The Architecture Guild of Imladris

The architecture guild of Rivendell is an association of Plaza members interested in the designing of Middle earth related buildings. We feel that it is our duty to work to make the Plaza a more beautiful place. For a few months now we have designed some of the buildings you can see in various threads in Rivendell.

The Architecture Guild Forum

Organisation and Ranks
Admission
Promotions
The Classes
The Contests

Organisation and Ranks

The guild is organized in ranks. You can propose designs that are authorized by your rank.

Ranks:

Head of the guild: Feanedhell. The head of the guild takes care of the good working of the guild and of the supervision of the threads, contests and in general of the well being of the guild.
Master architects: None. There can be two master architects, they are the highest rankers of the guild after the head, and they help the head in the running of the guild. They are also the best designer of the guild and take care of the most important requests that are presented to the guild. They also judge the designs that are proposed by the non members wishing to join the guild.
Master designer: Neenuvar (Rivendell). A master designer takes care of the kingdom he or she is assigned to. They take care of the normal and important requests. They are also in charge of the classes, with the help of the teachers. They also judge the designs that are proposed by the non members wishing to join the guild.
Teachers: They have obtained the rank of Architect, or are the head of their rank. They are in charge of the classes; they also judge the designs that are proposed by the non members wishing to join the guild.
Heads: They are architects. They are in charge of the members they are assigned to. There can be three of them. Head Architect, Head designer and Head apprentice.
Architects: They design any types of normal buildings for all the kingdoms.
Designers: They design any types of normal buildings for Rivendell.
Apprentices: They cannot propose designs, and must take the classes to obtain the rank of designer.

Elven Translation of Ranks:

1. Master Architect- Tura Aara Intyale- Meaning: Master Dawn of Imagination
2. Master Designer- Tura Erya Kanta Intyale- Meaning: Master One who Shapes Imagination
3. Teacher- Erlav Ista- Meaning: One who Grants Knowledge.
4. Head Architect- Dol Aara Intyale -Meaning: Dol means Head. 5. Head Designer- Dol Erya Kanta Intyale
6. Architecht- Aara Intyale
7. Designer- Erya Kanta Intyale
8. Apprentice- Vinya Samno- Meaning: New Builder

Admission

To enter the Architecture guild, a request must be made in the main thread of the guild. There the head, or a master will give you a small assignment to see what rank to give you.

Promotions

The promotions are asked by the teachers, the heads, or the masters, and are approved by Feanedhell or one of the master architects. They can be obtained through the classes or through the acceptance of several designs into threads.

The Classes

The classes are on the EzBoard forum which link can be found at the top of the page, there are compulsory for the apprentices, and are recommended for the designers. The masters and the teachers are in charge of the classes.

The Contests

The contests in Rivendell occur from time to time, and are used to improve the interest in the guild and to give to the important threads some new designs.

Winners of Contests

Anglachel for the design of the contest thread:
As you first approach the architect’s hall you are unaware that there is even a hall. There are no true walls and the roof is made to blend perfectly in with the great trees and natural rock formations, which surround the hall, everything is made to appear in harmony with nature. Before you realize you’ve entered, you hear the gentle sound of music from the eldar days and running water coming from an unidentifiable source. As you begin to become aware you’ve entered a structure you see beautiful tapestries, fluttering in the breeze, that are so thin as to be seen though. Upon closer examination the tapestries reveal the elves greatest architectural achievements; Gondolin in its veiled glory, Tirion upon Tuna, and Menegroth with its thousand caves. When you explore further you find a small brook that babbles of times long ago in a language now forgotten. Beside the brook there is a ledge in the natural stone and a simple, yet comfortable chair near it. You next round a small curve and find a similar cubby in which an elf is already at work designing an elegant Talan for his new home. You continue further into the hall and you find a small elegant table with room enough for four; Neenuvar, Curufinwë, and Feanedhell are already seated at it in easy conversation awaiting your arrival…

Akhlokeiel for the design for the CofA:
Grey wooden doors inlaid with flowered tracery of gold and amethyst swing open noiselessly to reveal the Imladris Chamber of Audience. Graceful Elven figures caught in gleaming marble raise their arms aloft to support the starry azure ceiling, standing upon a garden of mosaic flora.
Within their protective gaze clusters a circle of intricate gold and wooden chairs carved for each High Lord, and the double throne of the Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel, draped in amethyst and gold brocade. The sounds of the activities of the valley come whispering in through the doors leading to the balcony, but inside the very air glitters in the light splashed by a dozen spiraling candelabras around the room’s circumference, and hums with the melodious murmur of the inhabitants as they discuss the affairs of the kingdom.

Examples of designs made by members of the guild

Curufinwë Honorary Master: Hall of Fire
The entrance is a hole on the wall with dark rocks around it. The first thing seen is a long corridor, like a bridge, which leads to a circled platform. The circled platform has a wide column which only leaves a little space to walk around. There are three more corridors like bridges, making a right angle between each one. At the end of each corridor there is a door-hole and a big squared platform surrounding it. People use to stay there or at the platform in the centre of the building to write and read their creations. Under the platforms and their connections, there is a broad lava pit which covers the whole floor, but the lava is too far from the platforms. The platforms are made up of concrete, and their colour, as the colour of the walls, are red, because of the light the lava reflects.
The mood it makes people feel most of the times is quite melancholic, inspires stories and poems of bloody battles and sad dramas and inspires dark and gloomy places. There are rarely happy ending stories and fantastic fables inspired here.
It is hot inside, but not overwhelming because of the door-holes and a big hole in the roof, where light and air can come from. Everyone inside iseither telling a story/reciting a poem, or either listening to others.

Design By: Neenuvar Mistress Designer: Hall of Fire
Great Oaken doors open into a grand hall. The doors are carven in a Celtic design with the Rivendell insignia at the centre of each. You enter the hall from the lower end and in front of you spreads out a long hall.
At the centre sunken down into a shallow pit about 10m by 10m is the place of the great Hearth fire. At the corners of the sunken heath are pillars that reach high up into the ceiling and on these facing outward are carven figures of Elven lords. As the pillars rise higher they spread outward in a delicate ornate carving like Mallorn trees inlaid with vines of mithril to reflect the fiery light. About the hearth in a circular parameter is a meter wide moat sharply and shallowly cut into the marble floor and filled with water, providing another reflecting surface for which to gently light more of the room and provide playful reflections upon the ceiling.
The floor itself is white marble background with black marble in Celtic type designs again inlaid with mithril to enhance the look. Along the walls leading to the far end are pillars separated about 10m again portraying heroes of legend and between them are place semicircular niches for people to think and lie on (for none high days) above each alcove are paintings of stories and great events in renaissance style.
On either side of these pillars are smalltrickling fountains that provide a peaceful and echoing tranquility. At the far end on a dais (only slightly raised) is the throne of Elrond and Galadriel. And in a semi circle behind them are carven statues of the Maiar and a shaft of light from the outside that lights up the dias is a strange and different light.
Between the thrones and the hearth is another sunken area or semi-circle shape towards the thrones and stepped down in three. At the centre is where stands the performer and the steps around for listeners to sit on.
Finally the roof that arches high over head is lost to sight seeing only the mithril gilding along the network of entwining branches that cover the entire length.