the market

This project was born from the visoin of a different side of Dhaka than the one we usually imagine: not the overwhelming chaos of traffic and crowds, but a suspended, almost unreal moment where the city feels like it’s holding its breath.

The inspiration comes from a documentary by Nicolò Balini @humansafari about Bangladesh, which deeply struck me for the way it shows the contrast between urban density, everyday life, and the fragile balance of the city environment. From that, I imagined a scenario where that human energy suddenly disappears, leaving only traces behind: closed shutters, tangled power lines overhead, abandoned carts, fruit scattered on wet asphalt, and weathered signs consumed by time.

The goal wasn’t to recreate a specific real location in a purely photorealistic way, but to capture the visual identity and the feeling of a street in Dhaka:
tight spaces, layered architecture, visual overload, humidity in the air, and that constant blend of life and decay.

I focused heavily on atmosphere:
cold, diffused lighting, almost like a morning after rain
light fog to compress depth and enhance mood
a desaturated color palette with small color accents on signs and fruit
a centered composition to create a sense of “unnatural emptiness”

Modeling & Layout: Blender
Texturing: Substance 3D Painter
Engine & Lighting: Unreal Engine
Post-production & Compositing: After Effects

Special attention was given to environmental micro-details — dirt, debris, decals, material wear — to suggest human presence even in its absence.
This project is mainly a study in atmosphere, environmental storytelling, and urban worldbuilding, more than strict asset-by-asset accuracy.

The tuktuk model is kindly provided by: Christian Warstat https://www.artstation.com/artwork/YBRG1X
A huge thanks for letting me use this that fits perfectly with the environment

This environment is made using dash by https://www.polygonflow.io/ an awesome tool for UE5 to speed up your workflow