the magnus institute sketch

after far too much time researching architecture and bumbling about indecisively over how many floors it should have and whatever, i think ive finally gotten a magnus institute design im satisfied with! this is the closest i could get considering jonny’s mental image, the “canon” art from the ttrpg, and my own personal interpretation.

a bit of rambling over the architecture below the cut, it got long. longer than i intended lol (i just have so many thoughts i cant help it, i love architecture.)

i always pictured the institute as a cramped narrow building squeezed between two storefronts - it feels like the type of building you walk past and wonder what the hell could possibly be inside (and why you never see anyone leaving or entering). and it’s not like it’s that far off the beaten path, it’s technically in great commercial area, but there just doesn’t seem to ever be anything going on.

in terms of materiality: it’s a red brick building with granite (or other similar stone) accents around the windows and joinery / where it connects with the other buildings. the style is heavily inspired by victorian storefronts and rowhouses (terrace houses? im from america lol) from the late 1800s.

floor plans: basement is the archive, obviously. i picture the first floor as the “public” space, where reception and the public part of the institute library is located. reading room, seating, etc. maybe a meeting room. second floor is research and the restricted / private section of the library. breakroom, etc, etc. third floor are offices: elias of course has the big dramatic window overlooking everything that deeefinitely doesn’t have eye motifs. im sure there are other offices, and if not, it’s more space for researchers. fourth floor is artefact storage. nobody wants anything to do with that creepy shit, least of all elias. he sure as hell doesn’t want to walk past it every day. best to keep it out of sight out of mind