Alone in the Dark is set in and around New York's sprawling Central Park. Because GameSpy is located in sunny California, far from the Big Apple, we asked developer Eden Studios to fill us in on some of the more prominent places of interest featured in Alone in the Dark's version of Central Park. What follows are painfully detailed descriptions of two of the buildings in Central Park that will appear in Alone in the Dark as well as a bit of exclusive video (embedded below) showing off Eden's skill at architectural re-creation.
Check out part two of this feature here!
Belvedere Castle
Belvedere Castle juts majestically above the landscape of New York City's famed Central Park. Designed in 1865 by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, the structure provides visitors with a scenic view of the 55-acre Great Lawn, the Delacorte Theater and the Turtle Pond.
A favorite haunt for birdwatchers, the Belvedere's Turtle Pond is swimming with life; from the hawks and kestrels above to the aquatic life and insects that reside in the pond itself. As a site for meteorological and naturalistic studies, the Castle had long been the focal point for the scientifically curious. So too, had it become the site for vandalism and deterioration, which ultimately brought about its closure in the 1960s, to be restored, renovated and reopened on May 1, 1983.
Within the Belvedere Castle is the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. The observatory is named after the late powerful publishing magnate with whom former OSS (Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the current-day CIA) wartime spymaster Mary Bancroft had an alleged affair. Boasting an eccentric collection of skeletons and various other scientific curiosities, this bizarre assemblage of scientific and intellectual miscellany finds refuge within the castle's imposing parapets.
The Dairy
The picturesque Dairy was designed by Calvert Vaux and built in 1870 as a place for children to come and play and buy "perfectly fresh milk." Constructed in a Victorian Gothic architectural style as the first spot that traveling families encountered upon leaving the heart of the city, The Dairy is located between the Wildlife Center and the Carousel and overlooking Wollman Rink. In the late 19th century, various scandals involving tainted dairy products, as well as cholera outbreaks, resulted in a shortage of untainted milk for the families of New York. The Dairy offered respite from this shortage, serving as a clearinghouse for fresh milk from surrounding farms.
The Dairy was designed as the ideal retreat for young and old alike, with loggia (open-air rooms) designed to capture the cool summer breeze and to trap the warmth of the winter sun. Where once these tall spires and granite structures welcomed families to indulge in refreshment, The Dairy now houses a general visitor center, providing information for visitors of Central Park. The name alone serves as the only vestige of its initial purpose.