Re-Uses of the Barkonian Village Set
by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider
A Barkonian village was built for TNG: "Thine Own Self". It remained in use for a short time during the seventh season of TNG and the second season of DS9 and was shown in four more episodes until it was probably ultimately demolished. We could see the village in the following episodes:
1. Barkonian village (TNG: "Thine Own Self")
2. Yaderan (holographic) village (DS9: "Shadowplay")
3. Indian village on Dorvan V (TNG: "Journey's End")
4. Maranga IV colony (TNG: "Firstborn")
5. Maquis colony on Ronara (TNG: "Preemptive Strike")
The village was quite extensively modified each time with more than just new paint or new surface structures. Yet, some of its basic features always stayed the same. The staircase on the northern side and the diagonal building on the western end can be seen in the first four episodes. These are not immediately identifiable in "Preemptive Strike" any longer, but the TNG Companion confirms that we are still looking at the same set.
The following sketch serves to identify the main portions of the set. It is not exactly to scale. In order to allow a consistent description, we arbitrarily posit that the stairs are located at the northern end of the set.
Floorplan of the Barkonian village set
Analysis
Barkonian village
In TNG: "Thine Own Self" Data walks down the stairway at the northern end when he initially enters the village. The stairs are the probably most recognizable structure of the set. On the right side of the stairs on the ground level we can see a round arch. Still more to the right a portion of a building sticks out from the corner. Its roof is covered with clay tiles. On the left side of the stairs Skoran's blacksmith store is located. Looking in northern direction, the store is obscured by a large round arch and another roof with clay tiles. This building appears to be rectangular, but is turned by about 45 degrees relative to most of the rest of the set. The draw well can be found on the southern wall and is enframed by two stone columns. To the right there is another round arch. Around the corner, on the western side wall, we can make out a few small shops and the already mentioned 45° wall with the big arch. On the opposite side there is a canopy for the school class.
Overall, the village square is essentially a rectangle, with the stairs and the draw well located on the two opposite narrow sides.
Yaderan (holographic) village
The next time we see the village is in DS9: "Shadowplay". Here we can see the stairway once again. Its lower platform was modified, however. The arch beside the stairs is still there, as is the protruding building in the northeast corner. The roof covering is different now, but the general shape of the roof is still the same. Also the oriel on the left side of this building is still like it was in "Thine Own Self". The roof of the former school room was removed, effectively enlarging the square. It was replaced with a bench and illuminated flower tubs inside a rectangular wall indentation. Instead of Skoran's former blacksmith shop we can now find a number of chairs and tables in the northwestern corner. The 45° wall with the big arch is still there as well, only the roof covering was altered. A few sloping struts were added that seem to support the building walls. The southern half of the set is dominated by Rurigan's hologenerator.
Curiously shots with the bench on the east wall were mirror-inverted on two occasions in the episode. We can tell that because the set is not actually symmetric. For instance, the same side of the hologenerator with three black/yellow fields points to the bench, which is located on the left in one shot (correct) and on the right in the other shot (inverted).
Indian village on Dorvan V
The next time we see the village square is in TNG: "Journey's End". Overall the set looks less sophisticated here. The brown wooden door in the southern wall is about in the same place where the draw well was located in "Thine Own Self". It is flanked by two wall struts. The round arch to the right is still the same as in "Thine Own Self". The building now has a second level. On the northern side of the set we can see the staircase once more. The lower part of the stairs was modified once again. The arch to its right and the protruding corner building are still essentially the same. However, the latter does not have a sloped roof any longer. There is now a ladder leading up to the new flat roof. Behind the ladder there is still a door to enter the house. The oriel is gone and was reduced to a simple angular window opening. Another window was added half a level below the first one. In the place of the school room of "Thine Own Self" and of the bench of "Shadowplay" there is now a simple brown brick wall. An interesting feature, however, is a light blue sloped column with several yellow ornaments. The column was already present in Rurigan's holovillage but then just drab and without any raised details. The 45° building on the opposite side is still there, as is the corner where the blacksmith store was located. We can see several stairs and doors that were added in this region of the set.
Maranga IV colony
Just one episode later the set appears in TNG: "Firstborn", now radically altered. The steep staircase is still recognizable. It is now located behind an asymmetric arch with beveled edges. The arch next to the stairway was customized in the same fashion. The protruding building on the right is still present, but without any visible windows or doors. Some furnace or reactor now occupies the corner of the former blacksmith. The big arch protruding from the western wall is not round any longer but "Klingon Gothic" style. A gangway above this arch seems to run across the whole set from west to east. There must be a second arch of a similar yet not quite the same pattern south of this first one. A massive sloped column was placed almost in the center of the square. At the southern end we can see a couple of Klingon flags, about where the draw well was in "Thine Own Self". This is where the entrance of the Maranga holoprogram is located too.
Maquis colony on Ronara
In TNG: "Preemptive Strike" it is possible to recognize the place where the stairway was located in the northern wall, but it was replaced with a door. The beveled door frame is still the same as on its previous appearance on Maranga IV. The pattern on the door is familiar as well, because the doors are re-used from Yadera in DS9: "Shadowplay". Once again there is an arch right of the former stairway, and a building sticks out from the right corner.
Other than that, the set was extensively modified. It appears to be much wider, which may have been accomplished by moving the wall on the eastern or on both sides. In the southwestern corner, where the small shops could be found in "Thine Own Self", we can see a replicator restaurant. The entrance is apparently where the second big arch was located in "Firstborn". The first arch, as it appeared in all four episodes so far, is now reduced to a simple horizontal overhead bar.
See Also
Re-Used Building Interiors - single walls, full sets
Credits
Most HD screen caps from TrekCore. We like to thank Lee Sherman, who spotted the blue column that is visible in "Journey's End" as well as in "Shadowplay".
