Because my environment is based on a realistic early 2000s New York subway station, many of the architectural elements already follow real-world shapes and layouts.
I started off by listing down all the main assets I would need and gathering reference images for them on slides so I could have them all in one place.
I wanted to go for an early 2000’s nyc subway/Taipei MRT style, but leaning more towards an NYC style.
For the floors and walls I really liked the look of the old grimy tiles from the NYC subway; I felt pale grey/white tiles made the most sense since those were the most common in Taipei and London. With tiles I could also easily make tileable textures for the entire station.
The ceiling would be split into two different parts. A dirty/dusty brick one for the area over the tracks and a concrete/peeling paint one for the rest of the station.
I had clear ideas of what I wanted each asset to look like for the ticket hall. The ticket machine would be referencing the MetroCard machines in NYC as well as the turnstiles.
However, for the smaller turnstiles, I wanted to make a more simple type, similar to the ones in an office building entrance.
I had a clear image of what I wanted the overpass/footbridge to look like, but I couldn’t find any reference images except for one. I liked the design, but I wanted the entire border to be from floor to ceiling and more of a concrete material.
Once I gathered more references, I realised I also needed some columns/bars and wires for the platform so that was added onto the list
For the train I liked the blue design on the Taipei MRT carriage, so I wanted to add that blue element in. The shell of the carriage seemed quite similar between the two styles so it would be easy to blend the two.
For the interior I wanted to stick to the NYC style more, as it fits more towards the early 2000s aesthetic I was going for; the interior would also stick to the blue colour scheme matching the outside.
The tunnel/tracks and stairs were quite straightforward; I’d most likely stick to the designs and colour scheme as the references since there wasn’t much i wanted to change
I also made a mood board for the atmosphere and lighting I wanted to follow
I really liked this green/bluish lighting, with heavy fog creating depth and making it atmospheric. There was contrast between the fluorescent lights and the darkness of the underground that I wanted to recreate in my scene.