History Main / CrystalSpiresandTogas

* In ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'', factions following the Purity affinity from some moment start to take on a Roman-inspired aesthetic, thus trying to preserve their spiritual connection with the Old Earth and salvage from oblivion at least a portion of humankind's most glorious heritage.

* In ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'', factions following the Purity affinity from some moment start to take on a Roman-inspired aesthetic, thus trying to preserve their spiritual connection with the Old Earth and salvage from oblivion at least a portion of humankind's most glorious legacy.

* In ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'', factions following the Purity affinity from some moment start to take on a Roman-inspired aesthetic, thus trying to preserve their not-so-significant spiritual connection to the Old Earth and salvage from oblivion the most glorious legacy of humankind.

** Factions following the Purity affinity in ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'', the SpiritualSuccessor to ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'', [[https://youtu.be/sfQyG885arY?t=277 start to take on]] a Roman -inspired aesthetic.

* ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' pretty much starts out this way, and much of the main storyline involves getting back to the TimeMachine (which has a similar atmosphere). Notably, the spires and togas are an invention by an advanced alien race, but become the future when everyone is sent back 20,000 years in time; the last stages of this are shown in the opening narration.
* In ''ComicBook/NewGods'', New Genesis is depicted as once of these.

* Thw future of ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'' is this, with [[TotallyRadical totally excellent]] music to boot.

* Probably a shipload of ancient pulp SciFi that we can't name. Heck, the good aliens wore togas in the 1930s ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' series that started SpaceOpera!

* Most of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks']] novels, especially those set in the fictional universe known as Literature/TheCulture. Sometimes subverted in that while the Culture tend to favour a smoothly minimalist and elegant aesthetic for their technology, they're advanced enough to make any tech look like anything they want – and so a Culture home that looks like a basic log cabin or a simple barn-like structure will have just as much technology as a home that looks very advanced, and the simplicity and materials used in its construction are just an aesthetic choice. Similarly their most advanced ships can appear as enormous landscapes of rolling green fields, or a slab of a gas giant's atmosphere, while their inner workings are still composed of ultradense exotic matter and the ship's ''true'' structure is essentially a collection of very advanced forcefields.

* In Creator/PeterFHamilton's ''Literature/VoidTrilogy'', humans finally hit this stage around 1500 years into the future: most technology is sleek, hidden, implanted or only ''partially'' made of matter, and fashion is dominated by "toga-suits" made of smart nanomaterials that reflect and refract light in interesting patterns. [[PerfectPacifistPeople Peace]], on [[HumansAreWarriors the other hand]], is nowhere in sight...
** And from the same author, the Edenists in ''Literature/NightsDawn'' are a civilization of super-advanced genetically engineered telepathic superhumans who dress in antiquated clothes like robes, tunics, and togas and live in giant, sentient floating space stations. Heck, their entire lifestyle is based around clean, sentient or semi-sentient organic bio-tech and they believe themselves to be superior to the more traditional "Adamist" civilizations. Sort of a subversion, insofar as their society is clearly NOT perfect, and a pretty big portion of the books is about this. Hamilton LOVES subverting this trope, and does a really good job of it.
* The interex in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000: [[Literature/HorusHeresy Horus Rising]]''.

* The Altrusian Civilization from the original ''Series/LandOfTheLost''.

* The ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series has had a few of these over the course of the series, such as Quartz Quadrant's Good Future in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', Future City in ''VideoGame/SonicRiders'' (where the Metal City, Night Chase, Megalo Station, and Nightside Rush racetracks take place), Grand Metropolis in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', and Metropolis (without the "Grand") in ''VideoGame/SonicForces''. That being said, all of them have come under attack by Dr. Eggman or a powerful ally of his, requiring Sonic's intervention (with the exception of Quartz Quadrant, where a city grew in its place because Sonic had driven Eggman away).

* The infamous anti Mormon [[DocumentaryOfLies "documentary"]] ''The God Makers'' features an animated segment that utilizes this trope, which focuses on the Star of Kolob and other idiosyncratic Mormon doctrines. The film is generally considered [[FalselyAdvertisedAccuracy ill informed]] at best and defamatory at worst and today [[MemeticMutation most only know it]] because the animated segment is a WebAnimation/YouTubePoop staple.

** ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' crosses this trope with AfroFuturism. Wakanda is the most technologically advanced country on the planet, while resembling bronze age Central Africa.

* ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' (1978) and its sequels invoke this trope with Krypton (and Argo City in the spinoff ''Film/Supergirl1984''). Krypton's spires are giant crystals. The walls are made of crystal. The canyons are lined with crystal. The clothes are made of some form of wearable, highly-reflective crystal. But, because so little of Kryptonian society is glimpsed, it is left up to the viewer's interpretation whether this is a utopia or a dystopia.
* ''Film/{{Tenet}}''. Sator talks of his mysterious sponsor, a man in a crystal tower in the far future. Subverted in that this future is a CrapsackWorld due to environmental damage.

* The [[https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Beings_of_Light Beings of Light]] and their [[https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Ship_of_Lights Ship of Lights]] in the original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|1978}}'' have this feel to them -- as did the original colonies. In the pilot, ''[[https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Saga_of_a_Star_World Saga of a Star World,]]'' The Quorum of the Twelve on the ''Atlantia'' and its reconstitution afterwards featured togas. And crystalline pyramids are wrecked by the Cylon bombardment of Caprica.\\\
This is largely averted in the [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 new series]], where the Colonies have buildings that are plausible to build today, but simply do not extend to our architectural styles (although looking at Caprica City for too long may sear your retinas, it's that shiny-future...). Same thing for people's appearance, with...well...normal clothes. An exception is the spectral forms of the Final Five Cylons, who appear as glowing robed figures before they're revealed to be [[spoiler:the most ridiculously human of the show's RidiculouslyHumanRobots]].
* In the ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' special "Back and Forth", Blackadder visits a future world that matches this trope.

*** The city of Morphoton in part 2 of ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS1E5TheKeysOfMarinus The Keys of Marinus]]'' [[spoiler: (the people are hypnotized by [[BrainInAJar Brains in Jars]] and actually live in squalor).]]
*** The planet of the Elders in ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E9TheSavages The Savages]]'' [[spoiler: (the Elders live in immortal luxury by draining the life essence from the eponymous Savages).]]

* Subverted in the 2007 ''Series/{{Flash Gordon|2007}}'' series, where Mongo's capital, Nascent City, is all crystal spires and togas, while the rest of the planet is a [[AfterTheEnd post-environmental-catastrophe]] ScavengerWorld.

* The Land of Light in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' is sort of like this, though replace Togas with mantles, in the case of the Space Garrison. Much of the Land of Light appears to be constructed of gigantic emeralds and other gemstones, from the buildings to the very ground itself - spires are pretty much everywhere, too!
* The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' experiment ''Warrior of the Lost World'' featured a Dystopian world in which lived a group of toga-wearing "enlightened ones". They had [[HealingHands healing powers]] and lived in a [[AnotherDimension pocket dimension]] from which they battled an [[{{Dystopia}} oppressive totalitarian government]] that had [[TakeOverTheWorld taken over the world]].

** In ''Film/StargateContinuum'' we see that following the downfall of the System Lords, the Tok'ra apparently stopped hiding and now have a city made of crystal skyscrapers. They are also fond of wearing toga-like clothing.

** "The Cage" featured the Talosians, who wore togas and had advanced technology. They also regarded all other sentients as potential specimens for study in their menagerie while they go on and on about how superior they are to those lowly primitives. [[spoiler: But they aren't openly malicious and a man suffering from disfigurement and paralysis comes to appreciate the amenities they offer]].
** The colonists in "A Taste of Armageddon" might have been ''trying'' for this, although their "togas" are a bit stylized and topped by truly stupid hats. They tried to "civilize" war by making it a simulation (but with real casualties), which did away with any incentive to actually ''end'' wars.
** "The Cloud Minders" from the third season gave us the Startoses, who had artists and scholars living in a shiny clean floating city in the clouds, while the Troglytes did all the hard labor in the mines below.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The first season featured civilians wearing togas and a future Paris with crystal spire-like buildings. Very quickly this look was abandoned for the industrial look that the rest of the franchise has embraced.

* ''Series/WonderWoman'': All the immortal Amazons from Paradise Island wear multicolor vaporous dresses and use bows and arrows even though they live in an AdvancedAncientAcropolis.

* Neo Babylon area in ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}'' 2 is an amazing combination of motives of the ancient Babylon culture and sophisticated futuristic technologies that harmoniously complement each other, which, however, ''[[EverythingTryingToKillYou definitely does not make life easier for the player]]''.

Any society with Crystal Spires and Togas holds a high chance of being ruled by [[ThePhilosopherKing Philosopher Kings]], and populated with PerfectPacifistPeople (or aliens, as the case may be) or a ProudScholarRace that require others (namely TheHero and his [[TheSquad squad)]] to [[SuicidalPacifism take up arms for them]]. Occasionally they [[TheAgeOfMyth occur in the past]], ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway, since decimated by some catastrophe with perhaps a single surviving AdvancedAncientAcropolis. {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s are not the same thing, but, as beings who can do anything with no apparent devices, they could be a logical outcome. [[HarmonyVersusDiscipline Thematically]] it may play [[DecadeDissonance opposite number]] to a society in MedievalStasis. A common subversion has this kind of atmosphere only for the rich and powerful, while everyone else lives in a UsedFuture.

* The infamous anti Mormon [[DocumentaryOfLies "documentary"]] ''The God Makers'' features an animated segment that utilizes this trope, which focuses on the Star of Kolob and other idiosyncratic Mormon doctrines. The film is generally considered [[DanBrowned ill informed]] at best and defamatory at worst and today [[MemeticMutation most only know it]] because the animated segment is a WebAnimation/YouTubePoop staple.

* According to ''Webcomic/DresdenCodak'', [[http://www.dresdencodak.com/cartoons/dc_015.htm this happened in Maralinga, in 1956.]]

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': Numenor, with its Byzantine and Greco-Roman architecture and toga-like attire for the upper classes fits nicely into this trope. Additionally, the elven kingdoms have a touch of it as well, with Gil-Galad sporting a Roman style toga and crown.

Any society with Crystal Spires and Togas holds a high chance of being ruled by [[ThePhilosopherKing Philosopher Kings]], and populated with PerfectPacifistPeople (or aliens, as the case may be) and requires others (namely TheHero and his [[TheSquad squad)]] to [[SuicidalPacifism take up arms for them]]. Occasionally they [[TheAgeOfMyth occur in the past]], ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarAway, since decimated by some catastrophe with perhaps a single surviving AdvancedAncientAcropolis. {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s are not the same thing, but as beings who can do anything with no apparent devices, they could be a logical outcome. [[HarmonyVersusDiscipline Thematically]] it may play [[DecadeDissonance opposite number]] to a society in MedievalStasis. A common subversion has this kind of atmosphere only for the rich and powerful, while everyone else lives in a UsedFuture.

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower: Numenor, with its Byzantine and Greco-Roman architecture and toga-like attire for the upper classes fits nicely into this trope. Additionally, the elven kingdoms have a touch of it as well, with Gil-Galad sporting a Roman style toga and crown.

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRings:TheRingsOfPower: Numenor, with its Byzantine and Greco-Roman architecture and toga-like attire for the upper classes fits nicely into this trope. Additionally, the elven kingdoms have a touch of it as well, with Gil-Galad sporting a Roman style toga and crown.

* Olympus from ''Anime/{{Appleseed}}'' is a classic example. At least to the outside.

%%* The aliens in ''Anime/FantasticChildren''.

** The Allagan Empire from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' is the Posthumous version. A large technologically advanced empire, complete with a literal Crystal Spire. It's also a deconstruction, for their advancements allowed them to live in comfort and [[AndManGrewProud hubris]] to the point of decay and it was eventuality buried by a large-scale earthquake, leaving only a large satellite/evil-sealing can, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII a Crystal Tower'', and a small floating abandoned research facility.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' universe has the Chozo, an advanced race of terrestrial birds who eventually became so intelligent they developed telepathic abilities. After their technology reached its peak most of them chose to become space hippies, living in harmony with nature where they could seek greater spiritual enlightenment. Most of the ruins they left behind are made stone and what little advanced technology there is seems to be designed to blend in with the surroundings.

* The ''LightNovel/VampireHunterD'' novels mention a rare example of a post-Crystal Spires and Togas UsedFuture: the capital city, built out of crystal by the Vampires and then fallen into disrepair once they were driven out.

** ''[[Film/BlackPanther2018 Black Panther]]'' crosses this trope with AfroFuturism. Wakanda is the most technologically advanced country on the planet, while resembling bronze age Central Africa.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': while the original trilogy has a UsedFuture aesthetic, there are flourishes of this trope, most notably in the robes of Jedi (you might call it an [[ElegantWeaponForAMoreCivilizedAge elegant aesthetic for a more civilised age]]). The prequel trilogy use it more, before the EvilEmpire took over. Coruscant, Naboo, and Alderaan (until it gets [[PlanetDestroyer blown up]]) are particular examples.
* The 1978 ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie and its sequels invoke this trope with Krypton (and Argo City in the spinoff ''Film/{{Supergirl}}''). Krypton's spires are giant crystals. The walls are made of crystal. The canyons are lined with crystal. The clothes are made of some form of wearable, highly-reflective crystal. But, because so little of Kryptonian society is glimpsed, it is left up to the viewer's interpretation whether this is a utopia or a dystopia.

* The infamous anti Mormon [[DocumentaryOfLies "documentary"]] The God Makers features an animated segment that utilizes this trope, which focuses on the Star of Kolob and other idiosyncratic Mormon doctrines. The film is generally considered [[DanBrowned ill informed]] at best and defamatory at worst and today [[MemeticMutation most only know it]] because the animated segment is a WebAnimation/YouTubePoop staple.

** It should be noted that the Pemalites were designed by God, aka The Ellimist, to be that way. The Iskoort have architecture that's more like legos and they have spires because the ground is generally too marshy to build on. The Andalites had cities, but because they're basically herd animals, they hated them.

* ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'': In the anime, [[spoiler:it is implied that one of these is responsible for the robot combats that are destroying universes, gathering the energy gained from them or something-the anime isn't exactly as deep as the manga...]]