How important is filler in MOC durability?

[ziljin]

I am designing a basic looking tower. Sloped roof. the tower itself will be say 20 bricks high, and 12 x 12. So the center 10x10 is blank as of now. Is filling the center with bricks necessary for a proper structure? So the cheap route would be leave it empty. The expensive route would pack it with bricks. And I am thinking a compromise would be a stacked cross providing some support to the tower.

I assume huge creations would definitely require internal filler to prevent them from collapsing. I imagine my tower is a medium sized if not small creation.

So people with experience with making a lot of structures without internal detail, feel free to give me some advice.

And this probably wasn't clear, but I am designing it so I can buy the bricks. I don't have enough bricks to build something that big (my brick collection is puny)

Edited September 19, 2009 by lego40k

[Tom Bricks]

I usually fill something like that with red or yellow bricks because I have way to many of those but I don't think it will be to big of an issue if your tower is hollow. If you ever want to add an interior it will be helpful if you built it hollow the first time too.

[ziljin]

Hm, you have a point. Well I decided to make a thin staircase with a 8x8 plate as a platform for them minifigs to walk upon. That means I will have to figure out how to make holes in the tower to allow them to see outside, but that can come later.