies the space between the Monarch and the Tower

• being sunken allows it to suck the explorer into its visual beauty as you see down into it from all other points in the Observatory area - but much of the time this garden would have some fogging from the amphitheater

• provides splitting and joining paths to access the 2 access points of the Tower - one is the formal side and one is the informal garden

• Formal garden has bridges, elevated walkways, steps, and stone paved paths.  Informal does not.  Formal has straighter paths and and "fill in" bridging like the Roman styled Atlantis Road.  Everything is golf course manicured, smooth slopes, bowls etc.

• The garden is more about the 3D terrain and the water than it is anything else about gardens, and the juxtaposition and blending of the informal and formal.  Controlled versus natural

•  

Towers of Time and Space

• Sits on the cliff edge on a jutting of rock. the cliff edge is arranged so sun's travel through sky always casts the towers shadow down onto the jungle below (so jutting rock that tower sits upon has NS running cliff on North side and EW running cliff on the West side).  The tower is effectively a giant sun dial onto the jungle below

• The Tower is visualized as 6 towers joined at one center and radiating in the 6 directions or the 3D axis with termination points - the tower sits in a mechanical rotation/axis that is flush with the grounds of the Observatory with the cliff running under the 2 outer arms of the Tower, so the passenger decks of the Tower hang out over the space beyond the edge of the cliffs

• The Explorer can ride the Tower from one of 2 points of access where 2 arms of the tower stop in horizontal positions (the 2 arms opposite those that hang out over the cliff edge) - these 2 arms alternate rising upward to the top spire position

• Each tower could be named to a theme of time and space?  And maybe in the 2 sets of 3 towers each they are divided by their movement scheme

• Every 5 minutes the aural environment is dominated by the sounds of the Tower's shifting - The movement of a large body through water - the creaking of metal pulled by gravity and pivotal points slipping - the sounds acceleration as the tower falls and movement of the large body and its fluted surfaces through air and wind - the smashing against water at ground level as the falling arm of the Tower is decelerated and creaks to a stop

• The sound forces you to look upon the tower continually in its relentless "March" through time (this sense is what the Tower of Time and Space tries to capture - the dominance of these qualities in the Observatory)

• Each tower has its own signature symphony of creaks, groans, water sloshing, air whistling

• Visually, you see one tower fall as the opposite arm comes up with water flinging out of its fluted surface and thrown outward over the garden/park while it comes to a stop in the vertical position

• the ends of the towers have a fluted surface to to throw water over the garden when they rise from the water catches.  The same rough surface rushing through the air for wind rush noise.

• The surface of the Tower is dappled with the flow of water down its surface for the first few moments of coming upright - water is accented by sun reflection or the lighting around the Observatory at night

• At night the water rich air of the Tower area fogs and continually looks like the air is falling - at day you have temporary rainbows as the fine spray settles to the garden/park

• 5 minutes per tower movement is a long time for an Explorer to stay as a passenger - it is excellent for the social Explorer's - but requires 20+ minutes for a round trip (figuring this out is a good visual challenge for the brain :) - The Explorer can choose to simply drop out of the passenger space when the arm comes out over the cliff and do some Cliff Flying - so minimum time to stay in the Tower is 5 minutes (plus the time to rotate and boarding before the rotation)

Extra notes to collate

add echoing in the caves to voices - maybe there is a a cheap way to take the participants voice and do an instant echo (not an echo that is delayed) right back out of that participants speakers as if in closed environment - make sure there are other opportunities for more environmental echoing

• 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

Observatory Details

v      evening temperature in the high desert is extreme and mechanically triggers a lighted fountain specifically designed to create a bonfire gathering feel.

v      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

v      can see evidence of the crab paths in the swamps to the west from cliffs

v      Make the base and landscape for the observatory out of the rock in place and blending into the natural shape – so the carved parts extend the natural pattern

v      purple sunset of course

v      from top of observatory have ground shadows and lighting that look like dolphins on waves etc.

v      make water from fountain connect to the island map at sun  dial so it can surround island representation by ocean!! - could have a relief map made from a terrain sheet rise out of ground when approached to replace flat representation! and then subside back down - could have actual waves and surf showing currents - so procedural texture of water reflection on sun dial gnomen - could also environment map onto the gnomen to make shiny other world texture

v      from top of observatory have ground shadows and lighting that look like dolphins on waves etc.

v      make sure map of island and the skybox are oriented with recognizable features – need a fancy tilable as the border of map – have water of the fountain flow around the map of island from the direction of the actual currents that hit the island – the map makes this the center/heart/social meeting center of NM – the place where users will discuss what they have experienced – and as a chance to realize all they have done or yet to explore – must have the map

v      sun and moon are at visibly moving speed – surreal speed

v      have a dynamic light in sync with the sky box sun that casts shadow off the sundial gnomen onto the map

v      have some natural terraced shapes of stone come down and continue in cut steps for cool flow and transition down to the pinnacle where the time observatory tower is

v      could have secondary gnomens at the end of the primary gnomen to cast a different shadow unique to that hour and as par of the quick transportation idea to an area of interest that goes on at time of day – so secondary gnomen might cast a shadow that is associated with the event (might use filter light) – twisted metal post that when sun lines up on it – it casts a shape!!  The primary gnomen could have a hole in it (very wide to account for all sun angles) that falls onto the secondary gnomens!! and another secondary gnomen that shows the position of the event?– might even be a glass ball that magnifies sun into brighter light – colored glass to project a certain color – or multicolored ball – when the event hits the observatory then the fountain turns fiery and throws off sudden light – this indicates the map will need to be huge to throw shadow from a gnomen to the rest of island map – so it will be a 3D terrain object that shows detail and colors of details such as crescent moons and items such as the observatory are tiny models – if too detailed for collision then put an invisible platform over map to walk on, cool surreal– could even double as the  sky box for observatory

v      sky box of observatory could include animated ocean as if it is glinting sun off of waves on the up-current/marsh side and in lagoon

v      carve a shape into the rock for an area of the observatory that is the x axis of a shape or upside down such as a shell to reflect (tilted on side  - so cut into the slope) fountain light and cast moon and sunlight and then intersect it from the sides with entrances or natural cuts

v      late day sun and terrain is a very detailed sky box - won’t see the terrain detail until you come up to the edge of cliff - edge of cliff may be a bounding edge so bottom of sky box isn’t visible and/or make base of cliff a heavy shadow to transition to sky box

v      this terrain will be surrounded on 3 sides and extending down beyond the cliff by a huge sky box. A huge floor tile (not tiling, but actual tiles in style of greek) map of the Nemo's Mind island matches up with the terrain on the sky box (a promise of things to come) - On the 4th side is the slope of a volcano

v      initially the participant is bounded by the cliff edges and the volcano

v      the observatory is our chance to show off some fantastical, grand, open air  architecture - balconies, staircases, etc. - could be a structure of the future as envisioned by Nemo - so showing a style dictated by his time and place with a futuristic vision

v      maybe architecture is inspired by the actual nautilus creature

v      make this architecture glow with full polygon ambience lighting

            Tower

v      observatory of time space – one hour water clock and the 6 directions and aligned to the cardinal directions

v      giant pool is the reservoir for the fountain that spills down to a flow around the island 3D map and then into a water clock system that diverts to one of 2 paths – one path is informal and other is formal to the 2 horizontal towers that start the user ride on a 30 minute rotation back to where they began – so outlet from pool is at depth to create pressure for fountain

v      the water clock allows enough water each 10 minutes to bring that tower down to the bottom position in a rush of movement that is softened by water cushion at the end of the rotation – gathering pool of the tower is marked with 10 lines or a fancy marker pole to get down to the minute

v      consider some way to put 90 degree arc of fans/sea shell shape of reflective material between the towers

v      tower lighted windows could be color coded for knowing which part of the hour you are in

v      consider using the lower tower position as path to bonsai enclosure

v      the 3 towers of each side could reflect the formal or informal theme of that side – 6 towers rotate at 10 minute intervals as a time clock – so a tower ride is 30 minutes – or cheat time by climbing terrain and dropping on top of the next tower to rotate upward and walk out to the end and drop on the observation platform – if you fall into the tower chasm then you still have access to the bottom tower and or the cut steps to access the middle of the tower which kind of floats and has rock cut to accommodate the spherical shape of the core – need something cosmic at the center core – perhaps stairs match up with entrance into core that is gravity righted inside– stairs also offer a way to observe the mechanics of the rotation and hear it up close

v      tower rotates on 2 sling mechanisms on both sides of center that alternate depending on which side is being rotated -  water is used to trigger the rotation and bring that tower to the downward position and to cushion and slow the rotation at the end of the movement – lotsa sloshing sound during the rotation – the sling on the water clock side is also the trigger to allow the rotation when sufficient water is in place to move tower quickly downward –  where towers contact the rotation slings, have a rotating sleeve with wheels on the tower to facilitate rotation

v      could have the 2 different sides rotate different speeds – one violent and one slowly – overflow of water could gather under the waterclock tower and is already on the proper side to allow cushioning – might have the water fall out the bottom where the bottom tower projects out from the overhang and then falls down to the catch further down the cliff so it goes to the bonsai enclosure

v      may want Water Shaft on the cliff side that is opposite the bonsai enclosure visible from the bottom tower

v      tower rotation plus the motion of the observation platform could be set to catapult the user into the holding pool or over the cliff depending on which tower is used

v      consider a way to use the shadow of the tower or magnified sun as another way to cast a marker of time or to point to an event – or have the shadow/beam fall into straight lines that are only straight from the vantage of the top – if into water then the water is heated and steams slightly at contact and is heated for the bonsai – and thus the steam that rises out of the bonsai enclosure

v      during rotation you hear massive echoed splashing come out of the mechanism and the slam of water like waves when the water is compacted and spray of vaporized water shoots up and rides the woosh of air going up the side of the vertical tower which of course catches beautifully in the lights of the vertical tower

v      could have a vertical split running length of towers splitting tower into 2 tones that is rotated on the y axis (when vertical) so can always tell the time of hour – so each tower is opposite to the tower that is lined up with it going in opposite direction – also defines the window placement with light coming through

v      take a pinnacle of rock on the edge of an overhang cliff and cut an X straight down into it off the side of pinnacle so that cuts are visible and contrast to natural shape of rock and the veins show 3D volume over cut and uncut transitions!!

v      Possibly make each tower do something different that fits with its formal/informal nature – such as telescope for one of the formals – a formal control of the environment to survey – possibly shape top of tower with cultural shapes such as lotus? – water – fire – earth – steam – shapes?

v      Between each rotation the energy produced by the rotation fades – so the light emitted through the windows down the length of the upright tower fade – so at night it is very easy to tell when the next rotation is coming to hop on – very bright during rotation and when water sprays up sides and is carried by air draft upward past any viewers on the top

v      Imagine echo of voices from the other towers such as voices coming down the tubes – including the sounds of rotation!!

v      Tower shows wear and tear and rust and water

v      Top of each tower hums differently to the vibration of the rotation plus air catches could make air hum through towers that carry far – perhaps funnel that cuts through the tube of tower to funnel air during rotation to get a harmonic sound

Sundial and Island Map

v      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?

v      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

v      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

v      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

v      in the future the Sundial will actually work and accurately give the time

v      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

The Garden Grotto

• v     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

• v      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

• v      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

• v      pool is fed from fire fountain and fountain from a (water tower principle) holding area that is only released in the evening! So then the water clock tower only works at night - 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

• v      2 gardens split off from the fountain after going through the island map (as the ocean) (map has a full mountain versus a crater – so explorer won’t have a clue) going around each side of observatory toward cliff - one formal and one natural – going to the towers which also reflect formal versus informal

• v      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

• v      condensation should leave mossy growth – around towers - should be able to go up and rub the moss or condensation off

• v      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

Pool/Bonsai Shaft Entrance/Rotating Structure

opening to the entrance pool shifts to a new opening that was under a sidewall - into an entrance to a descending stair-case - if a participant is inside the pool upon activation of the observatory rotation then they access a new above ground entrance after the structure rotates over the top of them to gain a new opening upwards into the Monarch

v      new above ground entrance opens into access of upper Monarch 

v      sun dial shadow across the tile ground map of the island 

v      make sure the Observatory area has good view of island below

Keep Following the Trail..

        While your at the Observatory Drop down into the

Bonsai Enclosure