Imagine a city that transcends the realm of reality.
As the world accelerates into the era of the metaverse, powered by the leaps and bounds in virtual reality technology, what would a city within this metaverse look like? Better yet, what if you were the one to shape, construct, and bring this city to life?
From the moment the concept of the metaverse was proposed, countless film and literature works have depicted various metaverse worlds and different life experiences. There have also been countless artistic designs fantasizing about a potential new world. Now, Ultiverse is turning these visions into reality as they construct Ultiverse City - a city within the metaverse with MUA DAO, through this call for designs with lucrative prizes, your creative ideas for the metaverse can be realized in Ultiverse City.
Ultiverse, a triple-A metaverse developed since 2021, aims to integrate VR technology into the experience. In this world, the rapid advancement of technology and the upheaval of reality have motivated humans and other life forms to transition from reality to the metaverse. It's a journey to a new world brimming with fantasies and endless possibilities, marking the dawn of a new epoch of life. Here, players using VR and other immersive technologies will embark on unique adventures, facing both opportunities and dangers in the vast Ultiverse.
Having secured over $18 million in funding from renowned investors such as Sequoia Capital, BinanceLab, Defiance Capital, and Skyvision Capital, Ultiverse is not just another game. The winning entries from this competition will serve as key references for the development of Ultiverse City, the capital city of the Ultiverse metaverse. This initiative aims to make the metaverse a melting pot of ideas from diverse talents, transforming it beyond the confines of a traditional 'meta' game. Winners will also enjoy the honor and benefits of being premium members of the Ultiverse metaverse.
We hope this open call will culminate in the construction of a truly unique metaverse city, Ultiverse City, which will open new possibilities for our future within the metaverse. The designs must adhere to the following principles—
◼︎ Embrace the Metaverse. It's time to break the conventional logic of real-world architecture. The metaverse allows us to present forms of architecture that are marvelous, futuristic, and simply impossible to construct in reality. Designs can break free from traditional architectural norms and explore new forms of expression.
◼︎ Cyberpunk and Future Aesthetics. What is Cyberpunk? Does it exist wherever neon lights glow? Not exactly. Returning to the original semantics, Cyberpunk (Cybernetics + punks) signifies control systems and free will. Cybernetics, a concept proposed by the American mathematician Norbert Wiener in 1948, emphasizes the purposeful behavior of biological systems - a feedback mechanism shared fundamentally with machines. This breaks the metaphysical boundary between machines and organisms and subverts the privileged status of humans in cognition and action. In 1960, the term 'Cyborg' was coined, envisioning the enhancement of human capabilities through mechanical and medical means to survive in space.
This summary leads us to the keywords of 'Cyberpunk': order, network, exoskeleton, high technology, prostheses/body mods, and geekiness (derived from Cybernetics); disorder, survival, anti-hero, and hacker chaos (derived from Punks). Simply put, it's 'High tech & Low life.' Elements of Cyberpunk have been thoroughly discussed and manifested in works like Philip K. Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?', William Gibson's 'Neuromancer', the 1982 'Blade Runner', the 'Matrix' trilogy by the Wachowski sisters, and the video game 'Cyberpunk 2077'.
Designs should start with the style of 'Cyberpunk,' including but not limited to elements such as high tech/low life, artificial light/holographic projection/neon lights, cyborgs, rain/raincoats and techwear, and FUI.
◼︎ Functionality and Interactivity. In Ultiverse City, players earn game points or props for in-city transactions through interactions with different scenes/facilities. Therefore, the overall design should reflect the city's specific functions and interactive facilities, and the content available for players to interact within different architectural scenes and functional areas. The aim is to create a comprehensive, lively, and highly experiential metaverse space.
◼︎ Unity and Diversity. A city should boast a diverse yet harmonious and unique cultural style. Designs need to showcase a variety of architectural styles based on the 'Cyberpunk’ theme. They should pay attention to the integration and dialogue between different architectural entities and city squares or adjacent facilities, expressing innovative thoughts on metaverse spaces.
Participate Requirements
We welcome submissions from any talent with experience in design, architecture, urban planning, or related fields. You can submit your work as an individual, group, or studio.
Open Call Timeline
📥 Submission Opens: July 1st
⏹️ Submission Deadline: September 1st
🔄 Scoring Period: September 1st - September 8th
🏆 Winners Announcement: September 11th
Content of the call
The designs we are calling for will encompass eight urban areas: ①Terminus Center, ②Terminus City, ③Newport, ④Thunder Space, ⑤Melting Pot City (PandaTown + Lil Europe + Neo Christainia), ⑥Oasis, ⑦City of Time, ⑧Blade Zone.
Each urban area within Ultiverse City has its unique function, with overlapping and interacting roles across areas. Participants can choose to design any building that captures their interest from the Key Buildings list provided for each area.
Participants are encouraged to select and contribute designs for two or more areas. The choice of buildings for each area should refer to the descriptions given below, and there are no restrictions on the total number or distribution of buildings selected.
The submitted designs should provide a holistic design of the buildings and landscapes within each selected area, including the necessary associated facilities. In each chosen area, participants should aim to construct a comprehensive metaverse architectural complex consisting of one or more buildings (including key buildings and associated facilities).
For example, you could choose to submit designs for the Birth Square in the 'Terminus Center' area and the Commercial Complex in the 'Terminus City' area. This submission would cover two areas and two key buildings.
Area One: Terminus Center
The Terminus Center is the first location where players enter the Ultiverse City upon their inception. It is situated at the heart of the continent, adjacent to Terminus City, Thunder Space, Panda Town, and Lil Europe. As the hub linking all other areas, it serves as a window where players can get their first understanding of the Ultiverse world.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Birth Square (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Player Welcome and Service Center (Suggested design size: 4 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Uexhibition Hall (Suggested design size: 6 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Ultiverse Flagship Club (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Two: Terminus City
Terminus City is the core area of the Ultiverse world, where most of the world's important buildings are located. It carries out crucial core functions of the city, including economics, entertainment, socializing, and housing, among others. It is the Manhattan of the Ultiverse, a core urban strip extending towards the coastline, where the city's significant buildings, big and small, stand tall.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Binance Tower (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Sequoia Tower (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Ultiverse Office Tower (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ NFT Museum + Marketplace (Suggested design size: 13 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Terminus Quidditch Center (Sports Center) (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Commercial Complex Center (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Three: Newport
Newport is a residential area where most players in the Ultiverse City live. It is adjacent to the coast, boasting a large area along the coastline. A multitude of lawful citizens of the Ultiverse City reside here, and they are an indispensable source of happiness in this world. Of course, it also has many entertainment and leisure places that attract players.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Coastal High-Rise Residential Apartments
▪︎ Coastal Villas
▪︎ Large Shopping Complex (brands, NFT displays, item transactions) (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Integrated Office Center
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Four: Thunder Space
Thunder Space is the entertainment core of the Ultiverse city, housing all the entertainment attributes needed by players.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Death Circle Large Club (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ The Arcade Entertainment Game Center (Suggested design size: 2 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Secondary Market Retail Store
▪︎ Small Pubs/Bistros
▪︎ Small Underground Clubs
▪︎ Casino Building
▪︎ Big Bird Round-and-Round Club
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Five: The Melting Pot City
The Melting Pot City area is made up of PandaTown, Lil Europe, and Neo Christainia.
PandaTown and Lill Europe are absolute cultural blending areas in the Ultiverse world, where you can see the fusion and convergence of Eastern and Western cultures. Here you can also find eye-opening people and things that you cannot encounter in other areas.
Neo Christainia is an anarchist paradise in the Ultiverse world, gathering the most cyber-hippies. It is also a zone where future technology and nature blend. Here, there is no absolute right or wrong, and all developments depend on the light of human nature and love.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Cultural Melting Pot Church (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Asian Culture Plaque Gateway Entrance
▪︎ Asian Culture Element Market (Suggested design size: 7 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Asian Style Residential Buildings, Public Buildings
▪︎ European Style Residential Buildings, Office Buildings
▪︎ Multicultural Relaxation Square/Melting Pot Square (Suggested design size: 4 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Meditation Square (Suggested design size: 5 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Spiritual Relaxation and Flight Center (Suggested design size: 4 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Tribal Residential Area Cyber-Natural Fusion Distribution Area (Suggested design size: 4 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Outdoor Camping Square (Suggested design size: 4 or more unit plots)
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Six: Terminus Oasis
The Oasis is an independent area in the Ultiverse City, an absolute vacation area that everyone aspires to. Nestled between mountains and waters, it has unique sea views and coastal vacation homes, as well as delicacies and leisure entertainment from all over the world.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Palm Tree Leisure Villas
▪︎ Proposal and Farewell Church
▪︎ Small Scale Retail Shops (NFT brand naming, etc.)
▪︎ Vacation Highway Restaurant
▪︎ Vacation Port
▪︎ Small Scale Arcade Clubs
▪︎ Small Scale Pubs
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Seven: City of Time
The City of Time is the old town of Ultiverse, home to the indigenous residents who have lived here for more than three generations. With the rapid development of the city, these original inhabitants have given up their core areas and continue to migrate to the outskirts of the city, seeking their own peace and tranquility. The City of Time is the largest area in Ultiverse, enveloping the vast majority of the urban's areas.
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Residential Buildings in the City of Time
▪︎ Villas in the City of Time
▪︎ City of Time Urban Square
▪︎ General Retail Shops
▪︎ Garden of the City of Time
▪︎ Transportation Module
Area Eight: Blade Zone
The Blade Zone is an area that most players would rather not venture into. It is located at the edge of the Ultiverse world. Due to its unique map shape, it is named 'Blade Zone' by a majority of players. As the name suggests, this area is home to gangs, is filled with prisons, is a residence for the exiled, and is a hub for a multitude of grey transactions...
Key Buildings:
▪︎ Underground Market
▪︎ Prison
▪︎ Gang Club
▪︎ Underground Trading Center
▪︎ Kowloon Walled City
▪︎ Transportation Module
Visual Style Reference for Submissions
To better showcase the visual style of the requested architectural designs (not as specific design references), we are providing the following reference renderings for participants:
Design Submission and Display Format
Participants can choose to submit designs for two or more areas, selecting buildings for each area based on the descriptions above. There are no restrictions on the number of buildings chosen for each area or in total.
Submissions should incorporate an integrated design for buildings and landscapes within each area, including necessarily associated facility designs, thus constructing a more comprehensive metaverse architecture group within the chosen areas, consisting of one or more buildings (including key buildings and facilities).
When submitting, the design content must include the following:
(1) Design concept, inspiration, and related derivations
(2) Title of the design and the chosen area and buildings
(3) Primary architectural design
▸ Designs should be based on 1,600 sqm as a unit plot, with one or several unit plots (1,600 sqm x N)
▸ All key buildings in each area must include complete internal and external designs. The interior design should be completed to the ceiling, wall, and floor, and it is recommended that it corresponds to the elements of the building's facade. The design should appropriately add interior elements that affect key functions within the architectural space, such as lighting fixtures, sculptures, reception desks, large screens, etc. The level of detail in the interior will also be a key factor in whether the building is selected.
▸ The primary building design should be submitted with related facilities (including nearby streets, landscapes, squares, auxiliary buildings, etc)
▸ If there are interactive features inside and outside the building, they can be explained with text, pictures, or other clear and understandable formats
▸ The design must include specific building dimensions, including area occupied, height, width, and length
▸ Each key building and its associated materials are recommended to be less than or equal to 120M, with a total recommended number of faces between 60,000 and 80,000 (this can be increased as necessary based on the building's footprint)
You can use SU, Rhino, Maya, Blender, etc., for modeling and related rendering. The final selected designs must submit GLB format files and source files of models with material textures.
Submission place:
Once you have met the criteria for submission as outlined later, go to https://academy.muadao.build/flash and log in. Find the 'Call for Prizes: Key Buildings of Ultiverse' collection page and follow the guidelines to submit.
When submitting works, we recommend uploading them as images and videos, supplemented by explanatory text. If you have related preview links, you can also fill them out on the submission page.
Image Upload Format: Recommended 1400x1400 or higher, maximum 15MB. You can upload up to 10 images simultaneously, and the images must be renderings of the design (AI rendering not accepted). Each image should separately indicate the design's architectural area and the Key building object of the submission.
Video Upload Format: Maximum 50MB. Only MP4, WebM, and Ogg are supported. The recommended video aspect ratio is 1:1.
Scoring Mechanism
The evaluation of the collected works in this open call is divided into two categories: 'Community’s Favorite Participants' and 'Final Selected Designs'.
'Community’s Favorite Participants' will be voted on by the community members and public voting officials.
The 'Final Selected Designs' will be selected by the open call adjudicators.
Public Voting and Voting Officials Explanation
Those with MUA Initiator badges or above will serve as the public voting officials in this open call. Their selection will be based on the ‘participants’ on the open call page. Different levels of MUA badges carry different weight in scoring.
For each participant and their submitted work, the scorers can choose a number between 1-10 from four dimensions.
Participants in the contest cannot score their own submitted works.
Open Call Adjudicators Evaluation Explanation
The final selected designs will be chosen by the open call adjudicators. The selection will be based on the ‘Specific Key Building'. The five adjudicators are:
Alex Sun, Head of real estate and REIT business of a global investment bank. Dual masters from MIT Architecture and Business School. Assistant professor of architecture at a Singapore university and lecturer at a top European business school.
Tony Q.S. Quek, Ph.D., Fellow of IEEE, Fellow of Academy of Eng. Singapore
Nicole, Partner @LIF ｜Ex ED @BinanceLabs
Sen Xu, OKX VP of engineering
Frank, CEO @Ultiverse
Get your qualification for Submission Designs and Public Voting Official
'Share support, pass on support', we hope that this award collection can be carried out in a more loving way. To obtain the submission qualification and public voting official qualification, please follow the four steps below:
Step 1: Fill in the intention information: https://forms.gle/hTDejyxo3g4dVtf98
Step 2: Go to the page: https://academy.muadao.build/discover, click on 'connect wallet' in the bottom left corner and log in following the prompts using your email
Step 3: Click and enter the 'Discover' page on the left column, ‘like’ one or more community design works you are fond of (Note: After each login, the first time you ‘like’, the website will pop up a 'Signature Request' dialog box, click 'Sign' to continue operation)
Step 4: Within 48 hours, the 'MUA Initiator' badge will be awarded to your personal page (you can check your personal page at any time)
✅ Congratulations, you have successfully obtained the submission qualification and public voting official qualification for this award collection!
Awards
We hope that every participant in this Open call will find it enriching and rewarding, aligning with our principle of 'more for the capable'.
In accordance with the selection mechanism, participants can earn cumulative prizes based on the number of their architectural designs that are ultimately been selected. There is no limit to the number of designs that can be selected from a single participant. This implies that the more designs you contribute as an individual or as a participating group, the more likely you are to have a greater number of selected entries, and thus, earn more prizes.
🏆 Community's Favorite Participants The top five scorers in the community voting each receive a piece of land in Ultiverse.
🏆 Final Selected Designs ▸ For each selected building in the various urban areas, a reward of $400 per building will be given.
▸ If a participant’s designs have the Terminus Quiddich Center (Sports Center), Birth Square, Binance Tower, Sequoia Tower, Death Circle Large Club, or the NFT Museum + Market been chosen, they will receive an additional piece of Ultiverse metaverse land, on top of the cash prize (this can be accumulated).
▸ If a participant has 5 or more architectural designs ultimately selected, they will receive an additional piece of Ultiverse metaverse land, on top of the cash prize (for every five selected designs, this can be accumulated).
Upon receiving their prizes, participants must submit the GLB format and texture-mapped source files of their selected designs to the organizers.
Furthermore, we believe that excellent designks should not go unnoticed. Excellent designs that exceed the set quota for each area still have a significant chance of being selected in a different area and will receive the corresponding prize.
For example, if the designer Daniel submitted five excellent designs – the Central Square, NFT Museum, Transfer Module, Asian Market, and Prison – and the Prison and Asian Market were successfully selected in their original area 'Blade Zone' and ’The Melting Pot City', but the number of chosen designs for the ‘Termina Center' and ’Terminus City' reached the upper limit. After further discussion, Daniel's Central Square, NFT Museum, and Transfer Module, which were originally intended for these two zones, were instead selected in the 'Newport' and 'City of Time' zones. Consequently, Daniel, with his five exceptional designs, still earned five prizes.
Copyright Declaration
By voluntarily participating in this Open Call, all participants are deemed to have made an irrevocable declaration regarding the copyright ownership of their submitted works as follows:
Originality Declaration
The proposed design must be the original work of the participant, not AI-generated images, and must not infringe any patent rights, copyrights, trademark rights, and other legal intellectual property rights of any third party individual or entity without authorization. If a work is found to be non-original or AI-generated, the organizer reserves the right to immediately cancel the participant's eligibility for participation, selection, and award, to retract the reward, and to reserve the right to pursue legal responsibilities. If the organizer is sued or incurs other losses as a result, the organizer has the right to demand full compensation from the participant; if the organizer has already paid in advance, the organizer has the right to recover all direct and indirect losses (including but not limited to attorney fees, litigation fees, preservation fees, appraisal fees, notary fees, etc.) from the participant.
Rights Declaration
The participant, MUADAO, and Ultiverse jointly own the copyright of the works submitted to the Open Call. Without the consent of the three parties, no other individual or entity has the right to implement the works.
The organizer owns the right to display and disseminate all submitted works. By uploading their works, participants agree to authorize the organizer to display the works at any time and place, in any form of public or anonymous presentation to the whole society.
The organizer has the primary right to implement and deploy the selected designs. The selected individual/team may not cooperate with a third party for implementation without discussing it with the organizer. The specific implementation time, form, and partner will be decided through negotiation between the organizer and the participant.
Agreement Declaration
By uploading their works, participants agree to the above rights scheme, and to the established selection method for the Call for Designs. Before submitting their works, participants have carefully read all terms, fully understand them, and express their agreement.
Interpretation
The organizer reserves the final right to interpret any ambiguity arising from this Call for Designs.
About MUA DAO
MUA is a Metaverse Middleware Infrastructure that provides a one-stop solution empowering enterprises and businesses in creating, operating, and managing digital assets compatible and programmable for multiple Metaverse platforms through unified interfaces in “MUAverse”. MUA’s proprietary MUAverse includes an AI-powered interactive engine as well for multi-Metaverse platform that supports the quick upscaling and development of universal engineering conditions.
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About Ultiverse
Ultiverse is building the social gaming metaverse that connects Web3 with an immersive VR compatible virtual world. By empowering players of various economic abilities to build mutually beneficial relationships, Ultiverse is aimed at creating a first-of-its-kind MetaFi.