maximalist AI explorations reimagine the versailles palace with mesmerizing gold facades

Kaveh Najafian’S AI EXPLORATIONS OF the Versailles Palace

Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) program Midjouney, architectural designer Kaveh Najafian visualizes a series of hypnotizing renders of the Versailles palace decorated with feathers and maximalist gold facades. The series, titled ‘Flying Versailles’, is part of an iterative process or experimentation done by only a textual prompt that is constantly tweaked and carefully altered to become more accurate. 

Kaveh Najafia uses the Versailles palace as the main facade to experiment with, as it is an epitome of decorative architecture in Europe and the peak of the French Baroque. As Midjouney has a heavy database of references for Versailles, it counts as a ‘natural habitat’ for the AI software. Additionally, the sheer number of online material gives a solid base to the software to work with. The details of the facades and the interiors are in harmony with the artistic language of the up-scaled features of Midjouney V3, the text-to-art AI generator, which helps to produce accurate results. 

using the Versailles palace is decorated with feathers and maximalist gold facades in Midjourney

all images courtesy of Kaveh Najafia

MIDJOURNEY IMAGINES facades with feathers AND gemstones

According to Kaveh Najafian, when the Midjourney uses any of its well-documented ‘natural habitats’, such as the Versailles Palace, the intricacy of the images becomes simply mesmerizing. In the AI renders, royal symbols are seamlessly merged into the palace building in order to create the ultimate expression of maximalist architecture. Windows are decorated with feathers, facades are inlaid with glass bulbs and gemstones and interiors are overblown with pure gold. 

‘Everything related to Midjourney and text-to-image technology is subject to rapid and drastic change, which might change the whole course of design in the future,’ explains the architectural designer.‘The sense of empowerment felt by thousands of designers will change as a result of adapting to new tools around them that make their work even more versatile and powerful.’

AI renders propose new glass-like feathers as an exterior statement

generated gold white feathers emerge from the facade inlaid with glass bulbs and gemstones

the facade expresses baroque elements, including overlapping and emotional exuberance

experiments with extravagant gold and feathers to render grand, intricate baroque facades

elevating maximalist architecture with new hypnotizing golden features

facades that are inlaid with glass bulbs and gem stones

inlays with glass bulbs and gem stones express grandeur, drama, dynamism

interiors are overblown with gemstones and gold

baroque sensuous richness and drama is illustrated with dark blue hints, over the roof of the Versailles

dynamic interior decorates the Versailles with golden glass feathers

generated golden blown glass creates a sense of movement

project info:

name: Flying Versailles: Resurgence of the Maximalist Architecture
designer:  Kaveh Najafian |@contingency_plans

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edited by: zaha mango | designboom