The IRT Powerhouse (Interborough Rapid Transit) was built at the beginning of the 20th Century to power the New York subway system, which was then being built in Manhattan. It was designed in the form of a classic temple to pay homage to the powerful growth in industry of that time and still stands at West 59th Street. In 2017 the building was designated a New York Landmark.
The station no longer provides power to the subway, but since the 1950s it has been occupied by Consolidated Edison who use it to supply steam around New York
City to heat buildings, provide humidity control and steam cleaning. All the original chimneys and the roof have long since been removed and a large blocky extension was added to the riverside elevation in the 1940s.
My intention was to illustrate how this building was designed to produce electricity using a battery of giant turbines driven from the steam generated from vast quantities of coal. This was a time when technology was monumental, heavy, noisy and extremely dirty. In my mind I had a vision of steampunk on a monumental scale.
There was a lot of interesting research to do in studying plans and photographs, learning how materials were moved in, out and around the building and how everything worked together. The location of the building was key as the Hudson river provided water for the boilers and coal and ashes were delivered and removed by river barges.
01 SCENE SETUP
This story is from the October 2020 edition of 3D World UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2020 edition of 3D World UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW DO I QUICKLY ITERATE LIGHTING FOR LOOKDEV USING REDSHIFT AND CINEMA 4D?
3D rendering can be a massively time-consuming process for artists, which can tie their primary machine into render cycles.
Scanning the stars
Matthew McMillion discovers why artist Kazu Hiro turns to 3D scanners when creating special effects makeup for Hollywood's A-listers
HOW DO I CREATE CINEMATIC CAMERAS IN KEYSHOT?
KeyShot provides powerful yet simple-to-use rendering tools through both a standalone package and a plugin for all the best-known DCC applications.
ADD RAIN TO RENDERS IN POST-PRODUCTION
3D World Editor Rob Redman shows you how to build the storytelling in your scenes with dramatic rainstorm effects
FOR 10 MODO 17.0
How to get the most from Foundry's updated 3D package
MAKE AN ANIMATION FOR A MOVING VEHICLE
Get revved up with Oscar Juárez as he details how you can create a realistic animation with help from a 3ds Max plugin
CREATE STYLISH HAND-PAINTED CHARACTER ART
Video game artist Weston Reid reveals the process for building his stylised Wild West-inspired character
THE ART OF Surajit Sen
The digital sculptor speaks to Cesci Angell about his thought processes, work on major Indian films, and having a 3D obsession
REBELS WITH A CAUSE
Trevor Hogg embarks on a galactic journey to uncover the secrets behind Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire NEXT
DRAMA & SPECTACLE
Trevor Hogg gets dangerously close to kaiju to uncover the secrets behind Monarch: Legacy of Monsters