Village Church

[Haltiamieli]

Ever since I started to build my own humble Lego village, it was obvious that sooner or later I need to add a church into the mix. It's such an integral part of stereotypical medieval life (unless you are doing a fantasy scenario). And as they won't release any official Lego church in the foreseeable future, it was necessary to design one myself. I wanted a rather dark and imposing, slightly gothic building, so about two years ago I began collecting dark bley pieces and other parts I thought I might need. Finally, on a random night last September, I started to build and in the morning I had a rough model ready, just missing a lot of roof pieces and a few other parts. It was much smaller than I had initially planned, but still easily the biggest thing I've made out of Lego. After that night the church has mostly just sat on my shelf collecting dust, until I finally managed to bricklink the last parts it needed a while ago. Apart from finishing the roof I did quite a lot of renevations, and now I think the building is more or less finished. For time being. Some day I'm gonna elongate the building with one pair of additional windows... and a few brick bricks here and there might look nice. I have yet to acquire any in dark bley.

On to the pictures:

For the bell in the top of the tower, I used a silver-coloured Belville basket. The chain is for "ringing" it, even if they are actually just hanging there next to each other with no real mechanism:

Below is a small storage room. Though I have to question whether it's wise to store glass bottles on a narrow shelf just under the bell?

Part of the front of the tower is hinged so that you can access the room below, which is a study with a chest for church treasures and a writing desk (but wait, there's actually no window in this room... oops). You can also see the end of the chain mentioned above. From the study minifigs can walk through the door to the balcony above the main hall.

I didn't manage to take a good picture of the balcony, only this dark one with half the roof still intact. What you can see better than the balcony is one of the two candeliers that light the hall.

So what about the actual hall? Maybe we should first peek in from the direction that the minifigs use, the main doors. Actually the view is a bit different than it should be for minifigs, but I hope it is not too obvious why.

This is the view from the opposite direction, with the back wall removed. Apparently some think that the sermon is rather dull.

Now the insides with the balcony and both parts of the roof removed.

Here's the pulpit and the altar by themselves. I'm rather pleased with how the pulpit turned out. First time I used this technique for spiral stairs. In the beginning I used a much simpler stone platform, but was never really satisfied with it. Under the baptismal font and the pulpit, both removable of course, are the resting places of a Black Falcon king and his loyal knight. This picture was taken right after the first all-nighter building session and much that you see has changed since then, but the graves themselves have stayed the same.

I'm also building terrain around the church, but it's only halfway ready and I have just one picture which doesn't show much. Also, as you can see, this picture is quite old. The tower roof is still missing six corner slopes and the tower itself is around 4 bricks shorter, with no removable top.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Haltiamieli

[Faefrost]

That is wonderful. I love the effect that you got with the stained glass window and the cross. And so many amazing details.

[Andy D]

This is just fantastic! I don't know where too start, the size, the details like the stained glass the cross, or where. Too much to take in in one look. I'll be back.

Andy D

[Simon_S]

Good work ! I love the whole build, especially the plant, which breaks up the grey wall perfectly! It's also cool that you built interiors (I'm usually to lazy to do it ). Have a nice day!

[Maxim I]

A really nice church!!!

I have to congratulate you for the historic correct details!

Also a beautifull stonemade cross on the tower!!

And the 2 graves are wonderfull

[large88]

Wow, that looks great! I like all the details on the inside

[soccerkid6]

Excellent medieval church, the interior is fantastic

[ZCerberus]

Very nice. Great work.

[Teh Stud]

That is awesome! Love the bell, chain, three tower levels, pulpit, interior... Those are always my favorite parts.

Where are the graves, btw?

[Watchman]

Excellent work. Love the pulpit - may need to copy that - so simple, yet perfect

[Sigolf Brimabane]

Really nice one, hyvää! x) I love the building techniques. The interior and glass window are great :) Maybe you could set the build on fire? :D

Is that Kalevala in the shelf? Thought I saw Lönnrot to the right.

[Kayne]

Wow, this thing is packed with awesomeness inside there! Great job on the pulpit

[Haltiamieli]

Maybe you could set the build on fire? :D

No no! I'm not Norwegian, you know. Nor am I Siercon and Coral (though when it comes to building skills and resources, I wish I was).

Is that Kalevala in the shelf? Thought I saw Lönnrot to the right.

Good eyes. That's actually "Lönnrot ja Kalevala", a book about Lönnrot and the making of Kalevala. Kalevala itself is on an upper shelf outside the picture.

[Sigolf Brimabane]

No no! I'm not Norwegian, you know. Nor am I Siercon and Coral (though when it comes to building skills and resources, I wish I was).

Good eyes. That's actually "Lönnrot ja Kalevala", a book about Lönnrot and the making of Kalevala. Kalevala itself is on an upper shelf outside the picture.

Haha x) It is great either way, the scribe's little room is nice. Is he also the one who rings the bell? :)

I wish I had read the whole of Kalevala that time when I borrowed it from a friend x) And bought it that time when it was available at the old book store... I only read half :/ Translated into Swedish though, of course. We learn no Finnish in your western sister country x) Finn <3 Svea (xD)

What really was Sampo? I never got that... Was it a weapon or...? Väinämöinen is so cool (especially on Ensiferum's album covers).

Edited January 15, 2013 by Sigolf Brimabane

[Haltiamieli]

Is he also the one who rings the bell? :)

I suppose so. Though I think there should be at least two monks working in the church, I just haven't got more than one Gandalf yet. Luckily there's more to come.

I wish I had read the whole of Kalevala that time when I borrowed it from a friend x) And bought it that time when it was available at the old book store... I only read half :/

Actually that's more than I can say, I haven't really read Kalevala except parts from here and there (and I haven't read that book on Lönnrot either, it's just waiting on my bookshelf like so many other books).

What really was Sampo? I never got that... Was it a weapon or...?

Well, it's rather vague or has many meanings in the Finnish mythology at large (mostly forgotten now, of course), but in Kalevala it is quite well defined as a movable mill that grinds riches (grain, gold and salt) out of nothing. Nice thing to own on these cold shores where famine was never far away.

[Haltiamieli]

I managed to build some surroundings for the church, so I thought I could present some pictures here. No graveyard yet, though.

In addition to the church the scene includes two buildings I've already presented before on EB: "a slightly larger Mitgardian homestead" and a medieval butcher shop. The chicken coop is an older building too, but previously unseen on EB. So the market stalls and the terrain are actually the only really new things here.

An overview.

The market place: vegetables, bakery products and hokey magical stuff from Madame Magica.

The butcher's chicken coop.

Another viewpoint. The church turned out to be standing a rocky knoll.

Yet another viewpoint.

Yet another... okay, maybe I just shut up.

Pictures in Flickr (with one bonus picture! Wohou!)

[soccerkid6]

Very nice incorporation of all your buildings into a landscape

You still plan to add on to the layout?

[Nefarious]

Very nice design. The surroundings work well as a village center and the chicken coop is just wonderful. :)

[Brickington]

This is a great layout! The the church is amazing! And with the layout it's incredible! I like how you made the scene realistic and didn't stuff soldiers all around it.

[Mr_Malfoy]

Incredible MOC! A great village surrounding a gorgeous church? I love it!

[Infernum]

Great looking layout! So many great details!

[Ludzik]

This is an amazing building!

[Haltiamieli]

You still plan to add on to the layout?

Yes and no. I built this specific layout mainly for a coming exhibition, where it will be a tiny part of our LUG's humongous modular city - I just have to change the populace to modern and make some other small accommodations towards modern age (like a rubbish bin on the corner of the butcher shop etc.). In addition to what's seen above there will also be a thin (16 studs) strip of unbuilt land behind the butcher shop and the church, acting as a border between me and my neighbour. I already sketched part of it, but it is still just taking shape:

In the long run I suspect most of this layout will change when I build and expand my village. The open area in front of the church will be larger and there will be a bit more urban houses around it. Rural things like the chicken coop will not stay forever in the immediate vicinity of the church. :)

And when the city watch get their headquarters building, there will be a bit more soldiers on the streets... but they will not surpass the civilian population.

[vestige81]

The village is looking great! Everything seems to fit together very nicely.

[Captain Becker]

Thats just awesome work there Haltiamieli! Now iseriosly want one church like that to myself!

Captain Becker