In 2023, Vienna commissioned a fountain to mark 150 years since the building of an aqueduct that brought fresh water to the city. After unveiling the monument, responses both online and in person were mixed. Many found it perplexing and hard to interpret. So, let’s explore how a game artist might tackle this challenge to convey the message clearly.
Had I been tasked with designing a city monument during my job as a game artist, and presented something of this sort, my boss would’ve undoubtedly fired me on the spot, posed challenging questions, and demanded an immediate redesign.
After spending some hours, I’ve crafted the concept presented below. I’d appreciate your thoughts and whether it resonates with you compared to the original design.
If you want to have a look at the behind the scene on how the monument was designed and what I used for inspiration you can get a VFX breakdown here.
In Honored Remembrance of Eduard Suess
May you grant us pardon for the aesthetic transgressions we have committed
Credits
- Eduard Suess for building the water pipeline improving the life of everybody to this day
- Sakchai.Sompila for the mermaid photoscan
- Kadre for the street furnitures (trash bin, bench, etc)
- winbrookhouse for the rocks
- toivo for the lanterns