Home Geography: Santorini
by Phoenix, HSM team writer
Virtual reality with real-world scenic views. Home has many things that are based in reality, not the least is the view in some of the spaces found in Home. Take, for instance, the Santorini apartment: that view is spectacular! For some people it may even be a home. Santorini is a beautiful island in the south Aegean Sea. It is the largest island in the southern part of a small circular Greek archipelago. Given its name of Santorini by the Venetians in the thirteenth century, it is known to the Greeks and others as Thera, its Greek name.
The beautiful view we enjoy in Home from the Santorini apartment is the view you could see were you to live or stay in one of the popular Greek hotel vacation spots or homes in Santorini. The view is of a caldera — a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption. The basin was created by the largest volcanic eruption known to man about 3,500 years ago, and is the center of our apartment’s view.
In all likelihood the eruption that caused it is the cause for the collapse of the Minoan civilization and the Atlantean legends. So if you own this space or have been in this personal space, you are in a sense looking at history. It is estimated that the effects of this eruption included earthquakes beforehand and tsunamis afterward that devastated the Minoan civilians, though no bodies have been found — prompting the Atlantis legends.
The eruptions that created this beautiful basin as it is today happened over several thousand years; at least twelve separate eruptions can be noted in the ash of the surrounding islands, with the top white layer being that of the Minoan civilization. Santorini is known for its white hilltops.
The developers of this space can be proud that they did justice to one of the most beautiful views in the world. If you are like me and have an interest in the spaces, the designs, the mechanics and atmospheres of these spaces in Home, then you might be interested to know that the Santorini apartment was created with the same lighting experience, albeit virtual, as you would have in the real world. The view from the balcony of the Santorini apartment is lit just so. The rocky curve of the inside of the basin, the blue domed churches and bone white buildings Santorini is famous for, the sailboats and yachts, tour planes and flocks of sea going gulls are all sights you would see on a daily basis from that balcony.
Looking at the view I am always struck by the way Santorini was created: out so much destruction, from the largest eruption with ash plumes that may have stood 23 miles high to the several smaller channel creating eruptions, in the last 2000 years, comes a place of such beauty.
Whenever I am in my Santorini space, I find myself taking a deep breath and smiling. I am perhaps affected by the warming
look of the sunshine in the space. The Aegean blue roofs and the sparkling white buildings are like a breath of fresh air that has the ability to lift my spirits. Though the sunshine is virtual it has the same subtle effect on a person. I often think, wouldn’t it be marvelous to smell the salt air and feel the wind here?
The Santorini apartment is a little slice of sunshine and beauty in Home as well as an interesting look into geographical history.
It makes me wonder if the developers thought about all that when they created it — or did they just think it was a beautiful place and decided to share it with Home’s virtual jet-setters? Either way, it’s worth revisiting.
October 20th, 2013 by Phoenix | 2 comments
Phoenix writes poetry and is a photography enthusiast, along with writing for HomeStation Magazine. She is currently studying for a BFA in Creative Writing and BA with concentration in Photography. psn ID phoenixstorm21
youtube.com/user/phoenixstorm21
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When I first saw the space I was intrigued by the yacht down in the water. In the dev environment there is the ability to fly around anywhere, so I flew down to the yacht and looked up. It was an amazing view and was complete (aka no holes). I suggested that people be able to teleport down to the yacht and back. They were concerned about the 50 item furniture limit being too small for the two spaces, so they made it two apartments. From what I heard the Yacht space sold as well as the apartment. Pretty good for a completely unplanned space.
Yes it still sales as a personal space.I always has the idea they should have been one space. The view from the yacht is of the inside of the caldera, rugged and just as amazing. Too bad Sony separated them. It would have been nice to fly around in your space, oh wait Juggernaut did that. Yep too bad Sony didn’t go that way first. They could have made history as Juggernaut did. But Sony gets credit for splitting spaces and selling them individually.