Pyramid Perfection

Trydar offers plenty of reasons to love the aesthetics of an over 5,000ish-year-old civilisation. “It has that ancient, arcane, inscrutable and utterly unknowable vibe to it that you can just stare at and go 'wow',” he says, of ancient Egypt. “It’s simple in form, massive in size, yet very nuanced in its details. There is just a timeless elegance to it.”

Trydar has dabbled in ancient architecture since he started playing Minecraft back in 2013. He’s experimented with several different styles, such as Greco-Roman and medieval. His greatest focus, however, has been the Egyptian-style theme where he combines both old and futuristic elements - historical builds with a welcome layer of modern design.

“I have a lifelong interest in ancient architecture, lost cities, and vanished cultures,” he says. “I have a small library of books I read, and I collect images from the internet of what has been built in the past and I examine design ideas and motifs that I find interesting.”

While Trydar strived to be historically accurate with some builds, he takes liberties with others in order to make them more appealing, like his pyramids that aim for an “archaic tech look”. He finds inspiration in the aesthetics of popular culture, such as the Stargate series and historical strategy games. And it is in this mix between old and new that Trydar finds his own unique style.

“I’m not afraid to change a time honoured design if I think I can improve on it, which is a big part of the enjoyment I get out of building.”

Recently, Trydar has made plenty of objects and maps on the theme of Ancient Egypt. Obelisks, statues, and even big cities like Akhetaten and Hamunaptra.

Plus, since the Bountiful Update in 2014, Trydar has been able to use the same materials the Egyptians themselves used in their constructions.

“Without the introduction of diorite, andesite and granite, my Egyptian style wouldn’t be what it is,” says Trydar. “At first I had no idea what to do with the new stone types, so I played around with them for a while, and now I rely on them heavily in all of my building styles.”

In the end it’s not just about the materials used, but the “Egyptian template” itself that draws Trydar to work with this specific style. He describes it as straightforward and honest – totally opposite to western art.

“[Its] statues for instance aren't meant to look real, because they aren't real – they are made of stone and have that rigid quality readily apparent. I think this suits Minecraft well, because there is a point where you can have too much detail in your builds, and they begin to resemble things that they are not, and as a builder one needs to know when adding more would end up being less. Also, everyone loves a good mummy movie, right?”

NO.

Mummies are terrifying! Did you know for example that the part of the mummification involved the removal of the brain through the mummy’s nostrils? A horrible thought considering Trydar is currently working hard to add tombs to the interior of his pyramid builds. After that, there’s no telling what he’ll end up doing next.