SANTA FE, N.M. - 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥 author George R.R. Martin won't be able to build a seven-sided, castle-style library at his compound in Santa Fe that drew objections from neighbours.
The city's Historic Districts Review Board on Tuesday denied a request to allow Martin to exceed the building height limit in the historic district where he lives, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. The project included a roof deck and an elevator tower.
鈥淚t is a medieval castle, and I don鈥檛 understand how we could possibly approve it in this style,鈥 board member Frank Katz said.
Mark Graham lives south of the property and said residents couldn't 鈥渟upport having a castle in the neighbourhood.鈥
鈥淲ith the notoriety of Mr. Martin and 鈥楪ame of Thrones,' we absolutely fear that our neighbourhood will become the next treasure hunt, that his fans will be looking to find the castle thatsa国际传媒 in the middle of Santa Fe,鈥 Graham said.
Officials also denied a similar proposal early this year, saying the project didn鈥檛 meet height and style standards and didn't fit in with the character of the historic district.
Alexander Dzurec with the architecture firm Autotroph Inc. filed the application for the height exemption and said Tuesday that the library was intended to house 鈥渁 very sizable collection鈥 of literature and 鈥渙ther collectibles.鈥
More than 40 neighbours had signed a letter urging the Historic Districts Review Board to reject the request.
Guy Gronquist signed the letter and read it at the meeting, saying the architect had gone to 鈥済reat pains to draw comparisons with existing medieval-style structures in Santa Fe.鈥 But those buildings aren鈥檛 surrounded by houses, he said.
鈥淭he fact remains that the proposed building is still a prominent castle in the middle of a residential neighbourhood in Santa Fe,鈥 the letter said. 鈥淚t WILL BE VISIBLE.鈥
