London South Dev Diary 1 | Marble Arch

With our developer diary, we’ll be taking you behind the scenes of the development of the The Bus DLC – London South. At irregular intervals, we’ll show you the current state of the map. We’ll also be introducing selected locations and landmarks along the planned bus routes.

We’re kicking things off with one of London’s most famous landmarks: Marble Arch.

The monumental triumphal arch was designed in 1827 by British architect John Nash. It was originally intended to serve as a ceremonial entrance to the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. At the time, King George IV was having Buckingham House extensively enlarged and transformed into a royal palace.

Marble Arch was inspired by classical triumphal arches and clad in white marble. Its original location was on the eastern side of Buckingham Palace, where it formed the grand entrance to the forecourt of the royal residence.

However, Buckingham Palace continued to be rebuilt and expanded over the following decades. Among other changes, a new east wing was added, closing off what had previously been an open forecourt. As a result, Marble Arch was no longer needed at its original location in front of the palace.

In 1851, the structure was eventually dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt at its present location at Cumberland Gate. There, it became a grand entrance to Hyde Park. Today, Marble Arch stands at the western end of Oxford Street and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the British capital.

Marble Arch will also be a regular sight in The Bus DLC – London South. Several of the planned bus routes will pass this famous landmark. These include routes 2, 148 and N2.

Our current screenshots offer a first glimpse at the development of the landmark. Marble Arch can initially be seen in the 3D editor. At this early stage of development, some elements, including the final textures, are still missing.

[carousel autoadvance="true"]

[/carousel]Further screenshots show the model already placed in its intended location within the London map. Although the implementation is still a work in progress, the level of detail we’re aiming for is already clearly visible.

Many elements of the real-life landmark have been recreated, including the architectural framing, stepped sections and decorative details of the facade, as well as the various sculptures adorning the structure. Many of these details can already be seen in the untextured 3D model.

Of course, all screenshots show a work-in-progress version. Details and visual elements may therefore still change before the DLC is released.

With our developer diary for The Bus DLC – London South, we’ll continue to give you a closer look at the work going into the map. We’ll introduce more landmarks, locations and other special features along the routes. We’ll also take a closer look at some of the specific work required to bring the London DLC to life.

If you don’t want to miss any of the upcoming entries, we recommend following our Facebook page, subscribing to our Telegram channel, or checking our website regularly.