Arcology
| Address | 1 Renraku Way, Seattle Metroplex, UCAS |
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On a first visit to downtown Seattle, the obelisk-like Renraku Arcology is an inspirational sight. Even those already familiar with arcologies in other cities will be impressed by the size of the ninth-largest building in the world. The Renraku Arcology is as innovative as it is enormous. The Arcology's windows, which are tinted a pleasant shade of silvery green — appropriate for the Emerald City — can withstand gale force winds. To reduce the effects of the arcology's shadow on the surrounding area, architects used the latest in sunlight-manipulation technology. The sunlit outer walls of the arcology contain thousands of conduits and reflectors to collect sunlight on one side and pass it through the building, some of it to the arcology's farms and the rest out the arcology's shadowed side, illuminating those sections of the city.
Gotta love watching first time visitors to Seattle turning into "Renraku zombies." Tourists stumbling over their own feet because they can't stop gawking at the huge building is always worth a laugh.
The Renraku Arcology is completely self-sufficient. It can grow its own food, purify it's own water, dispose of its wastes, and provide everything it's 100,000 residents require. Like a castle of old, Renraku can lock it's doors and seal out the rest of Seattle at any time in the case of any threat.
Luckily, relations between Renraku and Seattle are cordial, and the public is encouraged to visit the arcology's massive shopping malls and take the many tours that show of this tremendous building's capabilities. In addition to tours, the lower levels of the Arcology, including the magnificent Mall and Club Quarter, are open to the general public. The Mall is easily accessible from the Renraku monorail station and the Club Quarter has multiple small and medium-sized landing pats able to accommodate the helicopters and VTOL craft of the local glitteratti.
Structure
Dimensions
Located on the shore of the Puget Sound, the SCIRE is a set on a rectangular plinth approximately 100 m (330 ft) tall with a footprint of 800 m × 900 m (0.50 mi × 0.56 mi)[1]. The structure's total height reaches 1,036.2 m (3,400 ft)[2] tall with the rooftop measuring 600 m × 700 m (0.37 mi × 0.43 mi).
Superlifts
Much of the arcology was assembled in 50 m × 50 m × 50 m (160 ft × 160 ft × 160 ft) cubes known as superlifts. Each superlift includes the structure of fifteen floors including load bearing walls, ceiling frames, electrical wiring, plumping mains, fiber optic light pipes, and other utility services. This modular construction technique allowed for significant portions of the construction work to take place at ground level (or aboard construction barges in the Sound), then lifted into place in a single operation. Once in place and connected, the internal furnishings could be completed with regular drone labor.
Floor Plan
- for friendly encounters.
- for vacant spaces.
- for hostile encounters.
- if the area had power.
- if it didn't.
The description for each floor is only that of the primary activity performed there. Each floor may additionally be the location of many other activities. Some sections (manufacturing and so on) are actually blocks extending many stories, but taking up only a smaller portion of each floor.
While most of the arcology's inhabitants use the extensive network of elevators, there are also stairways in many sections. Where present (roughly every third megalift), they spiral around the central core, but are not continuous all the way up.
Basement Levels
There's actually nothing stopping Renraku from severing the Arcology from the grid — that agreement is a "gentleman's agreement" for lack of a better description. Renraku is a AAA-rated Prime Megacorporation with full extraterritoriality. The whole point of the SCIRE is that nobody can make them do anything.
Per agreement, Renraku only operates one at a time. They purchase any underage from the metroplex utility grid, who in turn contracts out to Shiawase Atomics. Everybody gets a cut.
- B21 — Reactor Level — At full output capability, each of the three fission plants on this level has sufficient capacity to cover 70% of the Arcology's entire power needs.
- B20 — Emergency Headquarters and Command Center — Four express elevator shafts lead from select locations on floors 200 and above down to this level.
- B18-19 — Frozen Food Storage
- B16-17 — Aquaculture — Renraku's "sea farmers" use the massive tanks on this floor grow fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic life for food. Escorted tour groups do visit these floors.
What cannot be recycled is flushed into the Sound through massive valves on B13, much to the dismay of the metroplex government and the Salish-Shidhe Council.
- B13-15 — Water Filtration and Recycling — Huge tanks treat all the Arcology's waste, thoroughly recycling into reusable materials. (S01E12 119Last Info Hostile Power On)
- B12 — Security Training Center — This entire floor is dedicated to training guards and soldiers to defend the arcology with minimum necessary force. The facility includes obstacle courses designed to simulate the layout of different floors, plus classrooms, firing ranges, and gymnasiums.
- B11 — Software Duplication and Packaging — Much of the work done on this floor is automated, so very few people are present on a daily basis. Escorted tour groups do visit this floor.
- B9-10 — Computer Product Storage — These floors are filled with crates of hardware, packaged software, and parts. The warehouse is designed to be serviced by drones (such as autonomous, omnidirectional pallet jacks) and has very little space for people to move around. Eight container-scale freight elevators start here, lifting freight to the loading docks and piers at the B1 level for transshipment and delivery to distributors.
- B7-8 — Host Hardware Manufacturing — This floor manufactures server-scale, enterprise-class hardware. Approximately 20% of the hardware sold in this market in North America is manufactured here. Each floor includes an employee cafeteria and a small medical clinic. Escorted tour groups do visit this floor.
- B2-6 — Parking Garages — Each level is well-lit, with plenty of security cameras, elevators to the mall levels, and PanicButton™ booths. (S01E12 120Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- B5 — The arcology's metrobus terminal is on the eastern end of this floor. The station is large enough to load and unload eighteen buses simultaneously.
- B2 — On- and off-ramps for Intercity 5 are on this floor. This is the only vehicle access to the garage. Cars are monitored and a series of stoplights and detours can redirect suspicious vehicles for inspection. (S01E10 120Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- B1 — Mall Service Tunnels & Sea Freight Loading Docks — The main freight terminal is accessed from the public piers via a secure tunnel, where its manifest and the driver's identification can be checked and the shipment scanned. The loading dock is capable of supporting approximately 60 simultaneous loading or unloading operations.
The bulk of the remaining floor is dedicated to service and security corridors for the mall levels above (S01E10 120Last Info Vacant Power On).
Public Access Levels
- 1-5 — Renraku Mall (Open to the Public)
- 1 — Entrance & Ground Floor — There are only a few dozen stores on this floor. Most of the space is taken by the FunZone amusement park, a forest of live tropical plants, a small zoo and aquarium, a swimming complex, and a permanent circus (S01E03 147Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- 2-5 — Renraku Mall & Shoppes
- 3 — Includes the arcology's monorail station (S01E10 120Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- 4 — Includes a wide variety of restaurants.
- 6 — Club Quarter (exterior faces, open to the public) and Mall Offices (inner core). The exterior of this level includes a dozen helicopter pads, three on each face of the structure, to accommodate the helicopters and other VTOL craft of the metroplex's glitterati. The fifteen clubs in the outer rim range from the sedate Blue Room jazz club to the raucous screech-metal of The Frag Grenade to the trendy Rumplestiltskin's and the voodoo chill Purple Haze. Each club is fully staffed with employees in theme-appropriate uniforms, and fully sound insulated from the adjoining clubs (S01E10 120Last Info Hostile Power Out).
Corporate Levels
| Level | Layout | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | A | |
| 29 | A | B |
| 28 | B | |
| 27 | B | |
| 26 | A | B |
| 25 | A | |
| 24 | A | B |
| 23 | B | |
| 22 | A | B |
| 21 | A | |
| 20 | A | B |
| 19 | B | |
| 18 | B | |
| 17 | A | B |
| 16 | A | |
The SCIRE's stairwells are integrated into the design of all superlifts starting at Level 16 and ending at Level 300. The levels within the plinth are arranged differently, to accommodate the loadbearing needs of the basements and the structure as a whole, while the upper most levels were not constructed as superlifts in the first place.
The inner sections of each level (the spaces that exist on all floors of the arcology) follow one of two floor plans, known as "A" or "B", or both arrangements combined (often unofficially called "C" for cross-over). Within each superblock, the two level types are stacked in specific order, resulting in the pattern shown (using Level 16 through Level 30 as an example).
- 7-20 — Blue-Collar Residential Floors — This block and others like it provide housing for the company's blue-collar workers. The accommodations are fairly spacious (a compensation for the lack of privacy due to the pervasive security). Each floor includes at least four plazas where workers can find a variety of products and services. Anything not immediately available can be ordered through the Arcology's matrix host and delivered within hours. Some stores and restaurants are not Renraku subsidiaries, but are staffed by family members of Renraku employees. Each floor also has two entertainment areas. The exact offerings vary by floor, but each block includes trideo theatres, nightclubs, bars, and small zoos.
The outer perimeter of each residential floor is ringed by a strip of grass and trees that take advantage of the windows. These arboretums typically extend the full height of the given block. While natural light is piped throughout the arcology, units closer to the edges are considered more prestigious, despite identical size and appointments.- 10 — Hospital Facility — Each block includes a hospital facility, serving the residents of the surrounding floors. Each floor within the block also includes a smaller clinic, for day-to-day concerns and triage for more serious ailments. (S01E10 121Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 10 — The elevator maintenance facility that Jordan Muraro works at is on this floor (S01E02 148Last Info Vacant Power On).
- 11 — The team recons the prisoner pens on this floor during S01E10 – Learn from Yesterday (S01E10 120Last Info Hostile Power On).
- 16 — The uniform Superlift Stairwells start at this floor.
- 21 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing — Tours visit this floor. The group encountered a small resistance cell here (S01E03 147Last Info Friendly Power On).
- 22 — Electronics Manufacturing — This floor manufactures large electronics like theatre-class surround sound systems and jumbotrid screens.
- 23-30 — Corporate Offices — Some of these spaces are rented out to smaller corporations, though space within the arcology is considered prestigious and comes with an appropriate premium. Tours visit these floors.
- 24 — The group holed up in an office complex on this floor during S01E03 – Attention Renraku Shoppers, and worked on making it semi-permanent during S01E04 – Happy Holiday, Citizen (S01E04 144Last Info Friendly Power Out). It was lost to an attacking force of Blues during S01E09 – Success Requires Sacrifice (S01E09 138Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- 27 — The security forces that attacked the group during S01E02 – Observe Safety Precautions didn't come below this floor.
I can't believe that any legitimate medical professional would be party to installing cyberware in children. What the hell is going on here?
- 31-50 — Middle-class Housing
- 31 — Premium housing units for middle-class employees. This is the level at which the taper of the pyramid-like shape begins. The units along the perimeter of this floor (mostly restaurants and amusement centers) have outdoor gardens and other facilities on the "roof" of the plinth base. This is the highest floor tours visit (S01E04 143Last Info Hostile Power Out) (S01E09 138Last Info Hostile Power On).
- 40 — Hospital Facility (S01E02 148Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 45 — The team took shelter in a movie theater on this floor during S01E04 – Happy Holiday, Citizen (S01E04 143Last Info Vacant Power Out).
- 48 — Jordan Muraro and his wife live(d) on this floor (S01E02 148Last Info Hostile Power On).
- 51 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing — This area was found damaged and likely uninhabitable in S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions (S01E07 136Last Info Vacant Power Out).
- 52 — Personal Computer Equipment Manufacturing
- 53-70 — Blue-Collar Residential Floors
- 54-56 — The group encountered some sort of social experiment on these floors during S01E04 – Happy Holiday, Citizen (S01E04 142Last Info Hostile Power On). They returned to find them abandoned in S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions. (S01E07 136Last Info Vacant Power Out)
- 59 — The group paused to rest in a grocery store here during S01E05 – Medical Coverage Exceeded (S01E05 141Last Info Vacant Power Out) and again in S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions (S01E07 137Last Info Vacant Power Out).
- 60 — Hospital Facility (S01E05 140Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 61 — The group encountered cybernetically enhanced killers here during S01E05 – Medical Coverage Exceeded (S01E05 139Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- 62 — The group evaluated a bowling alley as a survivor refuge during S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions (S01E07 136Last Info Vacant Power Out).
- 62 — The group selected a cineplex on this level as refuge for over 60 survivors here during S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions (S01E07 136Last Info Friendly Power Out).
- 66 — Alejandro Cruz live(d) on this floor with his mother (S01E08 135Last Info Vacant Power Out).
- 68 — The group had an encounter with another shadowrunner team that could have easily ended in far more bloodshed than it did (S01E08 135Last Info Hostile Power Out).
- 71 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing — The group rescued over sixty captives, including Garbo's ex-wife from a labor gang here during S01E07 – Incompatible Atmospheric Conditions (S01E07 137Last Info Hostile Power On).
- 72 — Cybernetics Research and Manufacturing — This floor appears to be full of the same gas found on Level 51 (S01E07 135Last Info Hostile Power On).
- 73-80 — Renraku Corporate Offices
- 81-100 — Middle-class Housing
- 90 — Hospital Facility
- 101 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 102 — Software Development Labs (S01E08 131Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 103-120 — Blue-Collar Residential Floors
- 110 — Hospital Facility
- 121 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 122 — Trideo & Simsense Research, Design, and Manufacturing (S01E08 131Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 123-130 — Renraku Corporate Offices
- 131-150 — Middle-class Housing
- 140 — Hospital Facility
- 151 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 152 — Mainframe Hardware Manufacturing and Software Integration — Unlike the equipment manufactured on the B7 and B8 levels, this equipment includes bespoke configurations with software and branding (Renraku or otherwise) preinstalled.
- 153-170 — Non-Executive Luxury Housing
- 160 — Hospital Facility
- 162 — SANKAI Ikito lived here.
- 171 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 172 — Computer Systems Manufacturing
- 173-180 — Renraku Corporate Offices — This section of the arcology features a significant number of mainframe compute nodes.
- 181-200 — Middle-class Housing
- 187 — Adelaide Gaspar's family lived here.
- 190 — Hospital Facility
Elite Levels
Restricted Access
- 201 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 202 — Computer Research, Development, and Assembly
The latest rumor is that some of the veterinarians and magicians in the hush-hush Paranatural Animal Breeding Program have created a new breed of Harpy they call the Renraku Red. It is supposed to be more magically powerful and more intelligent, making it easier to train.
- 203-212 — Thaumaturgical Research Labs, Libraries, and Corporate Magician Residences — Many of Renraku America's mages have personal residences on these floors. As these employees represent a major investment and resource for the corporation, they are specially designed to put magicians at ease.
- 203, 206, 209, 212 — Include labs dedicated to paranormal creature research.
- 213-230 — Renraku Corporate Offices — This section of the arcology features a significant number of mainframe compute nodes.
- 231-250 — Mid-Level Executive Housing
- 251 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 252-253 — Microtronics Assembly and Manufacturing — Includes both drones and custom cybernetics, all assembled in clean rooms. Each factory section has freight elevators leading to the basement levels, where parts and finished products can be stored. (S02E05 52Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 254-280 — Executive Housing
- 257 — The group used a car dealership here for a few days during S02E05 – Quarterly Report Metrics.
- 259 — Private Residence of Arcology Director Hiroshi Ushida — While not the highest floor in the facility, as some people might expect, this triple-height level is one of the most well appointed and lavishly furnished sections of the arcology and dedicated solely to his personal use. He has personal versions of many of the other sections of the arcology — theatres, pools, medical clinics, and so on — all in a hologram-enhanced recreation of a rural Japanese village. (S02E03 60Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 260 — Hospital Facility — The team infiltrated the major hospital here disguised as Banded during S02E03 – Status Verification Pending. (S02E03 60Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 273 — Fräulein explored part of this floor astrally during S02E05 – Quarterly Report Metrics, finding White residences. (S02E05 50Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 281 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing (S02E02 65Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 282-290 — Renraku University — This as yet incomplete facility is planned to become the premier higher educational facility in North America.
- 288 — The team descended from the roof and broke into the arcology here during S02E02 – External Access Acquired. (S02E02 67Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 291-300 — Executive Housing
Luxury Penthouses
Restricted Access
- 301 — Hydroponic Gardens, Aqua Culture, Food Storage, Waste Processing
- 302-303 — Skyline Spa & Recreational Fitness Center — According to Penemue's interrogation the Banded conversion process takes place in here in a facility known as "The Baths". (S02E05 43Last Info Hostile Power On)
- 304-310 — Offices of the Board of Directors — Each member of the board has an office complex along the outer wall of the arcology for their staff and their personal needs. The inner areas are luxury housing.
- 311 — Security Center & Air Traffic Control
- 312-315 — Luxury Housing — The exterior residences of these floors have private helipads and small hangars. These palatial units (four[3] to a floor) are available for lease to private individuals.
- 312B — Private Residence of Arcology Head of Security Tadashi Marushige.
- Rooftop — Decorative Gardens & Helicopter Landing Pads (S02E02 67Last Info Hostile Power On)
References
- ↑ 0.72 km2 (180 acres), equivalent to approximately 40 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
- ↑ The canon height is 320 floors and 969 m (3,179 ft), which would result in a floor spacing of only 3.02 m (9.9 ft). It should be closer to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) based on Burj Khalifa's 163 floors and 605 m (1,985 ft) top-floor height (not including the spire and antenna masts) — each floor of Burj Khalifa is approximately 3.7 m (12 ft). To be fair, nobody had built anything so tall when FASA was writing the original Seattle Sourcebook back in 1990. In either case, to align with the SCIRE Coordinate System developed for this game, the per-floor height has been increased to 3.3 m (11 ft) and the building's total occupiable height has been reduced to 312 floors.
- ↑ These values might change, based on the layout.