mokka Posted February 14 Posted February 14 (edited) Dear All, After almost 4 years I just finished building a scale model of the Frauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady"), located in Dresden / Saxony. This baroque church was built from 1726 until 1743, destroyed at the end of World War II and rebuilt from 1993 until 2005. MOC data: Dimensions: 0,93 m length x 0,78 m width x 1,72 m height Baseplate: 144 studs x 128 studs Estimated number of LEGO parts: 100 k to 125 k Estimated weight: 80 kg to 100 kg Building time: 3000 h approx. including research and parts procurement. No CAD was involved for the build - just trial and error and a few sketches. Dark-colored bricks represent re-used stones and ruin walls. Southeast view: - clock tower (left) - south facade (completely rebuilt) - apse (ruin) Northwest view: - staircase (ruin) - west facade with old gable section Southeast street level view: - 1 of 7 entrance doors - 3 of 18 large windows Northeast aerial view: - hidden rain water gully - copper plate covering (dark bluish gray) - lead plate covering (light bluish gray) West aerial view: - transition from square to circular outline - false balustrade - main dome - dormer windows - lantern with visitors' plattform - cross The MOC is built in modules with full interior. I will post further pictures soon. Greetings, Justus Edited February 20 by mokka Pictures enlarged Quote
MKJoshA Posted February 14 Posted February 14 Wow, what a great way to hit the Eurobricks scene. Fantastic building. Quote
_TLG_ Posted February 14 Posted February 14 Awesome, and the real one is really nice as well :) Quote
Elysiumfountain Posted February 14 Posted February 14 I am speechless. WOW. All those curves and angles look amazing! There's just so many cool techniques here. Great job! Quote
Shiva Posted February 14 Posted February 14 I can't say more than that I agree with the previous posters. Quote
mokka Posted February 15 Author Posted February 15 (edited) Hello again, Thank you all for the warm welcome and your appreciation of my build. What a great surprise to find it on the front page this morning - Thank you very much @MKJoshA! As promised, here are the pictures of the interior: View into the nave: - pillar octagon - galleries - chancel (apse removed) Chancel, view from the upper gallery: - pulpit - jube - baptistry - confessional boxes - altar - organ Close-up of altar and organ: View from the organ balcony: - southeast tower staircase - chorus stand The Frauenkirche has been designed as a concert hall with excellent acoustics. Galleries: Most seats provide direct view towards the chancel. Inner dome - roof arches - pendentive (transition from pillar octagon to inner dome circuit) - inner dome "Stone-made Heaven" - inner dome - ceiling painting - light I hope you liked this short tour. If you are interested, then I would like to add some posts in the weeks to come, showing the major steps of the build and some of the techniques used. Greetings, Justus Edited February 15 by mokka Quote
MKJoshA Posted February 15 Posted February 15 I for one would love to see more photos. There are some fantastic techniques at work here. Quote
BarfolomewMog Posted February 15 Posted February 15 This must have been a true test of your patience! Beautifully done! Quote
LL1982 Posted February 15 Posted February 15 The exterior was already impressive, but how it looks inside is gorgeous. Not seeing any weird bricks for support or such. Just a beautiful organ and interior welving. 👌 Quote
Shiva Posted February 16 Posted February 16 Thank you for the tour :) More photos? yes, that would be interesting. Quote
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted February 16 Posted February 16 Stunning cathedral! Just reading the weight and height specifications gives you an idea of the significance of this work. The photo from above of the dome, which captures the entrance, is incredibly realistic. Quote
SNIPE Posted February 17 Posted February 17 (edited) I've seen a lot in my 34 years of being a lego fan. A hell of a lot. This without question is one of the 10 best LEGO buildings I've seen. Edited February 17 by SNIPE Quote
arieben Posted February 17 Posted February 17 just jaw dropping. absolutely spectacular. thank you for sharing!! and i agree with SNIPE!! Quote
EVE Posted February 21 Posted February 21 The roof is a geometric miracle. I can't believe how seamlessly those curves fit together. Incredible build! Quote
Yperio_Bricks Posted February 22 Posted February 22 This is truely a masterpiece I am speechless! Quote
rjr Posted February 28 Posted February 28 (edited) Simply amazIng, whar a masterpiece! Edited February 28 by rjr Quote
mokka Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 (edited) Dear All, Thanks a lot for your very positive feedback. It's my pleasure to continue this thread. Right now the model is dismantled to prepare transport to an exhibition in early May. A good opportunity to show the basic modular structure of the nave. Overall layout Facade modules B - D - F - H Two walls connect each pillar to the outside wall, forming a stable frame. The staircase towers A - C - E - G slide into the diagonal gaps. Modules B - D - F Openings in the staircase tower walls lead to circuits on the gallery levels. Module interface northeast tower G - facade H - staircase and elevator sliding doors - balconies for visitors ("beehive wall") provide direct view into the chancel Module interface southwest tower C - west facade D Southwest staircase C - removable facade - double-flight stairs South facade B - removable center projection - entrance hall with access to nave and basement - conference room in first floor - galleries - cloak room in third floor - arched roof I hope, that these pictures have given you some insight into the structure. Greetings Justus Edited March 11 by mokka Quote
mokka Posted March 20 Author Posted March 20 (edited) Hello Again, It's time for some details. Let's start with the seats and galleries. Each seat element consists of plates, bricks and jumpers. The seats can be placed at the same level (nave) or in ascending rows (galleries). Back rests and railings are formed by tiles, fixed with brackets or SNOT bricks. The clear distance between the tiles is a little more than 2,5 studs - enough space to sit down. The brick-built figures are between 9 plates and 11 plates tall, corresponding to a 1,55 m to 1,90 m range in 1 : 54 scale. This matches well the typical size of adults. Some elements are offset or become wider towards the outside. These wedges can be arranged in curved rows with only small gaps in between. A frame of wedge plates and cheese slopes holds the seat elements in place. All nave seats with surrounding frame fit onto a 48 x 48 baseplate, which facilitates transport a lot. All stairs, floors and seats are studded, thus people can walk, stand or sit on them. Floor level seats during the build: The nave is surrounded by a wall with windows and access from the 7 entrance doors A to G. The rooms behind were used by well-to-do people to keep their privacy during service or concert events. Nowadays they provide space for offices and facilities. Another ring of booths at raised level is still being used as "VIP lounges". The ring is approximated by several sections, attached to the pillars and partly connected by hinge plates. The section divisions were tricky to build, while keeping the regular pattern of ornaments and windows. Many wedge plates were needed for the floor and the roof. The roof is covered with tiles wherever possible. Unavoidable studs are hidden under spotlights. Lounge gallery completed: A circular hallway connects the staircase towers to the rooms on the lounge floor level: - booths (lounge gallery) - conference rooms (north and south) - rest rooms (west) The seats are stacked at several levels, like in a theater or opera house. Thanks to this arrangement the historic Frauenkirche held 3500 seats, crammed on a small ground surface. The rebuilt church still offers 2000 seats with more comfortable dimensions. Most of them provide direct view towards the chancel. Apart from daylight, the only source of light were chandeliers attached to the pillars. Today the nave can be illuminated by a sophisticated lighting system, e.g. during TV broadcasts. A circuit connects the staircase towers to the first gallery level. Small stairs along the pillars lead to the seat rows and the chorus stand. Most seats are located in the western half of the building (left side of the picture). Therefore, the western towers C and E have double-flight staircases to avoid crowding. On the east side, single-flight staircases are sufficient. An elevator in the northeastern tower G facilitates the ascend to the dome for visitors. The second gallery level looks similar to the first. Cloak rooms are located at the north, south and west sides. The central seat element of each section is fixed to the railing. The ends of the railing rest in recesses in the pillars. The side seat elements with the small stairs are supported by the railing and the columns of round 1x1 bricks. Looks a bit flimsy, but is sufficiently stable. No parts have been glued! The third gallery level is cut out on the north, south and west side to let as much daylight as possible shine into the nave. Steep and narrow stairs lead from the staircase towers to the seats of the third and fourth gallery. The elevation of the upper galleries is approx. 28 m above street level. That's a sportive climb, comparable to the 8th floor of a modern apartment building! Nevertheless the complete nave can be evacuated within less than 15 minutes, thanks to the four ample staircase towers. Total view of the completed seat rows: Glass separating walls shield the nave against noise and draught from the staircase towers. See you soon, Justus Edited March 27 by mokka Quote
mokka Posted March 22 Author Posted March 22 (edited) Thank you @Shiva, I'm glad you like the photos. It took a while to find the proper wedge shape of the seat elements: Their position must be well defined to get smoothly curved seat rows, but the fit must not be too tight for easy insert and removal. Looking back, it would have been easier to first try the shape with simple wedge blocks and add the seats later. Greetings, Justus Edited March 22 by mokka Quote
mokka Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 (edited) Dear All, The outer walls rose together with the seat rows. Thanks to the 1 : 54 model scale, each layer of LEGO bricks corresponds to one layer of stones in reality. After the collapse of the Frauenkirche in 1945, the apse and the northwest staircase tower remained standing as ruins. They were secured and included in the reconstructed building. Many original stones were recovered from the heap of rubble, repaired and put to their former location. Their dark colors contrast with the bright colors of the walls, built with new stones. Over the years the new sand stones will also become dark, due to chemical reactions. Yellow and black are classic LEGO colors, which are available in large bulks at cheap prices. That's why I chose them as the prevailing colors for the outside walls of my Frauenkirche model. Black and yellow are also the colors of Dresden The alternative color schemes with tan and brown or dark tan as prevailing colors would be more realistic though. The Frauenkrche has 7 entrances, labeled from A (southeast) to G (northeast). Main entrance D on the west side: Visitors pass the entrance hall on their way to the nave floor level. Office rooms are located to the right and left. North entrance F: The eastern side wall was pushed outside by the impact of the collapse. It was secured and kept in this leaning position as a reminder of the destruction. Stairs lead from the north and south entrance halls to the former catacombs at basement level. These rooms were sanctified as "Unterkirche" and already used for service and concerts while the reconstruction was still going on. Northeast entrance G: Each staircase tower has its own entrance. Entrance A and G are part of the visitors tour. Lifting ramps provide barrier-free access. 18 large windows illuminate the nave, the chancel and the staircase towers with daylight. Each window half is made of 3 x 6 transparent panels 87552. 3 panels turned to horizontal + 1 plate + 1 tile fit exactly into the 8 studs wide furrows along the window openings. The right proportions of the window framework were another reason for my selection of the 1 : 54 model scale The rounded side walls of the stair case towers and the apse are approximated with angled strips The apse walls are centered to the altar. They meet the east facade at an angle slightly bigger than 90°. Not easy to build, but important for the illusion of a half circle. Inside, the angled walls let the chancel appear bigger (deeper) than it is. The walls of the chancel module slide into furrows, thus no gaps are visible, neither inside, nor outside. The half arches above the windows on the inside and on the east facade, including the apse are built with LEGO arches. The double half arches on the other facades are brick-built to resemble the wedge-shaped structure of real arches. The LEGO flowers 30657 and 98262 serve well as ornaments for the pilaster capitals, but apart from blue they are not available in dark colors. No problem, because none of the original flower ornaments is undamaged (-: The ruin of the northwest staircase tower E is leaning to the outside. After the structural stability had been confirmed, it was secured and left in this position. The surrounding walls were built vertical. There is an offset of 25 cm at the top between the ruin walls and the new stonework (0,5 studs in model scale). To be continued ... Greetings, Justus Edited Tuesday at 06:08 AM by mokka Quote
M-BMagic Posted Sunday at 07:50 AM Posted Sunday at 07:50 AM Such an impressive build! The shaping and details are beautifully handled. Great work! Quote
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