Mpya Stedor Palace

[Maxim I]

---------------------------------- Result: MOC Mpya Stedor Palace ----------------------------------------

finally I managed to complete the palace with the interior

Ladies and Gentlemen of Historica and all the other continents all over the world, I, Lord Damaximus, present to you the palace of Mpya Stedor:

Some people are watching over the inner bay of Mpya Stedor

Left to right: Sir Gah Rydog, Lord Damaximus, Sir Max Samu & Sir Bendeximus

Some Royal Guards (with crossbow)

Some princesses (also at the opposite side of the palace)

wich you can see here

But let's take a look inside the palace, where there is a lot of activity going on (note: here the palace is without the removable innerpart)

The cooks are making the dinner and the waiters are refilling the goblets with some fine bear

The haremgirls are swimming and talking about all girlstuff, too bad for the guards

Here you see the innerpart of the palace.

Groundfloor: Throneroom

First floor: Dinner and Ballroom

Second floor: Soldiers Room

Third floor: Lord's suite

Roof: nothing but a roof

And here we see everything attached

First of all sorry for the amount of pictures

Second: C&C is always welcome

Third: don't forget to participate in the Mpya Stedor Archery Tournament! ==> link

---------------------------------- Previous: the LDD model ----------------------------------------

blablablabla

also blablablabla about the interior and colours

more blablablabla

=> The first plans can be found in a few posts further.

Edited March 21, 2012 by DaMaximus

[NiceMarmot]

Wow. Looks very cool, and if you're a noob, you're still a lot better at LDD than I am. Love the color scheme too.

Here are some ideas. Feel free to discard.

• You might want to make the ground level a bit higher. Looks like it's six bricks high, which is not very high for palace. Making it higher will give you more room for ornamentation and so forth
  
• I have recently played around with recessing those arched windows in a larger arch, and it looks good. Might help make the exterior more ornate.
  
• I usually build the parapet a brick or two higher. Looks like you've got one solid brick layer, with a castellated layer above it. Since one brick is probably about 1.25 to 1.5 feet high, that makes for a parapet of 2.5 to 3 feet, which is pretty low, and hard to hide behind (you'd have to duck down to cover yourself). For a castle I usually do two full brick layers plus two castellated layers for full protection. For a palace, which might not need such strong defenses, perhaps one full brick layer, one castellated layer, and then put two cheese wedges on top of each castellation? That makes it a bit higher, plus more stylized.
  
• Have you considered a small tower in the center of the top level sticking up several levels? Might look good.
  
• Consider breaking up the smoothness of the outside wall a bit. Maybe make the tan layer at the bottom stick out one stud. Or using inverted 2x2 slopes every four studs in the tan layer just below the white flooring to make the parapet stick out one stud from the walls below.
  

Good luck! And looking forward to seeing more iterations!

[Maxim I]

Wow. Looks very cool, and if you're a noob, you're still a lot better at LDD than I am. Love the color scheme too.

Here are some ideas. Feel free to discard.

• You might want to make the ground level a bit higher. Looks like it's six bricks high, which is not very high for palace. Making it higher will give you more room for ornamentation and so forth
• I have recently played around with recessing those arched windows in a larger arch, and it looks good. Might help make the exterior more ornate.
• I usually build the parapet a brick or two higher. Looks like you've got one solid brick layer, with a castellated layer above it. Since one brick is probably about 1.25 to 1.5 feet high, that makes for a parapet of 2.5 to 3 feet, which is pretty low, and hard to hide behind (you'd have to duck down to cover yourself). For a castle I usually do two full brick layers plus two castellated layers for full protection. For a palace, which might not need such strong defenses, perhaps one full brick layer, one castellated layer, and then put two cheese wedges on top of each castellation? That makes it a bit higher, plus more stylized.
• Have you considered a small tower in the center of the top level sticking up several levels? Might look good.
• Consider breaking up the smoothness of the outside wall a bit. Maybe make the tan layer at the bottom stick out one stud. Or using inverted 2x2 slopes every four studs in the tan layer just below the white flooring to make the parapet stick out one stud from the walls below.

Good luck! And looking forward to seeing more iterations!

Thx, back in Highschool, I followed Architectural Education every Saturday morning (extra study)

=> I'll try that out asap and will see what the result is and how I'll deal with the stairs

=> what you mean with recessing the arched windows in a larger arch?. You got some picture of it perhaps?

=> Since I am a little boy, I always made the parapet one brick and then one brick castellated layer But I like the idea of putting cheese wedges on top, so I think I'll do that. (now I am trying to imagine wich colour I'll use for that, probably gold as there are thousands of them on bricklinkg and a palace may have some gold on it)

=> I considered building a tower on it as that always looks nicer, but I am not sure how to do it as I haven't mastered yet the skill of making rounds but, I'll try some ideas first and I'll see where it takes me :)

=> before my palace, I designed the citywalls with LDD and there I am using the inverted slopes. (But I will have to do it again as I made everything the same colour there )

I'll give the adaption of your remarks a try and will post the pictures in this post :)

Thx for the answer!

[ZCerberus]

I was going to say just about everything NiceMarmot said.

Only other thing I would add is maybe adding an inverted slope on the top row of each level to add more support to the next level up.

I think the idea of recessing the windows into larger arches can be seen on the two windows in the middle here...

You can also an example of NiceMarmot's suggestion for adding the inverted slopes to push the parapet out from the rest of the wall.

ignore my gross big toe please.

[CptMugwash]

I agree with what NM said, but I've got an idea about changing the building itself, what about making the 1st floor the same width as the ground one 32x32, for variation in the wall try doing something similar to the modular buildings with tiles on headlight bricks, not too difficult me thinks, on top of the palace a short tower possibly 8x8? with that round thing from pop then 4 other towers 4x4 using these or these and on top these, in either white or the multifaceted chrome gold ones. Anyways that's my idea and think it'd have a more middle easterny feel. Domes = middle easterny/indiany/exoticy also those pop arches, these ones . A few ideas there using bricks to get a feel, also a courtyard maybes as an extension with either a fountain, tree, or statue as centre piece, with flowers and stuff, maybes a bit of overgrowth on the palace to give it a kind of aged look.

Cheers.

[NiceMarmot]

Yes, ZCerberus, that's exactly what I meant by recessing the windows in an arch. Either round arches like your photo or the PoP arches, which are really Persian/Middle-Eastern looking.

And I really like those small white domes ; don't think I've ever seen them before -- going to have to get some. Too bad they're so $$. Or you could use the PoP dome pieces , which are less expensive but you need four.

tiles on headlight bricks,

That's a great look, but it does use up a ton of headlight bricks!

[Maxim I]

Original plans:

=> The front

=> The back

Details:

- 32x32

- The floors are easy removable so I have acces to almost every corner.

- there is a great possibility I'll use golden round plates (1x1) instead of tan (for the pillars)

- Interior will be done afterwards

- groundfloor: hall: throne, harem, couches, ...

- 1st floor: guards floor: some beds, weaponholders, ...

- 2nd floor: Lords chamber with bed, maps, desk, ...

- Legoprice: 155€ => So I aim for 50€

- biggest difficulty to find: windows, so maybe I'll make walls of some of them...

So remarks are more than welcome! (Positive as negative)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After feedback:

Thx for the replies!

I started all over again and tried to adapt your suggestions in it and this is the result: (to be honest, I had something before this design too, but I gave up that thing as it was becoming chaotic)

=> 4 levels in total

=> interior will be done after it's finished and would be according like this:

Ground floor: hall, swimmingpool (harem), stairs, throne, benches

First floor: kitchen, large dining table, benches

Second floor: beds, weaponstocks, ... => Guards room

Third floor: Lords bedroom with bed and all other sleepingroom stuff

All floors will be connected through stairs.

=> colours: white and tan

There is a big part (with the stairs for example) that is not connected with the building. So I can take this out and put it back in afterwards.

Once that part is in the MOC, it looks like this (without interior). As you can see, there are large pillars to make it look more real (and to hold the plates together )

Some more details:

- Around 2070 bricks!!!!

- 32x32 but in total it will be something like 34x34 (as some parts are comming out)

Feedback is again welcome! But I don't promise I am adapting it again as I am studying for my exams ;)

Edited January 18, 2012 by DaMaximus

[CptMugwash]

I think the multifaceted domes are cheaper then the smooth white ones. Anyways I still think it has a middle easterny feel with or without the domes, I do like the use of the cylinders, it's certainly an improvement, much more detail good job, look forward to seeing it in bricks

[ZCerberus]

The second version is certainly more interesting. That is a GREAT job of adapting your design based on the feedback you got. Bravo!

The only thing I would try is to not make every level look more or less the same. A little variety around windows or stretches where there are no windows etc. could help break up the repetition I see and make the MOC more interesting!

[Maxim I]

I have ordered almost all materials! Hope to have them next week (I only buy stuff in Belgium). Firstly I planned to make the windowspaces empty, but for one order I had to reach 10€, so while looking for other bricks to reach that amount, I found exactly 36 golden windows for 0.05 Euro each (woooohoo...oooow!!).

As I am not planning to demolish afterwards, I think I'll make the next 3 months only basicbuildings with the bricks I got ^^.

@Zcerbus, it's possible I do some small changes while I am building, but that will depend on the conditions of the bricks

[Maxim I]

As I got already received some bricks, but far not away all:

work in progress:

Right wall, groundfloor part (without windows)

Well, my harem couldn't wait to swim, so the pool is already built ^^

Also my throne (gold with (dark)blue and red), some fountains and the start of the cylinders!

and as primeur: my character:

Lord Damaximus, master of Mpya Stedor

(cape is the cape of Emperor Chang Wu, black helmet with darkblue/black/red plume)

[Maxim I]

Ladies and Gentlemen, with proud I present to you:

MPYA STEDOR PALACE

First: Go to the first post to see the rest of it ==> link

Second: C&C is always welcome

Third: don't forget to participate in the Mpya Stedor Archery Tournament! First price will be 15€! ==> link

[NiceMarmot]

Impressive. Quite large! With lots of nice vignettes inside.

I think the window treatments with the arches and cylinders turned out quite well btw. And the color scheme is spot-on.

And I really like those cups up on the roof with the cones set into them; great architectural detail that I might have to borrow for a future build...

[Cij Daoke]

This is an awesome build, and is very nice to see how you took attention for improving it with th inputs the guys gave you!

Your palace is great and I will surely send one of my best archers to take place into Mpya Stedor's tournament!

[Maxim I]

Impressive. Quite large! With lots of nice vignettes inside.

I think the window treatments with the arches and cylinders turned out quite well btw. And the color scheme is spot-on.

And I really like those cups up on the roof with the cones set into them; great architectural detail that I might have to borrow for a future build...

The arches and cilinders are something I came up with when visiting a church at Christmas. As I live in Flanders, most of them are more than 500 years old and it's very amazing how many nice technics and new details you can copy from them

Of course you may use the cups Together with the parts of my City Wall, I bought hundreds of golden bricks and started combining them

This is an awesome build, and is very nice to see how you took attention for improving it with th inputs the guys gave you!

Your palace is great and I will surely send one of my best archers to take place into Mpya Stedor's tournament!

We are looking forward to see him and match our skills!

@both:

thx for the words!

[Captain BeerBeard]

That's pretty impressive! You sure used a lot of my favorite LEGO color. I wish the interior had more detail but it was still fun to look at. Good job on this.

[Rogue Angel]

Great job on this! I love uniformity to the front, and the details for the alcoves. I also like all the activity on the inside, but I'm inclined to agree with Beerbeard in that the back ends of the interior plates have nothing going on. Maybe some balconies on the interior courtyard? Just a thought.

[Gabe]

Great work DaMaximus, i always admire those who plan out thier builds in LDD beforehand - so orginised! I like the repeating arches on the exterior walls, they look very effective in white and tan, with the topping gold embellishments. The sliding centre section to gain access to the interiors is an interesting idea too. Some things which i would suggest for the future might be to make the main entrance a little bigger or more ornate - it looks a little plain as it is and it doesn't look as though it has a door even! Also, the view from the back makes the floors look a little thin (only one plate thick) - you can bulk them up by bracing them bewteen the pillars with those large arch pieces - i find the 1x12x3 arches really useful for this and they come in white too!

I really like the life of your palace too btw - it's great to see the little scenes in the bathhouse and the kitchens etc. Good stuff!