Volume V: Culture — Chapter 2: Architecture
"Architecture is frozen music. Columns are notes, vaults are chords, cities are symphonies." — Guild of Builders, treatise
Related sections: → see [Volume V, Ch.1]
2.1 Styles
| Style | Period | Material | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient | −8,000 – −6,000 | Stone, wood | Megaliths |
| Imperial | −6,000 – −2,150 | Basalt, marble | Columns, arches |
| Crisis | −2,150 – −750 | Clay, wood | Utilitarian |
| Classical | −750 – +850 | Basalt, glass | Symmetry |
| Modern | +850 – present | Composites | Organic forms |
2.2 Iconic Structures
| Structure | City | Extent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council Hall | Khar-Vexar | 146 sha | +850 |
| Orbital Elevator | Khar-Vexar | 7,764 mo (total structural extent) | +3,000 |
| Ven-Khal Tower | Ven-Khal | 585 sha | +3,200 |
Building dimensions give height; the elevator figure gives the full structural extent, including the section beyond synchronous orbit. Synchronous altitude itself is about 38,000 km above the surface.