AfterDark
A 1ON1 with Thecla the Mind Behind The Continental
Uncovering the Mystery…
There are beautiful places in Second Life where you can spend an evening. Then there are places that stay with you long after you’ve logged out. The Continental gives you that and much more.
Some venues are built with prims and textures. Others are built with an idea.
The Continental was inspired by one of cinema’s most recognizable worlds, The world of John Wick, yet somehow it has become something entirely its own—a place spoken about almost the way people exchange secrets. Not loudly. Never publicly. Usually with a smile that suggests you’ve just been let in on something special.
Ironically, that’s exactly how I found it.
I was exploring the grid looking for my next story when a stranger struck up a conversation. We talked about the places I enjoy writing about and the experiences that stand out among thousands of regions.
Without hesitation, he said, “You need to visit The Continental.”
There wasn’t a sales pitch.
There didn’t need to be.
His recommendation carried the kind of confidence that only comes from someone who has already been changed by the experience.
The moment those grand doors opened, I understood...
Every hallway, every lounge, every hidden corner feels intentionally crafted. The elegance never competes with the mystery. Instead, it invites you deeper, placing you into a world where impeccable manners, whispered conversations, and quiet danger exist comfortably under the same roof.
It’s more than a venue.
It’s an atmosphere.
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to visit and have a conversation with the woman responsible for creating it all.
Meet Thecla...
Before we talk about The Continental, let’s talk about you…
Second Life has become home for millions of people, but everyone arrives here differently. What first brought you into this world, and what made you decide to stay long enough to build one of your own?
“Oh gosh, I don’t remember how I first discovered SL. I guess I just downloaded it and got really into it, particularly the building part. I became a content creator, back before mesh and loved how social building was because you did it inworld and not with some 3D program. I’d get together with friends who were also building and we would natter away while we worked. And then I took a long break from SL and came back about six years ago and was inspired by some absolutely gorgeous sims that I saw. And while I have some rudimentary meshing skills, I’m mostly a texturer and as far as the sim goes, a decorator.”
Every great creation begins with an idea…
Can you remember the exact moment you knew The Continental was something you had to build? Was there a particular scene, feeling, or conversation that sparked everything?
“Well beyond being inspired by interesting sims I visited, I had the idea of developing a hotel based on The Continental in the John Wick movies. I loved the set design of it, so stylish and elegant and also mysterious. That was the initial aesthetic direction. And then I just kept building, one floor at a time. It’s up to 13 now. I also started to host themed parties with DJs from fairly early on and that drove more spaces to have more varied events. There used to be a whole city at ground level but I had to delete parts of it to get prims to build more floors.”
If someone had never seen a John Wick film…
…how would you describe The Continental in your own words? What do you hope they discover when they walk through those doors?
“At it’s core it’s an exercise in world building and immersion. I chose a hotel as the central idea because I wanted to build a social community and hotels have lots of different kinds of spaces for different uses. I would also say it rewards exploration and there is a narrative that unfolds as you wander and find different things. There are also quite a few hidden elevators, passages and rooms that await the persistently curious. 🙂 Beyond that, it’s not anything in particular. It’s not a roleplay sim although many members role play here. It’s not a club venue although we develop parties and events and host live performers. It’s whatever visitors and members want to use if for.” 🙂
Design tells a story…
When people arrive and open those grand doors, They are met with a beautiful spiral staircase. Was there a particular scene or fight sequence from the franchise that inspired this?
“No, I saw the room at a shopping event and it just hit me like a sledge hammer, “That’s it. That’s the lobby.” It’s a set piece with just the elevator, mysterious and inviting. It sets the tone and vibe for the rest of the hotel. Honestly, while there are some obvious references to the movie in the hotel I don’t feel any need to take too heavily from it. I’m more concerned with a general coherence of the vibe throughout all the spaces.”
One of my favorite questions…
What emotion do you hope people feel during their first five minutes inside The Continental? And what do you hope they’re saying about it after they’ve gone home?
“The sim is supposed to feel like a place lost in time. I have tried to weave (or “mash” more like it lol) together elements of cyber, steampunk, magic, futurism, Victorian, and a few others to promote that. It should feel like there is an entertaining mystery around every corner, and yet at the same time be comfortable and exotic. At least I hope that it elicits those feelings. One piece of feedback that I get repeatedly is admiration for the level of detail, which I sort of wince at because I know that’s driven by a bit of OCD at work. That said I think it does contribute strongly to that “sense of place” that I’m striving for. I’m also a little obsessed with lighting which I think is a key to making spaces have dimension and a sense of being “real”. That’s missing in a lot of builds in SL. And lastly I hope what guests pass on to others is simply that it’s worth a visit.”
The Lux Tenebris caviar and champagne table
The Jupiter Terrace Bar
Every creator has a favorite corner…
Is there a room, a hidden detail, or a quiet place inside The Continental that still makes you stop and admire it?
“Ooph, that is hard to say. They are all my babies! The member’s lounge is special to me because it’s the first floor I built and when people do “hang out” at the hotel, it’s there. The Baths are special to me because I built it in one day, including a lot of custom textures, in a sort of fever dream. When I’m building it’s often very iterative, rezzing pieces and pushing them around until something starts to click. I throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall and a lot of it ends up on the floor. Building the Baths was different. I knew before I even started exactly what I wanted and how it would turn out. The Conservatory is high on the list as well simply because it’s just so peaceful and calm. Lastly, and this is in the alley which is all that is left of the wider city, the toy shop holds a special place in my heart simply because it reminds me so strongly of childhood.”
The Members Lounge Bar
The Baths
The Conservatory
The Toy Shop
While exploring…
I noticed several locations inspired by different moments throughout the John Wick universe. One that immediately caught my attention was The Spirit Club with its beautiful Asian aesthetic.
What inspired that space, and I have to ask…why place the dragon beneath the floor?
“I had seen a few glass floor dance floors around SL and a dragon seemed the natural choice! I had intended to change the decor in that club quarterly, but keep it “spirit” themed. So Voodoo one quarter, Hindu the next and so on, but I got too busy building more floors lol.”
When I reached out about this interview…
…you invited me to attend an Amped Dance Show followed by the after-party.
Has hosting performances like Amped Dance Show and events such as The Art of Shibari changed the way you view performers and artists within Second Life?
“The sim is a bit of a magnet for creative types and I have met many who visited and then struck up a conversation with me. I have come to believe that the people who are happiest and healthiest in SL are those that are pursuing a passion of theirs…art, dance, music, scripting…it does not really matter what it is. I end up spending most of my time with people like that. Opie, who is the head of Amped and does all the choreography, has been a close friend for years and I occasionally join the group for tours and dances, it’s fun but also a surprising amount of work!”
I also noticed…
…you weren’t simply watching the show. You became part of it.
What is it like stepping out from behind the scenes and becoming part of the entertainment yourself? Which moments bring you the most joy?
“The whole reason that I develop and host events at my sim and help with those of my friends elsewhere is simply because I love seeing people have a good time. A good crowd with good music, the playful chatter in local…when the energy gets going it’s a bit intoxicating. While it’s a lot of work, from scheduling DJs to building custom venues, making the invitations, marketing and publicity…and then greeting people and chatting with them during the event, it’s worth it to me. I think that is when I’m happiest and feel like I’m really contributing to people’s lives here.”
Creating something this detailed takes countless hours…
The Lux Tenebris tablescape
The Ballroom Decor
Looking back, what has been the greatest reward The Continental has given you that you never expected when you first began building?
“Every time someone sends me an IM telling me how much they enjoyed their visit, it just sends me. SL is what we all contribute to it, in our own ways, and I feel very proud of doing my part in that respect. It makes me feel like I’m making a difference, helping to make SL a richer and more vibrant place. When I started building the hotel I had no thoughts of also developing and hosting events and live performers and I’ve ended up enjoying that tremendously and getting a lot of satisfaction from watching people enjoy themselves. Our biggest event is our New Year’s Eve party which we host in collaboration with a couple of other venues. It goes for 12 hours, following the midnight around the globe, and the sim is full to capacity for most of it. It’s a blast.” 😀
Let’s have a little fun…
Which John Wick film is your favorite, and is there a line from the franchise that perfectly captures the spirit of The Continental?
“I guess the first one? It has the most scenes of the hotel if I remember correctly. I’m actually not a huge devotee of the movies aside from the aesthetic and style. I’ve watched the first one twice and the others once. That was enough. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the violence in them although most of it is almost balletic and is often tinged with humor.”
Finally…
Every great hotel has another room waiting to be discovered. Without giving away too many secrets, what’s next for The Continental, and what can members look forward to in the future?
“I have learned so much building what I have so far and as a result I’ll probably be going back and rebuilding or updating each floor, one at a time. Adding PBR is a big goal but also a lot of work. In many ways the sim is my personal sandbox where I experiment with lighting, scripting, and experiences, so I’ll continue to play and learn and the sim will just slowly evolve.”
Beyond The Landing Point…
The Continental is a beautiful hotel indeed, but it’s the passion and countless hours of building from people like Thecla that bring an atmosphere to a space in Second Life that captures curiosity and mystery of those willing to explore beyond the landing point.
The Continental Teleport
The Continental on Flickr
*See More of Bronwen’s After Dark Explorations on Flickr & Primfeed
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