Worldbuilding: Legends of Lost Cities

University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, Belgrade, Serbia

Project idea

This work explores the application of digitalization principles, especially those from video games, which are recognized for their ability to integrate visual storytelling, words, images, and user experience, in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. The case study focuses on Caričin Grad near Radan Mountain in Serbia.

The research involves a transdisciplinary transfer of theories, terminology, and methods from fields such as cinematography, scenography, and film narrative writing into the discipline of video game design and worldbuilding—the creation of virtual worlds. To address the universal challenge of preserving cultural heritage, there is potential for these disciplines to collaborate in developing new conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and translational innovations that integrate and go beyond the traditional approaches specific to each discipline.

Project description

Caričin Grad, with its rich legend, is an ideal testbed for combining heritage preservation and video game methodologies. This approach, though developed for Caričin Grad, can be adapted for other sites, offering new ways to experience and preserve cultural heritage digitally.

By creating a virtual world, this method demonstrates how digitalization and worldbuilding can provide unique visitor experiences and innovative preservation solutions. The goal is to offer a new perspective on cultural heritage preservation relevant to today's technologically advanced society.

Technical information

This work explores the application of general principles for preserving cultural heritage in the digital age and innovative, interactive ways to implement these principles.

The methodology is twofold, consisting of practical and theoretical frameworks. The practical part focuses on the creation and technical aspects of worldbuilding, from initial concept to final realization, emphasizing the preservation of cultural heritage. This involves not just creating a video game but reinterpreting an ancient city in a unique way, transforming its elements into a new, dematerialized world.

The theoretical part examines the understanding of cyber environments, the intersection of architecture and video games, and the archaeological context, along with architectural concepts of virtual worlds. The narrative evolves through the player's decisions and actions, which influence the story's outcome.

However, to create a unique experience for visitors, it was necessary to develop a new fictional narrative that brings the history of this site to life. By combining elements from movies, books, video games, and other sources of inspiration, a new fictional world was created to revive the legend of Caričin Grad. This thesis demonstrates how storytelling can be a powerful tool in architecture.

The newly created space transcends the boundaries of the archaeological site itself, becoming a movable liminal space that encompasses a series of surrounding villages. This project convincingly follows the legend of Caričin Grad, connecting and unifying them into one cluster.

A series of scenes and events illustrate the presentation of these localities, vividly explaining their characteristics, values, and spatial elements. The goal of this virtual environment is not realism; it is a unique world that controls the perception of the event/narrative. Through layered worldbuilding, we construct the site as a stage where the protagonist identifies the scenography and uses the new environment as a medium to convey moods and interpret meanings depicted within certain narratives.