I’d like to add another point regarding the design of the new Redguard Bridge, Covered.
Looking closely at its texture, a proud Redguard character would probably feel deeply insulted by it.
It looks way too decadent and weathered, with that peeling, moldy paint effect on the surface.
Honestly, only a Khajiit would feel right at home with a structure in this specific state of decay.
It definitely leans much closer to the Elsweyr aesthetic than the pristine, noble craftsmanship of Hammerfell!

it is absolutely Redguard as you can find this bridge in Abah's Landing, a Redguard city.

LunaFlora wrote: »

here are pictures i took in Abah's Landing recently

Perhaps Redguard culture was somehow influenced by Khajiit culture in terms of style, in the humblest objects?

I think so... and exclusively in the Hew's Bane area, where Khajiit culture (as expert thieves) has been deeply expressed.
These types of items are not typical of the Redguard style, which requires a more refined style.
They are part of Khajiit culture, which in areas like Hew's Bane has blended very well with Redguard culture.

My friend and I were saying the same thing. This looks way more like Khajiit style than Redguard because of the wooden and worn appearance.

It fits the rest of the city. If you look at walls, the plaster has also come off at some spots.

Thank you everyone for this amazing lore and design discussion!
@LunaFlora and @Syldras , you are absolutely right about the official location. Seeing those in-game screenshots from Abah's Landing clears up any doubt about where the asset technically belongs, and it’s true that the city carries that specific weathered, salty look.
From a Roleplay and lore-bending perspective, though, I still find the aesthetic crossover fascinating. Even if Abah's Landing doesn't have an official Khajiiti quarter, it is a bustling, chaotic port of thieves, pirates, and shady merchants where goods and cultures from all over Tamriel—especially from nearby Elsweyr—constantly circulate.
As @SilverBride pointed out, this item deviates so much from the traditional, pristine Hammerfell craftsmanship that it creates a wonderful visual ambiguity.
That’s actually the beauty of the housing system in ESO: regardless of the official "Redguard" tag, this weathered wood and peeling paint effect will make it look absolutely perfect and right at home in any Khajiit-themed build or Elsweyr skooma den.
Thanks again for the insights and for sharing the screenshots!

I'm going to see if I can use it in Serenity Falls Estate and Lucky Cat Landing.

Rishikesa108 wrote: »

LunaFlora wrote: »

here are pictures i took in Abah's Landing recently

Perhaps Redguard culture was somehow influenced by Khajiit culture in terms of style, in the humblest objects?

I think so... and exclusively in the Hew's Bane area, where Khajiit culture (as expert thieves) has been deeply expressed.
These types of items are not typical of the Redguard style, which requires a more refined style.
They are part of Khajiit culture, which in areas like Hew's Bane has blended very well with Redguard culture.

Not everything in a culture is going to be expensive and refined. There are still economic classes within a culture, poorer Redguards aren’t going to be able to afford detailed golden accents and well-upkept walls. The same goes for cities themselves, if Abah’s Landing is a rich city that is willing to do upkeep, why are there catwalks and boards connecting roofs everywhere? Surely they’d send people to take those down to reduce the mobility of thieves.

Not all, not even most, Khajiit are thieves. That is specifically a Rajhin thing. “Khajiit are thieves” is a stereotype.

If anything, this bridge seems to miss the bright colors, ornamentation and finer latticework of typical Khajiiti architectural elements and seems to mesh better with the more utilitarian Redguard style. I highly recommend visiting in-game places like Rimmen and Orcrest or even base game places like Dune and Mistral and see how ornate Khajiiti architecture actually is. One might argue that a utilitarian style is in fact more 'refined' in terms of style, but that just makes this bridge a bad example of Khajiiti architecture.

Lore takes aside, any similarities can also be a result of the devs pulling in real-life examples. No TES race has a straight real-life analog, but Redguard architecture always seems to be Moorish-coded to me and Khajiiti architecture more Southeast Asian, Indonesian specifically. Both of these are part of a continuum of human styles through time and space with lots of influence, 'copying' and cross-pollination, with the devs pulling in diverse elements because the TES races are fantasy races, not actual representations.

Rishikesa108 wrote: »

Utilitarian Redguard style?







Just as examples.

Khajiit instead:

I said 'more utilitarian', as compared to Khajiiti architecture. Don't you think it's kinda disingenuous to compare literal palace parts like colonnades and domes with a tent?

Rishikesa108 wrote: »

thatnewcatsmell wrote: »

I said 'more utilitarian', as compared to Khajiiti architecture. Don't you think it's kinda disingenuous to compare literal palace parts like colonnades and domes with a tent?

No I don't think so.
Khajiits don't have colonnades or domes, they just have tents as structures furnishings.

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Khajiit_Furnishings

https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Redguard_Furnishings

You are aware of the fact that the furnishings that we can place as players aren’t the only examples of ‘architecture’ in this game, right?

I have expressed my views several times; some share them, others do not.
I don't want a fun and constructive forum discussion to turn into an unnecessary argument.
Please learn to express your opinions while respecting those of others.
There is room for everyone here, as long as we keep the conversation friendly and helpful.
Just give your opinion without trying to discredit others.
As far as I'm concerned, this discussion—which used to be fun but is definitely not anymore—ends here.

It looks Redguard to me. I don't agree Redguard = Pristine. Redguards have class based architecture just like every other race.

When we see Khajiit stuff with arcs, it tends to be more complex arches. But both cultures like arches and gold.



Here's some equivalent stuff to the Redguard Dome and Colonnade shared earlier. As we can see Khajiit items that are more palatial are more ornate. These items might not be in great repair but the Khajiit obviously don't build them in disrepair on purpose. That's not a style choice but rather what has happened due to the various troubles the Khajiit have faced and that they haven't bothered to repair the old stuff and just keep reusing it.





Here's a Redguard tent.





ETA

Also the nicer wells are a good way to see the differences in flair. Red circle is the Khajiit well and Redguard is the blue circle.



I actually didn't even realize this was from Hew's Bane. I just accepted it as Redguard immediately because of the blue paint and simpler arches, personally.

Rishikesa108 wrote: »

Looking closely at its texture, a proud Redguard character would probably feel deeply insulted by it.
Honestly, only a Khajiit would feel right at home with a structure in this specific state of decay.

What a deeply weird thing to say. A Khajiit would not "feel right at home with a structure in a state of decay". The weathered, barnacle-encrusted structures in the Topal Bay are ancient and constantly buffeted by salty winds and sea spray. Like @spartaxoxo explained, the Khajiit have faced great adversity such as plagues and invasions through the ages, hence the lack of 'polish'. Not because they find decay cozy. Yet, even with all that, there is no lack of opulence in Khajiiti architecture and interior design. Personally, Khajiiti furnishings are my favorite in the game because they are above all ornate and regal. A "proud Redguard" versus a - what? Ignoble, lowly Khajiit? The cherry-picked comparisons made are disingenuous and, let's just say, eyebrow-raising.

Khajiiti architecture is based on Indonesian structures and furniture, a style so visually interesting and extravagant, it has been exported en masse to Western Europe, hence why I was able to source a beautiful 'Elsweyr' bench for my RL cats to lounge on.

Redguard




Khajiit





I decided to go to some Khajiit and Redguard zones (and Buccaneer Bay, a Redguard house) to show some more arches, wooden structures, and a Khajiit covered wooden bridge. Just because it's easier to see the visual references in-game than just looking at furnishings.