Below are freely downloadable screenshots of fictional skyscrapers constructed by Mr. Stolyarov using the computer game Minecraft. In Minecraft, the buildings can be fully interacted with, and every floor can be explored.

Like Antideath, Mr. Stolyarov’s set of three-dimensional models for Sketchup, the purpose of these buildings is to simultaneously cultivate rational art and architecture and to encourage viewers to affirm the values of embracing life and progress, while opposing death and decay. These buildings are also intended to celebrate other vital principles in life, such as free enterprise, reason, and individualism – which have brought advancement and abundance to the world – as well as the great thinkers of the past who contributed to the formulation of these principles. It is hoped that the esthetic impact of these buildings will motivate more individuals to strive to overcome the historical limitations of the human condition and aspire for new, unprecedented achievements.

Some of the buildings were placed by Mr. Stolyarov within the Minecraft Imperial City, a collaborative project coordinated by users Rigolo and Comeon, and freely downloadable here.

The most current version of the Imperial City, as expanded by Mr. Stolyarov, is downloadable here.

NOTE from Mr. Stolyarov: I am not an architect and as such am not an experienced judge of the technical feasibility of actually building my designs, based on the present technological and economic constraints. I intend my buildings to be exercises in esthetic imagination. Perhaps they or some elements of them might inspire actual architects to build structures that resemble them. Moreover, perhaps future architects will discover ways to render feasible some of my designs that are currently unattainable. If either of these events happens at any time, I would be honored and thrilled to receive any information regarding such developments.

Goldsandville Skyscrapers

Progress has come to the small village of Goldsandville, exemplified by three ornate, luminous skyscrapers constructed in Minecraft by Mr. Stolyarov. The Goldsandville skyscrapers include fully working elevators and offer a plethora of scenic views from various vantage points.

Left-click for a full-image view of each screenshot. Right-click to download the image.

From left to right: Goldair Tower, Aubrey de Grey Tower, Goldsandville Tower

Longevity Tower

The Longevity Tower was constructed by Mr. Stolyarov within the Imperial City map created by Rigolo. The Imperial City map (latest version 14.1) can be downloaded here. The most current version of the Imperial City, as expanded by Mr. Stolyarov, is downloadable here.

A Monument to French and Western Civilization

This monument was constructed using the computer game Minecraft to celebrate the cultural achievements of the French civilization and its contributions to Western civilization more generally, as well as to express solidarity with the people of France as they confront the savage menace of militant Islamist fundamentalism terrorism, and to commemorate the hundreds of innocent victims of militant ISIS barbarism. The culture of France has been integral in giving rise to the Age of Enlightenment and innumerable advances in science, art, architecture, music, and literature. This monument calls for a more assertive expression of the values that elevated mankind out of barbarism – an unapologetic embrace and defense of the distinctive ethos of Western civilization, which should become a global civilization with the collaboration of all decent people everywhere.

The monument’s stone and glass are colored with the blue, white, and red of the French flag. The structure is open to the air through three tiers of golden arches. On the inside there is only one floor and a vast chamber rising toward the sky. The viewer’s attention is directed upward, much like in a cathedral, except there is only one focal point – representing the upward aspiration of a worldview that embraces progress and meteoric improvement in the human condition.

This structure was created within the Imperial City map in Minecraft, a collaborative project coordinated by user Rigolo and freely downloadable here.

Left-click for a full-image view of each screenshot. Right-click to download the image.

Aqueduct Compound and Staircase Buildings

This set of structures was created to begin the beautification of a desolate plaza beside an unfinished aqueduct in the Minecraft Imperial City.  The main 15-story building replaced a previous cavernous outcropping (whose counterpart can still be seen on the other side of the plaza) and connects the aqueduct to the gardens on the other side. The building has an open floor plan on the inside, and one can see all floors simultaneously from most vantage points (clearly a structure meant for observation rather than routine occupancy – but the views are quite intriguing).

To render the plaza accessible, large staircases were constructed, doubling as roofs for three geometric conference centers featuring some experimental ornamentation.

This was the sporadic work of approximately 10 months. Everything you see in the airy/translucent white/turquoise/blue motifs was built by me one block at a time! These are actually some of the least traditional buildings within the Imperial City world, and this is possibly the stylistic direction in which modernism would have gone in an alternate, more rationalist-driven universe where the Enlightenment influence still predominated.

Stripes Building

The Stripes Building – a Minecraft creation by Mr. Stolyarov – is the next step in the beautification of the unfinished Aqueduct Plaza of the Minecraft Imperial City, a collaborative project coordinated by users Rigolo and Comeon, and freely downloadable here.

The most current version of the Imperial City, as expanded by Mr. Stolyarov, is downloadable here.

The Stripes Building replaces a former dark rectangular cavern. As its name suggests, this structure is characterized by distinctive striped motifs at various scales. It represents an attempt at a new esthetic in a new era – an era of great contrasts and the recurrence of both glorious and tragic developments both on an individual level and for the world at large. At the same time, this building endeavors to respect the architectural elements of great historical styles, while combining and illuminating them in a way that hints at a futuristic outlook.

The Stripes Building is situated on the opposite side of the Aqueduct Compound – its taller, airier, more optimistic cousin, which represents the forward-looking spirit of an earlier era. The Stripes Building is more nuanced and suggests that the future might turn out in a variety of ways, but there is still value in a structured, rational way of contemplating it.

Spiral Villa

The Spiral Villa was created in mid-2017 to continue the beautification of the Aqueduct Plaza of the Minecraft Imperial City. The villa is situated on the shores of the river running through the center of the city. From multiple balconies, it offers views of grand edifices of various architectural styles in all directions. Inside, it has two ornate domes and one spire from which it derives its name. An external staircase enables one to climb to the top of the spire, which also serves as a beacon to illuminate this party of the city at nighttime.

The Spiral Villa completes the framing of the Aqueduct Plaza – which consists of the Aqueduct Compound and Stripes Building on the sides, and a massive staircase (which also doubles as the roof of a building) leading to a rehabilitated palazzo of the Venetian style at the top – on the other side of the plaza from the villa.

The most current version of the Imperial City, as expanded by Mr. Stolyarov, is downloadable here.

The images on this page may be freely reproduced using the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike International 4.0 License, which requires that credit be given to the author, G. Stolyarov II. Find out about Mr. Stolyarov here.