Reconstruction Progress (Part 14)

ANIMATION:

Diagram of Clerestory Design over 4 Set Colonnade.  The spacing between the wall and the column sets is equal implying that the beams spanned over all column sets and into the wall, leaving 2 slivers of space open to the sky (as shown in the first slide).  This sliver would be covered by 'beams' orientated in the opposite direction, providing an opportunity for a clerestory.  In this case, because the main colonnade is at a higher elevation, the only place for 'windows' is on the interior as shown in the last slide.

Someone (Lehner?) had put 'wood beams-carved from stone' as the structure for the roof, assuming that the Egyptians would not want to risk spanning the space between piers (not knowing whether they intended actual wood) or that it was an aesthetic choice to mimic earlier structures (hence, carved stone made to look like wood beams).  But I believe it would of been obvious that stone would do the trick, especially considering that they would of had stone mounted on the ground spanning between two blocks, to carve it, it would of been readily apparent that stone could easily span this distance.  With this in mind, I will be redoing the roof structure of this model, removing the 'wood beams' and changing the overall dimensions.  It seems obvious to me that the 'space' between columns was strictly adhered to further reinforcing the notion that stone was used.

Click on images for enlargement.  These are 'In Progress' images and do not reflect the final model/renderings.

Stairs to Perimeter Wall: Note in the lower right corner of the above rendering, stairs that reach up to the 10.5 Meter high perimeter wall, and how each individual bastion is just large enough for one person.  I can imagine a thousands soldiers marching in through the entrance in a long procession, turning left and ascending up to the top, and then marching around until all the positions were filled.  Only then would the public be allowed in... The massive wall along with Egypt's greatest soldiers must of been an overwhelming sight of pure power and strength. 

Note: I need to revise the location of this stair.  Initially I kept it pulled back away from the center isle, afraid of the weight (at least thinking that the Egyptian builders might think that roof of the aisle below wouldn't be able to support the extra weight, but considering that the wall itself is over the aisle, and that moving the stair would center over this 'extra width' bastion, it seems reasonable to move it so that the top landing is centered over the aisle below, allowing the 'soldier procession' to make it's presence to the public on the outside, in a formal and symmetrical way.

I wonder if the inner Great Court wall was also lined with soldiers.  Given the location of the Hed Sed Court, this might not of been possible, but depends on the design of the wall itself.

I am also curious if any 'sail-like' structures or banners were part of these exterior wall bastions.  I would look for remnants of a pocket which could support a mast of sorts.

Note how I've rendered the Pyramid with wind and dust blowing past it's surface.  Pyramids are known to cause wind turbulence.  From the many tourists videos I've reviewed, I've noticed on several occasions that the person speaking can not be heard over the wind.

The Wave:

Noting how utterly smooth this surface is, and how most civilizations have a tendency to decorate surfaces, even the Egyptians with their bas-reliefs, it reinforces the notion that this surface was serving a purpose... that it is smooth like the water of the Nile, and that by polishing it, becomes reflective like the Nile.

Colonnade:

Even though I'm showing shafts of light, I don't think that this is possible.  I will do a sun study soon to see if only indirect light could be seen from the interior.

Colonnade Clerestory Windows:

Note that I am showing 2 levels of windows.  Understanding that the beams of the center isle would be perpendicular to those of the niches, it seems that this would be a distinct possibility.

Colonnade:

Dark and narrow passage which culminates in a very wide open, filled with sun light Great Court.

Great Court:

Overview with token palace on left showing some of the crowds that must of gathered.  In reality during the 'burial' there were probably hundreds of thousands filling up this court, from morning to night.