Design Thread: Nostromo interiors and deck configurations

[Space Jockey]

I have some cool ideas to get around the Ripley going down the ladder and the medical elevator problems....just need time to sketch them out but when I do (hopefully in the next week) will post them and see what you think.....
-SJ

[SKIN JOB 66]

Excellent !!!


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[8th_Passenger]

Looking forward to it.

SJ, You've got me looking at my Mess/ Galley plans again!

Colin

[Space Jockey]

[FenGiddel]

[8th_Passenger]

Thanks SJ.

I'd noticed those differences too. I've dug out my drawings and may have a go at putting something together over the Holidays.

Colin

[FenGiddel]

For some reason, my deck-plan brain cells aren't firing right now, so I'm tyring to get a 3D image of the ship in mind. Reading merchant ship and tug construction books, as well as other cargo vessels has given me some ideas for the ship beyond deck plans. I'm working on the layout of the ship's structural framework, based on SJ's gray-scale sections posted previously.

To those, the pressurized crew sections would be mounted ("floated"?), with the air circulatory system inclusive of those sections. It would seem that most of the ship's volume would be un-pressuized, with all pressurized sections installed between the structural framework, tankage, cargo bays, etc.

Right now, I'm using a sea-going tug as my jumping-off point, considering Nostromo's engines are so huge. A space-going tug would be mostly engines, tankage for said engines, some space for cargo (economy of travel), and crew spaces.

Most ocean-going craft have quarters for crew. I know Nostromo's crew are expected to be in the freezers when not working/traveling, but I've thought about the time they spend in port or at mining stations, loading/offloading, etc. Might there be crew quarters? And larger rooms for the officers?

Additionally, I've been sketching some ideas for cargo bays, and instead of lifts lowering contents to the ground, hatches on the vertical or beveled hull (below the vertical) opening to allow winches and cranes to transfer cargo, equipment, and even vehicles, to the ship's interior bays.

Of course, there's also going to be room for fuel tankage for the trio of rocket nozzles forward of the airlock/blister area, which would seem to run along into the 'neck' of the hull instead of in the 'head' where most of the crew spaces may reside.

From the point where the neck meets the central hull with struts for the lifter quad nacelles, I image the vast cavernous hyperdrive engine spaces. I presume the hyperdrive must be built into the hull if the area is cavernous, with a few vertical columns as seen in the film. Forward of that space would be the engineering control room.

I also plan to update the work document I've been recording ideas on. Reviewing that 'Leviathan' deckplan art in the ALIEN Vault has spurred some more ideas.

Forgive for over-thinking, but this is an exciting mental exercise quite welcome right now.

Thoughts, comments, and ideas welcome.

[Space Jockey]

I wanted to post an idea on trying to solve the problem with the scene where Ripley seems to descend from above A Deck to get to the Infirmary before getting smacked in the face by an angry Lambert.

I've corresponded briefly with Darrell on this and I know he's got some superb ideas with the C Deck Cargo areas. I haven't had much time to get sketches done but wanted to post what I did a few weeks back to keep it going.

Previously I think we toyed around with the idea that the Infirmary would be on B Deck, but that would go against behind the scenes set shots and the A Deck set plan. Basically we are thinking of making use of one of the scenes that were not filmed for the movie but was storyboarded by Ridley Scott, and that is the Observation 'Bubble' on top of the ship.

We don't really know what Ripley was doing while the rest of the crew were prepping Kane to see what happened to him. I pasted a section below of what we have in figuring it out - the challenge here was to not simply put the bubble on the top of the ship, but to blend it in with what is already there on the ship, disguising it somehow amongst and making use of the detail on the hull.
Basically it's become an area where the crew can see the top hull of the ship and infront.

The diagram below is really rough and unfinished, but maybe you get where it's going.

For the corridor leading from the ladderwell/companionway to the Observatory, I'd envisaged it to be rather narrow, kind of like the corridor leading from the Bridge to the MUTHUR Room, or the narrow corridor that Charlize Theron's character runs down in the new Prometheus trailer.
The Observatory itself would be similar to the cockpit to the Narcissus, smaller and more confined.
Hopefully it kind of keeps with the character and aesthetic of the rest of the ship, at least, that's the aim. Comments and ideas welcome.


Ridley's Storyboard:



Rough Section:

[8th_Passenger]

Looking Good.

[joberg]

Interesting that bubble...I'd actually forgotten the drawing of it; as you said, that scene was placed into the Narcissus. Good idea/plan so far: keep up the good work

[FenGiddel]

A little playing around with placement of the airshaft system relative to the corridors. Also: some goofing with the hyperdrive cavern and placement of Engineering. And finally, a few riffs on cargo bay configurations on C-Deck, with flush exterior bay doors on the vertical wall of the hull and the lower, angled wall. Both with ideas for cargo loading equipment. Not to scale, just intended to spark the imagination, guys.

[SKIN JOB 66]

[joberg]

Doodles are important into the design process and those are great ideas

[SKIN JOB 66]

[FenGiddel]

Learning some helpful verbiage along the way, resulting from researching shipping:

Companionway: ladder between decks on a ship. I've mistakenly called them 'ladderways'.

Between decks (or 'tween decks): any space between two continuous decks in the hull of a vessel. This might be a real-life precedent to explain placement of "sub-decks" between A, B, and C Decks.



Have had some interesting reading in John Moynihan's "The Voyage of the Rose City," his time aboard an oil tanker. His descriptions of the crew, the ship's layout, etc., vaguely echo what we see in Alien aboard the Nostromo. Good, quick reading, if you like that kind of thing. Here's a link with some info:

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/211818/the-voyage-of-the-rose-city-by-john-moynihan

[Vader]

Worth checking out, that book ... I'll definitely do so -- thanks, FenG!

'Tween decks -- in the RN, the term "platforms" is used for these; hence my usage of that word some pages ago. 'Tween decks might be a more appropriate civilian term, though.
Much of my naval terminology comes from the RN, for various reasons...

Didn't we say something about companionways vs. ladderways somewhere around page 3 or 4? Or is it just me being confused?

Cheers!
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[FenGiddel]

[joberg]

I don't see why they wouldn't have some sort of inspection catwalk on that part of the ship...or at the very least, some kind of vehicule to inspect the towers; hence a "road" or way to move that kind of inspection machinery.

[Space Jockey]

There may well be a catwalk of some kind...but seems more likely that Parker and Brett would use the 'sled' (?)....the small hovering vehicle that Ron Cobb designed for the movie....I think Starigger made a sketchup model of it?
To hover around and see what the problem is at least...of course then comes the question of how it gets there.

Love the sketches FenGiddle...

Actually when I was talking earlier about the Observatory being similar to the Narcissus, I meant just the cockpit portion of the Narcissus....but love the thought on the additional cryotubes. Will incorporate into it...

-SJ

[joberg]

Love your new avatar SP...very replicant looking