Tang Dynasty Throne Room - Production Design & Model making

This design is based around the only Empress of China - Wu ZeTian. I wanted to create an interior that expresses both power and femininity. Instead of the regular rectangle-shaped architecture which creates a harsher appearance, I have chosen to use a hexagon shape to incorporate a sense of roundness that helps to construct a gentler and softer appearance yet still keeps the sharp corners of the room. To strengthen her authority amongst the others, I featured a great number of steps to exaggerate the height difference. I also incorporated a mezzanine which provides her with the view from above. For the windows, I used a blurred translucent sheet to represent the mysterious, powerful side that brought her to the position in ways that no one could see. The seats below the throne are varied in shapes of rectangles which refers to men and circles that represent women to enhance the importance of woman in politics as it was banned during the time period.