Building the Sail Barge's Interior
Posted by CapnRex101,
75397 Jabba's Sail Barge is the latest of several recent Ultimate Collector Series sets with large interiors and quite a number of them have been designed by César Soares.
I asked César some questions about the barge's interior at Fan Media Days last month:
Brickset: Moving on to the interior, I was surprised by how much of Jabba's observation lounge is actually shown in the film, with lots of shots from different angles.
César: I watched that sequence dozens of times and there is a lot we could add. We actually considered condensing the kitchen slightly and making more room for the lounge because you can see the space is quite ample in the movie, but it made sense to include the kitchen. It has appeared in reference books and Lucasfilm was on board right away with including a kitchen, even though it is not shown in the movie.
I was also very happy to build a kitchen personally, as that is not something that often appears in Star Wars sets, so it was great to have that chance. Access was a key consideration as well, so I had to design the steps and ladders with easy removal in mind.
The initial brief was actually very open about what should appear inside the barge, so that was decided in discussions between me and Jens, with a couple of other designers. A cockpit is an obvious addition and the prison is an homage to previous models of the Sail Barge, which have both included a cell in about the same place.
I like the little 'Han was here' Easter egg in the prison and those Aurebesh details around the set, but if I may ask a very nerdy question, maybe some of those details have been in Huttese?
César: I know, but Aurebesh is really the 'official' language of LEGO Star Wars sets, so you will always see Aurebesh when we want to hide little messages like those.
The model also includes some exposed studs where you can stand minifigures to look out the windows. Did you consider extending that further forward?
César: Not really. Lucasfilm was keen that some minifigures should be able to peek through the windows, but it was tricky because having a ledge all the way along would look awkward. I could have made it removable to avoid obstructing Jabba, but everything else in this area is taken from the movie, so it would stand out as having no purpose beyond supporting the minifigures.
At the back, however, I could take advantage of the curved structure you can see in the film and the studs on top are inconspicuous, where minifigures can stand.
While we are on that topic, I did try to include more opening windows and hatches towards the front, but it made the panels very thick because they would need so much more reinforcement, as you can see with the panels further back.
The next section of our interview will focus on the minifigure selection.
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33 comments on this article
I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods...
I was wondering when the next one of these would come out! I would love for there to be more of this type of article on other sets @Huw!
Wonderful information! Why is the interview being broken up into several articles?
@Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Why not?
@560heliport said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Why not?"
Well given when we first see Jabba's Palace, theres an open air firepit and spit right behind him that has no ventilation, I seriously doubt they're going to want to filter out cooking smells from the room.
Plus, the exterior of the Sail Barge doesn't have any smoke vents or other chimneys.
@speshy said:
"Wonderful information! Why is the interview being broken up into several articles? "
We are breaking interviews into topics for ease of reading, as information can otherwise be overlooked in a single longer article. We may not organise it this way every time.
@GrizBe said:
" @560heliport said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Why not?"
Well given when we first see Jabba's Palace, theres an open air firepit and spit right behind him that has no ventilation, I seriously doubt they're going to want to filter out cooking smells from the room.
Plus, the exterior of the Sail Barge doesn't have any smoke vents or other chimneys. "
…that you can see.
We use vent hoods over stoves in case something burns, so it doesn’t fill the small room with smoke. If the palace has a vaulted throne room, there should be enough room to prevent smoke from pooling at floor level, and there might be a simple vent hole that allows smoke to exit via convection currents. The sail barge is right quarters with low ceilings, so you’d have less time to react to a kitchen fire.
@PurpleDave said:
"…that you can see.
We use vent hoods over stoves in case something burns, so it doesn’t fill the small room with smoke. If the palace has a vaulted throne room, there should be enough room to prevent smoke from pooling at floor level, and there might be a simple vent hole that allows smoke to exit via convection currents. The sail barge is right quarters with low ceilings, so you’d have less time to react to a kitchen fire."
Not saying that the reasoning is wrong, or even right, though I agree with your reasoning. @560heliport simply asked why they'd not have extractor hoods and I just pointed out two things that came to mind.
End of the day, Star Wars is a fantasy world, so we just have to go off what we see on screen. And off the top of my head I can't think of a single situation where we've seen cooking occur thats had any kind of ventilation tech visable.
@560heliport said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Why not?"
I think it's just such an Earth-as-we-know-it thing to have, especially in this 90's-feeling version. The whole kitchen looks like it could have been transported from any house in my neighbourhood (expect the bone on the wall).
Given that starships have some sort of invisible (or nearly so) shield that keeps atmosphere in, but allows smaller ships or other objects to pass through, maybe a Star Wars-universe kitchen has a forcefield hood, perhaps with a sensor to detect a fire and enclose it, letting it suffocate itself.
Maybe the vent hood in Jabba's barge's kitchen is a retro-chic affectation.
@GrizBe:
I can’t think of much cooking of any sort. Beru is doing something, but it’s not clear exactly what (frankly, it looks like she’s feeding produce into a dehydrator, which doesn’t make a lot of sense in context). Luke heats up the Rebel equivalent of an MRE, which isn’t really cooking. I think Yoda had some sort of soup pot going, but that was in a proper hearth, with a chimney to do chimney things. And the Ewoks just do a big ol’ Texas-style, long-pork barbeque over an open-air fire pit. Offhand I don’t remember a single instance of meal _prep_ in the PT, though meals were certainly eaten (both cooked and alive).
I like how the ventilation is the strange part but not the gas stove. Especially with how hard it is to balance the pans on it.
@PurpleDave said:
" @GrizBe:
I can’t think of much cooking of any sort. Beru is doing something, but it’s not clear exactly what (frankly, it looks like she’s feeding produce into a dehydrator, which doesn’t make a lot of sense in context). Luke heats up the Rebel equivalent of an MRE, which isn’t really cooking. I think Yoda had some sort of soup pot going, but that was in a proper hearth, with a chimney to do chimney things. And the Ewoks just do a big ol’ Texas-style, long-pork barbeque over an open-air fire pit. Offhand I don’t remember a single instance of meal _prep_ in the PT, though meals were certainly eaten (both cooked and alive)."
Rey makes her lil muffin from the vac-sealed powder Unkar Plutt gives her, which is a genuinely alien process. Lots of “ooo’s and ah’s” every time I saw TFA in theaters.
I wonder if we ever get a good look at Shmi’s kitchen.
It's always interesting to see where the topics go in this chat! Cooking ventilation was not on my bingo card.
A hood vent's primary purpose is trapping airborne grease particles and evacuating other cooking byproducts which are not great for air quality.
My 10 second head-canon take is that Jabba prefers some exotic foods that release poisonous gases when cooked. He went through several cooks before they fitted the enclosed kitchen with some good ventilation.
This is my favourite UCS. Too bad I can't afford it's $850 NZD price tag.
@Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Maybe it CAPTURES moisture.
@GrizBe said:
" @560heliport said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Why not?"
Well given when we first see Jabba's Palace, theres an open air firepit and spit right behind him that has no ventilation, I seriously doubt they're going to want to filter out cooking smells from the room.
Plus, the exterior of the Sail Barge doesn't have any smoke vents or other chimneys. "
I don't know why I'm inserting myself into this conversation, but...
The barge has some grates that could be used for ventilation on the top level, no? And there's a big ceiling grate above Jabba that lets light in, but is labelled as a "ventilation grate" in the cross-section. Thankfully, removing the extractor hood if that's really the dealbreaker would only require a couple of bricks.
The kitchen is nice. Actually, all of the interior fun is why I purchased this set.
I do agree that the lounge probably should have been prioritized a bit more over the other spaces (kitchen, brig/magazine, bridge). The other spaces feel spacious. The lounge is cramped. That should probably be reversed.
At least it's not a total waste of space like the kitchen in Barad-dur.
@dylanwho said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Maybe it CAPTURES moisture."
Yes, this! Every drop of moisture is precious on Tatooine, so it captures the steam and vents the smoke.
@Prof_Physika:
Sequels were half-baked, at best, and left a raw taste in my mouth. I wouldn’t consider any of that to be cooking.
@BricksAhoy:
Maybe it’s a seasoning dispenser. Space slug likes his salty snacks?
No? Not believable? Remember that salt is a diet food for slugs, and Jabba has packed on a few spare tires in the four years since ANH. Maybe if he actually got up and slithered around anymore, instead of always riding that hover-slab, he’d have been more of a match for a dainty little princess.
No? Not believable? Yeah, she is a feisty one. Eat up, Jabba, and at least die happy, I guess.
@StyleCounselor:
Are you suggesting they don’t have a thriving party scene, with h’orc d'oeuvres served nonstop, 24/7? Or, you know, whatever their time equivalent is.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"This is my favourite UCS. Too bad I can't afford it's $850 NZD price tag."
Your favourite UCS set since it has a new slave leia minifigure.
Just finished building this and I had a blast!
To those who are undecided about purchasing this set I would say go for it. The model is huge! Solid construction, great build techniques, modest sticker sheet...also a good opportunity to do some skipping ahead in the instructions by mirroring the same panel sections on each side - something I enjoy to make the process more challenging. The main and top decks are also packed with great detail - it's just a satisfying set to put together over a leisurely three days.
Seeing the finished Sail Barge on my table, I get a much better sense of value for the money and I'm glad I made the plunge. 9/10
@SimonSpace70s said:
" @dylanwho said:
" @Klontjes said:
"I'm sorry, but that extractor hood in the kitchen really bothers me. If Tatooine was a real planet, it wouldn't have extractor hoods..."
Maybe it CAPTURES moisture."
Yes, this! Every drop of moisture is precious on Tatooine, so it captures the steam and vents the smoke."
That reminds me of the time I was paying a Star Wars TTRPG (don't remember exactly which one) and suggested that an NPC ask for Tatooine's rarest and most valuable drink.
@PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor :
Are you suggesting they don’t have a thriving party scene, with h’orc d'oeuvres served nonstop, 24/7? Or, you know, whatever their time equivalent is."
It looks like Vodka and Red Bull is back on the menu, boys!
@TheOtherMike:
Speaking of TTPRGs, just a week ago, I participated in an event that broke the previous record of 1200 people involved in a single connected TTPRG. I don't know how many people we actually logged, but it was more than 1200, and we collectively took down a lich with 17,000hp by doing something in the range of 19,000 damage. Seven of those points were mine (hey, I was a Dwarven cleric who was mass-healing members of our party, and shutting down an acolyte's attempts to perform arcane rights by slapping a Silence on his building). We all got d20 die-balls for participating.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Prof_Physika:
Sequels were half-baked, at best, and left a raw taste in my mouth. I wouldn’t consider any of that to be cooking."
Bada-bing! Got’em, Groucho!
Don’t quit your day job! Unless you work as a film critic…
wow this set was approved... Leia..
Not necessarily a comment about this set in particular, but man does César Soares have a wild designer bricklist. Some famous hits of sets, and also some famous duds. I respect that willingness to take a risk, that's for sure, and it's worth noting that the same guy who created the infamous First Order AT-ST (oof) went on to create the excellent Mos Eisley Cantina, so I think those risks have paid off.
Some frogs boiling in an open cauldron and a hog on a fire spit would have made more sense than a trip to IKEA. Is the dustbin in the kitchen really needed when you have Jabba?
I really enjoy these articles. They help provide insight and show that the designers often do think of little things and take many things into consideration. It also shows that sometimes their hands are tied (Lucasfilm calling the shots). It’s merely a model and brick representation of a fictional vehicle that doesn’t actually exist. More people would do well to keep that in mind when it comes to sets and accuracy.
@B_Space_Man said:
"It's always interesting to see where the topics go in this chat! Cooking ventilation was not on my bingo card.
A hood vent's primary purpose is trapping airborne grease particles and evacuating other cooking byproducts which are not great for air quality.
My 10 second head-canon take is that Jabba prefers some exotic foods that release poisonous gases when cooked. He went through several cooks before they fitted the enclosed kitchen with some good ventilation. "
I have a harder time understanding why DESIGNER CÉSAR SOARES track record is not questioned. How can he go from making the UCS Razor Crest that btw looks like a photocopy one of the most popular MOCs ever from over 3 years ago, ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzrRBry2A5o )and now makes an overly studdy UCS set? The Sail Barge is beautiful, but it's not at that previous Razor Crest standard. Considering his awful work on Chewbacca, which is a shelf warmer of the decade nominee with the Black Panther bust. Designer CÉSAR SOARES is either spread to thin, too many projects, or he copied the razor crest, or lazy. Which is it?
@photocopier said:
" @B_Space_Man said:
"It's always interesting to see where the topics go in this chat! Cooking ventilation was not on my bingo card.
A hood vent's primary purpose is trapping airborne grease particles and evacuating other cooking byproducts which are not great for air quality.
My 10 second head-canon take is that Jabba prefers some exotic foods that release poisonous gases when cooked. He went through several cooks before they fitted the enclosed kitchen with some good ventilation. "
I have a harder time understanding why DESIGNER CÉSAR SOARES track record is not questioned. How can he go from making the UCS Razor Crest that btw looks like a photocopy one of the most popular MOCs ever from over 3 years ago, ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzrRBry2A5o )and now makes an overly studdy UCS set? The Sail Barge is beautiful, but it's not at that previous Razor Crest standard. Considering his awful work on Chewbacca, which is a shelf warmer of the decade nominee with the Black Panther bust. Designer CÉSAR SOARES is either spread to thin, too many projects, or he copied the razor crest, or lazy. Which is it? "
There are many things wrong with this comment.
Claiming that 75331 Razor Crest copies that MOC is clearly absurd, firstly because they are actually not that similar in construction, but also because we know exactly when César was working on the Razor Crest. He was finalising the design when the vehicle was destroyed in The Mandalorian and that episode was released on the 4th of December 2020, two months before the linked video was published.
As for his broader work, I happen to think César is one of the best LEGO Star Wars designers. I would suggest that the issues with a couple of his sets, such as 75201 First Order AT-ST and 75371 Chewbacca, relate more to factors outside the designer's control, such as price and the concept of the set in the first place, than the execution of the design.
@CapnRex101:
If anyone needs to be called to task for their Chewbacca design, it's whoever came up with the Chia Chewbacca I just spotted in a store this afternoon. It looked like Thanos with an afro.