Background

Hi, I’m Balázs from Hungary, an architect and product designer. My passion for LEGO started at my very early ages, and I never stopped playing with it, even in my adult years.

I started working on this model many years ago as a fun project. My initial idea was to create a clockwork steampunk castle. I was always totally impressed by kinetic sculptures, so I decided to build my own design out of LEGO. I wanted to do something special, so I came up with the idea of a modular design. After plenty of iterations I finished the first version in January of 2022.

That’s why I was extremely happy when I first heard about the new Bricklink Designer Program. It seemed to be the right time to participate. My plan was just to submit my already finished design, but after checking the rules and the selected part list of the competition, I realized I have to redesign the whole model from scratch once again. I took the opportunity to build in some of my inspiration from various MOCs from the internet, so I turned the theme into a magically floating water pavilion.

The model

The Water Pavilion is a magical place. Nobody knows who built it and when, some say it was created by the ancient gods ages ago as a gift to Poseidon. It floats above a crystal-clear pool loaded with thousands of playful fountains. The shooting murmur of veiled waterfalls welcomes the visitors here who could enjoy this beautiful atmosphere sitting in the elvish styled pavilion in the center of the arcades.

Kinetic mechanism

The model is loaded with interesting kinetic mechanisms. The gears can be rotated by hand using the lever at the end of the base box. The center module divides the rotation into three different axes. Every module is connected by the main axis to the other modules.The center module drives a vertical axis, which rotates the elvish pavilion and the dome. The middle module causes a wave-effect on the roof by rotating egg-shaped elements which are 90 degree positioned to each other. The end module rotates the great watermill-wheels through a series of gears.

Modular design

The model is constructed out of several individual modules, which can be easily rearranged. By combining the modules various buildings can be created in a few minutes. Multiple models can be combined together to form an even more impressive pavilion. By removing the upper superstructure You can build your own kinetic design using the gear chest as a platform.