Calling all J. R. R Tolkien fans: a group of UK architects recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise £1.85 billion to build Lord of the Rings city, Minas Tirith.
The group shared:
“We are a team of Tolkien fans who are passionate about creating a beautiful, inspirational and fully-functioning replica of Peter Jackson’s depiction of Minas Tirith, as seen in his Lord of the Rings films. We all share a love of Tolkien’s work, and a desire to challenge the common perception of community and architecture. We believe that, in realising Minas Tirith, we could create not only the most remarkable tourist attraction on the planet, but also a wonderfully unique place to live and work.
“We’d love to create both residential and commercial properties, allowing for sustainable growth and a high quality of life. Residential properties would be categorised by tier, quality and size. Tiers vary from 1-5, quality varies from 2-5 stars, with the higher star denoting higher quality, and size varies from 1-4 bedrooms. A “3.4.2 property”, for instance, would be located in the 3rd tier of the city, be of a 4 star quality and have 2 bedrooms – perfect for a young family. Our goal is to raise £1.85bn within 60 days. We’re fully aware of the scale of our ambition, but we hope you realise just how special this project could be.
“In order to realise this amazing dream, we have estimated our required budget to be in the region of £1.85bn. The vast majority of this expense would cover building costs – £15m for land, £188m for labour and £1.4bn for material. The remainder of the money will be invested in maintenance and public services until the year 2053.
“We would commence work on Minas Tirith by the end of 2016, and complete the project by the end of 2023. We are currently considering two locations for Minas Tirith, both in southern England. We make no claim on the image or name of Minas Tirith, and will happily cancel this project should any dispute arise over such.”
Those that back the project will receive various rewards, including:
Exclusive access to the city- Twitter follow
- Name on the city’s monument
- Free tour throughout the city
- Plague with the backer’s name
- One or two nights at Minas Tirith
Although it seems to be a bit unrealistic, I have to say, as a LOTR fan, I am crossing fingers that this ACTUALLY happens! The project is set to close in October.
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