It started as a very "in-progress" work depicting medieval stonemasons building a cathedral. It developed over the years and was redesigned several times. I've studied dozens of real cathedrals: Trier, Stephansdom, Wells, Notre Dame (Paris and Reims), Chartres, Durham, and many others. The biggest challenge in LEGO is scaling. Real Gothic cathedrals are 10-25 times the height of average medieval buildings. I've done my best to make it feel grand but still be accessible to many builders (limiting at 3000 parts, or ~$300 purchase cost). The architectural details place the cathedral between the years 1000-1300, having started in the Romanesque style, with later stages (like the central tower, north transept bell tower, west facade portal/ narthex) becoming more and more Gothic. I've got dozens of sketches and renders all over the internet, these are a few choice ones. David Macaulay's wonderful book "Cathedral" was a great help, though my research and planning has extended far beyond that.
submitted by /u/arselus_bricks[link] [comments]