Hello there, ladies and gentlemen!  I've got some really cool stuff to show you guys this week.

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After spending a month creating a massive mega build for the Underwater Wonderland contest, you would think that Sunfury would take a well deserved break from Minecraft.  Apparently not, because the best structure of the week is Sunaris, Temple of the Mitaku People, created by Sunfury.



Sunaris, which is almost certainly a play on the word ‘sunrise’, is an enormous underground temple, carved into the side of a vast ravine.  The rigid cliffside is covered in swirling patterns, hanging foliage and fungi.  The sky above is concealed by the reach of gnarled tree branches, hanging overhead.



There’s an eerie, desolate atmosphere that shrouds this map.  The hanging branches cast a series of long, thin shadows upon the architecture below, and areas of the cliffside are eclipsed by patches of darkness.  What little light that does shine down upon the temple is further accentuated by sharp renders, shaders, and even short cinematics that bring the map to life.



The map captures sort of undeniable ‘Indiana Jones-esque’ theme.  It’s like the stage of a great adventure, which was probably the intent considering the fact that the map was used as a literal stage for a series of animations.



But what truly separates this map is the immense detail, both within the architecture and in the surrounding terraforming as well.  The swirling earth, waterfalls, stonework, and cavernous trenches are all executed with a high level of precision which, coupled with the awesome after-effects, creates a vibrant environment full of imagination and intrigue.

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The best terraforming of the week was Celedrim Salt Fields, created by JazzyZ401.  It’s a terrain that brilliantly couples uniqueness with a high level of realism.



Let’s be honest, how many times have you ever seen a natural salt field posted on PMC?  Probably not often.  Celedrim is a vast, temperate landscape covered with patches of salt that resemble caked snow.  The map is made up of beautiful mountain ranges, and lakes with salt-crusted shores.



The appeal that this map provides is the fact that it looks like an environment you could find virtually anywhere around the world.  The water and pine trees are a familiar sight, but the salted plains are something else entirely.  It’s a foreign aspect that covers (literally) the commonplace environment that we know with an element of intrigue.

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The best organic work of the week was CYBERSTEAM, created by Craftological.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is art.



CYBERSTEAM is a series of brightly-colored metal plates, fused together to form an abstract head.  The inside is filled with an assortment of turning gears, and showcased beside it are a couple of blooming flowers.



The best way to look at this is from the side, with the edges of the plates frayed out and the interior cogs exposed.  It looks like a 3D rendition of an abstract painting.  But what really makes this build special is the placement of the flowers beside it.  It creates a conceptual contrast, a sharp division between organic and mechanical elements.  It’s a really smart build that’s thought provoking, and looks great as well.

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Thanks very much for checking out this blog!  Please don't forget to toss me a diamond, and please consider tossing the map creators a few diamonds as well.  See you guys next week!