When the asura make things, it’s not as much an exercise of craft or dexterity as it is an act of will—ambition made manifest in stone and metal. Every asuran artifact bears the imprint of their ancient masters of elemental energies. Blind adherents to ancient traditions, however, they are not: if something can be done better, they’re on it yesterday.

Our designs for asuran architecture draw heavily from ancient Hindu temples: massive stone columns, intricate, masterful carvings, and a sense of being inside a mountain. I have a particular fascination with architectural spaces that are defined by massive forms, and this plays in perfectly with the asuran penchant for flexing their mastery of stone. As well as carving it, they imbue stone with (or coax out of latency) a vital energy to do their bidding—be that a battling golem, an energy-multiplying pyramid, or a floating drink coaster.

http://www.arena.net/blog/ambition-on-a-grand-scale-matt-barrett-talks-asura-environment-art