Gondor Calls For Aid. . .

Please keep in mind the main point of this article is: What are your thoughts on a crowd-funded city/holiday resort? Still interested? ..Then read on!

. . .And Rohan Will Answer
Realise Minas Tirith

For those who are currently unaware (and for those who might be) a group of UK architects wish to re-create a life-size replica of the "White City", Minas Tirith, Peter Jackson's envision in "Lord of the Rings", where the White City was taken from J.R.R Tolkein's "Middle Earth" lore.

Minas Tirith, the "White City" of Gondor

The (over)ambitious project aims to raise £1,850,000,000 GBP ($2,894,325,000.00 USD) to fund the project, aimed to start construction in 2016 and finish by 2023, the project would take 7 years to build!

From the architects themselves, they state the budget:

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.

And as with all Kickstarter-type campaigns this comes with its own added list of benefits or rewards for backers.
For as little as £15/50 you can have your name on a monument/plaque, ranging all the way up to £500/900 to stay a night for 1 or 2 in one of the city's 2 star lodgings.

And then of course there is the ridiculous £10,000 reward:

Grants you and your family exclusive access to all areas of the city, excluding private residences and businesses, and also permits use of horse-drawn carriages for transport. You will receive priority on property purchases, direct communication links to us (the developers) and a seat on the city's Executive Committee. You will also be invited to many annual exclusive events.

But this group of architects seem to have it all planned out.. jobs available, lodgings, business space.. seems like one hell of a crowd-funded backed tourist resort.. well.. city! Could you imagine a crowd-funded city?! Would backers get shares and annual returns based on profits made by said reort/city? I think it is a wonderful idea if that was the case (which it obviously isn't).

Currently the number of backers as of writing this stands at 1,696 people in 14 days, raising a total of £67,105 ($10,4985.77). With only 46 days to go until that mighty landmark needs to be met, at the current rate the project will only raise £220,487.86 ($344,953.26), and that's if the current rate of backers continues (not taking into acount any growth). The developers of the project need to do some serious marketing scheming if they wish to pull this one off!

Of course, a project of this ambition is attracting a lot of attention. A counter campaign, entitled "Destroy Minas Tirith", has already been launched, requesting £1,000,000 GBP to reenact the "Battleof Pelennor Fields", which of course if you didn't know by now is the seige on Minas Tirith featured in Tolkein's third act of Lord of the Rings and consequently Jackson's third film, "The Return of the King".

However, from the list of rewards it would seem this kickstarter actually aims to tear the city to pieces once it is completed, hence currently there are zero backers and £0/$0 funds.

Of course, if this level of kickstarter campaign to create a backed-city is far too much for ATS, then there is always the "Poddit Hole Holidays" project(who are currently undergoing copyright issues from Warner Bros. & the Tolkein Estate), which aims to recreate a series of Hobbit Hole accomodations built from natural materials for little more than £50,000 GBP ($78,225.00 USD), much more satisfying

So there you go ATS, I present some interesting kickstarter projects. However my main point of this article is: What areyour thoughts on a crowd-funded city/holiday resort?

If you made it this far thanks for reading! I shall see you in the Green Dragon!

Tell me, why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?

a reply to: L.A.B

Like a LOTR Disney land. It might work if they could get a few corporations on-board.

a reply to: EA006

Or get shut down by Warner Bros. & the Tolkein Estate

And personally.. I can't see there being rides, animatronics and kids with candy floss running around..

a reply to: mymymy
Gondor has no king.
Gondor needs no king!

a reply to: mymymy

Understand this, things are now in motion that cannot be undone.

originally posted by: L.A.B
a reply to: EA006

Or get shut down by Warner Bros. & the Tolkein Estate

Or work with them to build it.

a reply to: chelsdh

The rule of Gondor is mine! ..and no others.

a reply to: EA006

If only.. If Warner Bros. can see past greed and the Tolkein Estate can see past.. whatever their problem is with copyright.. oh yeah, greed, then the world of LOTR fanbase would be a very happy place in seven years to come

a reply to: L.A.B

I would pay to build Barad dur!!!

I'm a villain fan, Darth Vader Dr. Doom Thanos Sephiroth.

A life sized star destroyer would be badass as well

originally posted by: L.A.B
a reply to: mymymy

Understand this, things are now in motion that cannot be undone.

I have always found Thorin to be the more reasonable of the 2.

a reply to: L.A.B

All I can say is ...... "What is taters, Precious?"

"Po-ta-toes! Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew"

To address the op, this place sounds phenomenal! My sister and I were so into the books and movies and had hoped to go to New Zealand for the premiere of The Return of the King.

We didn't make it

a reply to: chelsdh

You ever read the silmarilion?

It is crazy, and you learn a lot about all the races and their origins, and saurons master, Morgoth.

One messed up guy.

a reply to: johnwick

I have read a bit of it, but not all. It's on my list of things to read. I actually translated my name in Elvish as a tattoo. I figured that it would be better than someone else's name, and the books were a big deal to me (and the movies).

a reply to: L.A.B

So where is the SCA? (Society of Creative Anachronism) I'm pretty sure they can provide troops for the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

a reply to: chelsdh

"What's taters Ehy?!"

If this place gets built I shall consider throwing away my career to become a blacksmith or tower gaurd

a reply to: starwarsisreal

Well.. I was considering starting my own kickstarter to combat this.. AKA "Gondor Calls for Aid" ..merely as a joke to mock the other anti-campaign, but I cannot be bothered signing up

Then I thought I would write this thread instead, which probably took much longer than signing up to kickstarter.. oh the woes of delayed sleep phase disorder

a reply to: johnwick

You have no power here Gandalf Stormcrow..

a reply to: L.A.B
If this place gets built I will become Rosie the bar maid!

a reply to: chelsdh

It's all about Lady Eowyn.. besides this thread didn't really spark the debate about crowd funded cities I wanted it to.. GG