4 RESULTS
2025In personPanel 16Saturday 27th September 2025Fulgrim vs Ferrus Manus (c) Games Workshop

Of Tracery and Heresy – How Gothic is Imperial Architecture?

High Gothic, Battlefleet Gothic, the Gothic War – one will eventually come across the term “Gothic” in one way or another when engaging with the world of Warhammer 40k. But as an aspiring art historian and 40k lore enthusiast, I have always wondered: How Gothic is the architecture of the Imperium of Man really? How …

2025Friday 26th September 2025OnlinePanel 9Fulgrim vs Ferrus Manus (c) Games Workshop

The Architecture of the 41st Millennium

This paper discusses the built environment of the Warhammer 40,000 universe through a number of architectural, anthropological, and cinematic theories.  The aim is to underline the uniqueness of this setting, grounded firmly in British popular culture to its status as a global phenomenon.  In addition to this, the paper examines the hobbyists’ engagement with modelmaking …

2025Friday 26th September 2025OnlinePanel 3Fulgrim vs Ferrus Manus (c) Games Workshop

Eldritch Aesthetics: The Diminishing Role of Gothic and Unknowable Horror in 40k

Game designer Rick Priestley has described the original Warhammer setting as a portmanteau-world: a universe inspired by real world history, folk stories, and fantasy literature, particularly the works of J.R.R. Tolkein and Michael Moorcock. Priestley’s subsequent science-fantasy game, 40k, took the same approach: drawing liberally on roleplaying games, comics, science fiction novels, and movies, as …

2025Friday 26th September 2025OnlinePanel 3Fulgrim vs Ferrus Manus (c) Games Workshop

Skulls, Gothic Futures, and the Weight of Iron: Visual Aesthetics and Design in Warhammer 40,000

The Warhammer 40’000 universe is immediately recognisable through its distinct visualgrammar: gothic arches, excessive skulls, layered plate armour, cathedral starships, andbaroque insignia.  This presentation examines the design and visual aesthetics ofWarhammer 40’000, exploring how these elements construct its oppressive “grimdark”identity and sustain immersion across miniatures, artwork, and digital adaptations.Using visual culture theory (Mirzoeff, 1999) and …