100 Modern buildings

[C. Baize]

With all due credit to Turanil for the concept (not to mention granted permission to use said concept), I'd like to kick off the D100 modern buildings ideas for modern urban gaming in your system of choice! Once this thread is complete, I'll turn it into a table, PDF it, and put it up for free download.

So, as with Turanil's D100 ideas, I'm looking for input from anyone who wishes to contribute to this project.

So... to kick it off... Here's a couple.

01: 24-7 Convenience Store / Fuel Station. Owned and operated by Hiroshi (Harry) Zapata, he can be found there about 14 hours per day. Mr. Zapata is a short Fillipino man with salt and pepper hair, round rimmed glasses, and a pleasant demeanor. There are several employees, any 3 of which will be at the store at any given time.
The convenience store has 6 double sided gas pumps in the lot, and is 40' by 30' in the store itself with a 15' by 40' employee area accessible via a door behind the register area. The employee area contains a desk with a computer, along with supplies for the fountain drink machine, condiments for the prepackaged hot dogs and hamburgers, and cleaning supplies.
In the customer area, the front of the store is taken up with the cash register area (including the registers, automated safe set to open at the time of emptying by the armored car company, cigarettes, and fuel authorization machines), and magazine racks. The rest of the store consists of several racks of slightly overpriced products, a glass topped freezer with frozen confections and a few frozen dinners, and a cold box (refrigerated area with glass doors in which cold drinks are available on racks, and further back (accessible via the employee area) frozen hamburger patties, and hot dogs in various sizes and levels of spicyness.

2: Now! Fashions. This clothing / jewelry / accessories store is where you'll find what all the cool kids are wearing ... this week. This store is owned through a line of subsidiaries by a national department store chain. The manager is Sarey Dougherty, a tall thin blond young woman with various piercings and tattoos, and usually wearing the latest anti-authoritarian ripped up shirt over a brightly colored undershirt, and pants with meticulously placed rips and worn spots, along with lines of safety pins along the seams. The walls of the 20' by 30' store are lined with shirts depicting this week's favorite anti-authoritarian musical bands, various leather belts, and fashionable accoutrements in every imaginable style, as long as it includes leather... or vinyl... or metal studs... or all of the above. The open area of the store is filled with racks of chain decorated jackets, metal stud encrusted pants, piercing studs and jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and other body jewelry of every description.
There is a small counter on one wall with a cash register and counter top area for customers to put their merchandise. At the back wall is an employee door, accessible with the magnetically striped employee ID, or a key (Disable Device check DC 15 to open without a proper card or key). Beyond this door is a small employee lounge, an office cubicle with a desktop computer and file cabinet, and dozens of boxes of excess merchandise.

 

[Turanil]

3: Wax Museum. (Musee Grevin in Paris - France; or Madame Tussaud Museum in London - UK; and others like these in various places.) The Wax Museum is one of those few museums that are privately owned. This old building was built during the 19th century and has a baroque architecture that includes a mirage room (full of mirrors) and a theater for magic tricks. The great marble staircase is another gem of interior architecture. The subtle combination of Louis XIV and Venetian rococo styles harmonizes perfectly with the rosewood and marble, transforming the hall of columns and the cupola into a spectacular sight. The museum presents more than three hundred wax figures set against a magnificicent decor and representing the major events of the 20th century, as well as numerous celebrities including politicians, movie stars, etc. The scenes at the Wax Museum, with their sound and animation effects, are strikingly realistic.

 

[Romnipotent]

4. Frank Books. Owned by Francis Rimerez, mainly staffed by Indians looking for work in Information Technology. From the front the store has a whited out window, large red lettering with "FRANK BOOKS" written upon it, and a shillouette of a slender female figure. The door way sinks in further than the other stores and has a sign up covering a legal notice and trading hours. The store backs onto an alleyway, the door is reinforced and unmarked.
The store is a bountiful supply of adult material, although narrow the store is quite long. A glass display cabinet also acts as the sales counter, inside it are collectable items many signed by stars of the material within. Upper shelves above the books display various merchandise in the same vein as the published material below.
Trading hours are as follows: Monday - Wednesday 3pm to 2am, Thursday 3pm till 5 am, Friday 3pm without close, Saturday continues till 4 am Sunday. On Sunday the store Opens at 5pm and closes at midnight.

5. Pink Elephant Kindergarten. This red brick building displays a small sign on the front gate, behind which sits a small sand pit covered with green shade cloth. The gate has two child safety locks as the place faces a major 8 lane highway. Temporary car parking is available for 4 family sized vehicles, staff parking is accessed by a side driveway to the carpark around the back. Inside the establishment the main foyee is the first thing people see, a soft blue area with high counter. A few beanie babies, abandoned sit on the counter, along with a computer terminal, and a box of donation candy. A large space marked out with black electrical tape houses the "Painting of the week" of a red house and a tree.
A door leads to the main hall way where pin boards show photos of previous groups of children, staff photographs and notices. The offices line the left hand side, the 4th is the sick bay. On the right sits a store room, the staff bathrooms, and Kitchen. Up the back the corridor opens out into a large play area, lowers walls are padded and the right hand wall is covered in a large jungle mural. Windows adorn the left hand side, looking out into a sub divided play area.
Behind this room another corridor extends up to a class room like area, small tables and chairs, and art aisels. Adjacent to the corridor are a set of resting areas, small beds set up for about 30 children. This room is darker as heavy blinds cover all the windows.
Outside the play areas are set up into two sections; Toddlers and Small Children. The Toddler area contains brightly coloured plastic play equipment, sand pits, and random toys. The large area also has push pedal cars.
A large Oak tree sits in the middle of the fence and provides ample cover.
The centre opens at 7am and closes at 9, two shifts work throughout the day. The supervising manager is a registered pediatrician, and many of the workers are training to be. To book your child in, call 1800 555 PINK

All work is copyright of Romney Tate, 2005. Permission is granted for above material to be reproduced in print and electronic format under the "d100 Modern Buildings project" or whatever the intended project is to be published as. The author reserves the right to reproduce this work in any format.

 

[jezter6]

06] The Wharf - Orignally a old fishing company warehouse in the Dock District, The Wharf is now a large bar/rave for young suburbanites. Just ritzy enough to keep out the riff-raff and not quite uspscale enough for the social elite, The Wharf caters to the young professional looking to go wild.

The Wharf is a 120' x 60' warehouse, subdivided into 3 different smaller nightclubs under one roof and one cover charge. 'The Freaky Tiki,' a Hawaiian themed Tiki bar sits to the left of the entrance. A good place to find a Mai Tai and all those fruity drinks. On the right sits "Bubbaloo's," a sports bar themed establishment with plenty of large screen TV's, football jerseys, and beer. The largest bar in the building is "Dreamscape," an all night rave for those 18+. When you want those good illegal things: Drugs, Guns, Underage Prostitutes, you'll find them all at Dreamscape. Dreamscape is a large open area with private party rooms upstairs. Invitation to the rooms, and the illegal goods and services you will find there, isn't easy to get...but once you're in the know...it's a treasure trove of illegal goods.

 

[Insight]

7. Atlantis Telecom: This ultramodern skyscraper is the picture of form above function, with its multifaceted star shape dominating the skyline beyond. Passersby marvel at the tapestry of glass and steel that towers before them, standing some 45 stories against the sky. Atlantis Telecom's logo, all style and sheen, stands proudly, mockingly akimbo against the palacial frontage. Almost condescendingly, it looks down upon anyone entering or exiting the proud edifice.

Most know the somewhat sordid details of Atlantis Telecom's recent troubles - the insider trading scandal, the offshore accounting practices, the whispers about improper political contributions. But above all of these rumors, the people depend on Atlantis Telecom for their communication and thus, the corporation rises above petty gossip and innuendo - for the moment at least.

Alvis Moorhead, CEO of Atlantis Telecom, is well known also as the owner of the local pro football team, and is a figure in the charitable and social circles. He is old money, having inherited his fortune and business skills from the late Merrimac Moorhead, founder of Atlantis Bell Telephone (predecessor to the current Atlantis Telecom).

The building itself is very secure, with high visibility guards on patrol 24 hours a day. Atlantis Telecom is vocal and upfront about its internal monitoring system. In fact, there are few places within the building that go unmonitored throughout the day. Guards typically patrol only certain floors, and their key access badges are tied to the floor for which they are responsible. In addition, the specially made guard uniforms have chips in the lapel that transmit a specific frequency to any doors they pass. Failing to broadcast this frequency upon passing through a secured door results in a general alarm.

There is a small helipad atop the building, which can in emergencies be used by the military, police, or emergency rescue units, and has on occasion served the community well. Normally, the CEO parks his own private bird atop this metallic perch.

 

[C. Baize]

08: Bing's Americana Restaurant. Having just opened their fourth location, Bing's is a national restaurant chain just waiting to happen. Owned and operated, thus far, by the Bing family, the matriarch, Sue "Momma" Bing, has a vision. She wants everyone in the state in one of her restaurants. Repeatedly. Often. Momma Bing has found her niche to fill in the restaurant business. She'll serve up pretty much anything. You want a steak, medium rare, with a side of chow-mein and another side of chili with watermelon garnish? Absolutely. She's glad to serve it up. You want a hamburger with pizza toppings, fried zucchini rings and baklava? Coming right up. Momma Bing seems to truly believe that the customer is always right. And if the customer is ready to order, the only have to raise the miniature American flag in the center of the table to catch the waitperson's attention.
Even paying a large hosting, waiting, cleaning, and cooking staff, Momma Bing brings in a very tidy profit, and is unafraid to put money back into the restaurant.
It's a large restaurant, 75' to a side in the dining area. The lobby has several chairs, and if the wait looks to be too long, it is not uncommon for Momma Bing to have the wait staff serve drinks and small appetizers to those in the lobby on the house. To one side of the lobby is the niche with pay phones, and the public restrooms, kept meticulously clean, and thoroughly checked every 15 minutes.
Behind the cash register is the kitchen, and behind that (out of customer view) is the food prep area, industrial dish washing machines, freezer, and refrigeration units. In the back of the restaurant, accessible through a swinging door at the wall next to the kitchen entrance behind the cash register, is the employee lounge with a small table, several chairs, an employee restroom, the time clock, and in the corner are the cleaning supplies.
PCs looking for trouble in Momma Bing's establishment are quite likely to find it. Momma Bing keeps a hidden firearm on her person at all times, and has a concealed carry permit for it. This portly, middle aged woman with greying red hair, crow's feet lines at the corners of her eyes, and a quick natural smile will take no guff, and will not hesitate to pull her firearm and protect her business, and of course, her customers.

 

[Agies]

9: New Crossing Mall
With more then 4 dozen diffrent shops including; home appliances, expensive apparel, new age religion crystals, a pet groomer, even a hi-tech gadget shop. This mall is the one shop stopping center for any just about any one able to pay the inflated prices. Each corner of the mall contains a big named department store such as; Sears, Koffmans, or JC Pennys. Besides material shopping the mall also contains half a dozen small food vendors and three sit down resturants. And for those child encumbered shoppers there is a large indoor playground where children can slip and slide on soft rubber astrological constilations and breakfast food. For those looking to liesure, before returning home, the mall even has its own cineplex, arcade, two bars and one aclaimed comedy club. With nearly 5 thousand people in daily it is entirely too easy to get lost or lose someone within. The mall also has a seedier side it is the number one public location for drug deals and illegal exchanges. Even after closing time the hustle and bustle of the mall never ends. A small army of janitors and security patrol the mall keeping the mall as clean and safe as possible. The mall and parking lot take up about 6 square miles.

10: Rest Stop and Information Center
The rest stop consists of three seperate buildings. The first is the rest room and tourism center and always open; it consists of one male one female restroom each capable of supporting 9 people, a dual sided pamphlet triangle with maps and tourism highlights, 2 stagered watering fountains, and a janitors closet loaded with cleaning supplies. The second building is the tourist relations/gift shop and only open during peak tourist seasons between 9-5. Inside you will find all sorts of collector items displaying the name of you favorite city or state and some linked animal or funny cartoon. Last but not least is the vending building. Located in between the two other building the vending buidling contains no less the six vending machines; 2 Soda machines, 1 hot coffee/chocolate, 2 snack machines, 1 frozen desserts machine. How fresh the items are in the machines is completely irrelivant, becuase each item is chosen based on its ability to be good even after a nuclear holacuast.

 

[dwayne]

11) Slap Monkeys
It’s a novelty store of sorts ran by a short person midget that goes by the name faz. An ex-circus performer whose now retired him and his son Norm run the store and his wife Sharlet. The store its self is of standard size for big people but the area a above the store is sized for the family. Anyone entering it has to bend over almost crawling at times callings here are only 4 foot high. In his life he had done some things that he regretted unlawful braking and entering but was never caught. His store holds more than just Novelties but also small trinkets that he had gathered from all over the world in their travel with the circus. The family owns one pet a chimpanzee named slappy which got his name from slapping the circus owner when he was young so he took the creature off of the owners hands when he retired. This store would be a great place for PCs to gather info on underworld activities Faz is very well connected or if in an urban arcane setting they could be Gnomes or haflings.

 

[Romnipotent]

More locales

12. Techolites. This store adjoins a strip of trendy shops near by the central train station. Its front window is adorned with various computer gadgets and setups. Close inspection of the window displays will reveal a fine mesh in the glass, alarm systems and the like. The main oddity with this storefront is that it carries both personal computers, and apple macs. Both machines look fairly similar, use roughly the same displays, input devices, and eerily similar screen savers. The computer is presented with modification, lights, water cooling, and all the extras. The Apple is set up like a graphics workstation, dual screens and drawing tablet.
Inside the store, which is about 30ft wide and 80ft deep, glass and brushed steel adorn everywhere. A Playstation 2 demonstration console sits just to the right hear a thin tall mp3 player display, many models rotating. Opposite a smart sales counter, with minimised compiuter footspace but also a functional working area. Three girls work alternating shifts hear, A short very flirtatious long black haired girl, a more quiet blonde, and a new trainee brunette. Floor staff mainly include young men, most of them knowledgable in many areas of the store.
The walls house shelving and softwares, two columns of cabinets stretch half the store after the sales counter. On the left are island displays with peripherals, keyboards, mice, CD drives, network hardware, and such. The right hand side of cabinets, many containing excess stock, sit various computers and laptops, each running the same screensaver. At the ends sit the showcase machines. A heavily customised desktop gaming machine running a full version of a recent popular release for customers and lurkers to spend unquestioned hours. The other a top of the line laptop, in dock with extra additions. Along the back wall are empty cases, a tall cabinet with hard drives, mother boards, and internal hardware. In the right corner in a stylised space sits the apple center, mostly parading the educational low end desktops and powerbooks. A full home stereo is also set up connected to an iPod playing music throughout the store.
Everything is wire bolted down, and a CCTV security system monitors the entire area.
Techolites also offers repairs, special orders, and a members club with 20% off.
Tading hours are: Monday - Wednesday 8:30-6, Thursday and Friday 8:30 - 9, Saturday 9- 5 and Sunday 10-5. For further information contact 555-Tech (7214)

13. Spinning Vinnies. Dig it! this hip luxurious cafe plays cool room jazz and even has live music every friday night. Not too bad for a Internet cafe/laundromat! Adjoining businesses acquired by passionate coffee afficianado Rynel Jasquin (Vinnie) met some teething problems with the council at first but with gradual suburb transformation and resident changes the areas has become the place for people in their mid 20's to early thirties to just hang out. Local cake shops and restaurant mean this place is buzzing most nights. A thick copper door now seperates the side by side business. the Laundromat is fresh and hip, art covers the walls and the benches are fairly comfortable lounges. A dry cleaner rents the area behind the laundromat and special deals exist with a 2hour internet sit down, a coffee, and 10% off the dry cleaner bill. Hng "Bobby" Nguyen runs the dry cleaners with his wife, he seems to have a coffee and several newspapers most of the time.
The cafe itself has a small tapas menu, and cakes. Lush reds and golds pattern the walls, a broken thai gold leaf pattern runs around the room about 1.6 meters up the wall seperating the art hanging area. Most of the art up is from a local college. Lounges and low tables are the call here, no tables and chairs, the place is quite relaxed. Behind shoji screens sits 20 computers and 5 Apple iMacs, each one taking up barely any space in front of 7 point articulated desk chairs. Each terminal has a wired and secured set of Sennheiser headphones, which with the cafe software alerts you when you have 5 minutes left of prepaid usage. A few signs state "Rambunctious behaviours not appreciated" and "Respect cafe patrons, see other sign" as Rynel likes it more that way.
Rynel mainly works the nights. During the morning the barrista is Lou Torantiello, a hansom man from Sicily with a sharp jaw and charming smile. The staff rotates a fair amount, enough that you may not find the same person again, but most that get to come back are very joyful and provide great service.
Best of all the place is Licensed in the cafe area (No alcohol in the laundromat or computer area). The place opens at 6am and closes at 3am. Rynel hires his cousin to clean up in the wee hours.

All work is copyright of Romney Tate, 2005. Permission is granted for above material to be reproduced in print and electronic format under the "d100 Modern Buildings project" or whatever the intended project is to be published as. The author reserves the right to reproduce this work in any format.

AS a side note, Techolites will be a good place for PCs to get PC's, and other gadgets, PDA's and such.
Spinning Vinnies on the other hand is like your old Tavern, cleanup place, renedvous point, untracable internet access point, and information center. Rynel may have the up and up on some local gossip. Chances are Lou has more. Hng "Bobby" gives the image of a clean cut man trying his best at dry cleaning, but tip him a few hundred and find a 'saturday night special' in your dry cleaned coat pocket. These are just ideas. Theres more than enough in Vinnies to dig yourself a great spot for a groups meeting place.

 

[Insight]

14. The Times-Journal: One of the oldest of the downtown buildings, the Times-Journal stands as a symbol of the early 1900s art-deco architecture in the city. Standing some fourteen stories above Grape Street, near old Fountain Park, the Times-Journal is near and dear to the hearts of most second and third generation citizens.

Once called the Granger Building, in the days when the Times-Journal was still a private entity, the newspaper is an odd anachronism sticking out like a sore thumb in the midst of the ever-changing downtown skyline of sleek, modern skyscrapers.

While ostensibly Edward Granger III is the publisher, the Times-Journal is now firmly in the hands of NewsInc, a nationwide media conglomerate, a corporation with media outlets throughout the country. Despite its links to the past, the Times-Journal is sadly just another cog in the corporate machine now.

Approximately 1,800 people work at the Times-Journal building, and there are people coming at all hours of the day and night. Recent development around the Times-Journal building has severely limited parking in the area for decades, and most employees now have to use the subway rather than drive to work. Luckily, there is a subway station not far from the entrance to the Times-Journal. In fact, a lot of subway users stop by the T-J to pick up their daily paper on the way to work. The paper's small newsstand, located right out front of the building, is in the same exact spot where Edward Granger I started his newspaper business in 1911.