BDP11: Ivory Palace
Posted by Huw,
Crowd Support for BrickLink Designer Program series 11 is underway, so here's another article contributed by a project designer, this time by KingCreations:
If you’re familiar with the Bricklink Designer Program, you’ll likely know the popularity of the castle/medieval theme. As a long-time medieval LEGO fan who designs for BDP, it seems natural that I would contribute to the much-loved category. However, you may also know that competition for the theme is fierce, with dozens of castles appearing in every round of voting, and, even though I’ve always wanted to design one, it's for that reason that I’ve steered clear. Well, that is, until now - may I present the Ivory Palace!
You, rightly, may wonder why I decided to finally design a castle. After all, as I already mentioned, dozens (if not more) of castles appear in every single series of the program, with few being selected. However, you may also have noticed that a lot of those submissions tend to be very similar - a large, often 4,000 piece, gray castle focused on a faction with slight variances in layout, design, and location. While some of them are still absolutely beautiful, they can often end up looking very similar to one another, creating a distaste for many fans who are looking to pick their favourites from the hundreds of models submitted every series.
Although I wanted to design a castle for many series, I knew that many ideas I had would likely end up being “just another” one of the same type of castles. I needed to rethink what a castle could look like and what features it could have.
One area I immediately knew I wanted to differentiate myself was color scheme. I experimented with many colour combinations outside of the typical gray, but ended up landing on white for a beautiful, bright look and to take advantage of a wide variety of parts available. To break up the white, I added accent colours such as tan, dark orange, and pearl gold.
After becoming a finalist in series 8 with the University of Science, I began experimenting with tower, wall, and landscaping techniques without knowing exactly where it was going to go. I knew I wanted to incorporate some Technic elements for some unique shaping and texture, and some interesting ideas resulted (some examples of the many early versions below).
Ultimately, these ideas went into storage as I couldn’t quite figure out how to integrate the ideas into one coherent model. It stayed dormant until shortly before series 10, when I became eligible to submit again after being incredibly fortunate to have the University of Science selected as a finalist in series 8.
Seemingly out of nowhere, ideas for a full castle design started popping into my head. The final design is particularly inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle with some of its colour scheme and layout. I knew I wanted the castle to focus on the Griffins, my personal favourite of the new castle factions, which hasn’t had any official home.
Instead of a typical defensive fortress, I decided to focus more on architecture and a place of respite for the royal family. That approach allowed me to add some more interesting elements into the model, particularly the large stained-glass window on the rear which doubles as a removable panel to access the interior.
The theme of the model also varies from most castles as it is set in a forest filled with autumn-filled trees, providing beautiful scenery to the palace’s guests as well as adding some visual contrast to the black and white of the walls and roof. Details like water running beneath the build, a pumpkin patch, shrubs, and animals add to the overall scene.
Finally, and very importantly, I differentiated this model with its part count. Many submitted castles are at or near the maximum 4,000 part limit applied to BDP submissions, but I wanted to try to limit the number of parts used while maximising the visual impact and scale. The final model has just over 2,600 parts, something I was very happy with considering how comparatively sized it is to the other castle models that have been produced. If selected, it would allow it to be more affordable than many of the other medieval models. See a comparison below of the real-life model to the Outlaw Forest Den (2,617 pcs) from Series 6 and the Mountain Fortress (3,995 pcs) from Series 1.
The interior has 2 floors, with the bottom being a dining/throne room, things we see surprisingly little in castle models, featuring crest banners, a chandelier, plenty of food and drink.
The upstairs, meanwhile, focusses on the royal bedroom with a bed, desk, and rug. The desk isn’t just for show, though - it feeds into one of the unique storytelling elements of the build. The king can write letters while away from home and deliver them throughout the realm via carrier pigeons. They are well cared for, as they can rest in the dovecote maintained by the pigeon keeper. You may notice additional pigeons scattered throughout the model waiting for their call to service.
The castle courtyard includes a statue of a royal guard, the dovecote mentioned above, flowers, and a small armoury, while stairs and ladders in the tower provide minifigure access to every part of the model.
Like most castle models, I also incorporated functions, one of which is located in the courtyard. A subtle Technic axle can be removed from the side of the model to uncover a secret treasure area filled with gold and jewels.
Other functions include a raising and lowering portcullis via a knob as well as a bell that can freely swing to warn residents of impending danger.
Last but not least, the model provides a full cast of Griffin minifigures, including the king and queen, royal guards, archers, a pigeon keeper, and a knight, while a pair of Snake soldiers serve as a nemesis. Horses are provided for each knight, and, on occasion, a deer can be found peeking through the forest.
I hope you enjoyed a peek into the story behind Ivory Palace. Thoughts, feedback, or questions are welcome, and I’ll do my best to answer! Voting is open from May 11-25, 2026: you can vote for it here.
Please check out my other submissions as well:
Greenfield hospital, my take on a much needed building missing from our LEGO cities, covering 2 full baseplates with a wide range of services and medical equipment.
Countryside Greenhouse, a returning sub-1,000 piece submission and a personal favourite of the small models I’ve designed, packed with different plants, animals, and storytelling elements.
And, finally, the Wizard’s Tower, a whimsical take on a classic fantasy building loaded with details, vegetation, and a very unique building experience.
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15 comments on this article
'tis a fine church, but sure 'tis no palace, English.
@J0rgen said:
"'tis a fine church, but sure 'tis no palace, English."
I was kind of thinking the same thing. I also find it interesting how this design manages to be quite sizeable, but at the same time feels very cramped. I mean, the interior spaces don't look like you can pose a lot of minifigs, and with it being unable to hinge open, there's no real way of getting inside, apart from the removable wall. That also limits ways to display this castle/palace/church.
While it is aesthetically pleasing in its shaping, it's also a bit bland. It mostly stands out because it's a white castle-type building, which is fairly unique, but it doesn't really have a lot of contrast going on besides the dark roofs and the autumn foliage. It's definitely nice, but this is one of those designs where the minifigs interest me more than the actual build.
I hope I'm not being too harsh, because it does have have a certain flair, and it would certainly look good between all of the grey castles we've seen so far. In fact, I'd argue that the main reason for possibly getting this is BECAUSE it's not another grey castle -- and it's also secretly a church.
It looks amazing! I love it! Colour choice is excellent!
Usually I'm quite harsh browsing "castle" sets in BDP submissions but You solved biggest issue: usually detailed sets come with high piece count and this makes high prices.
There is perfect amount of ground and trees. Build is closed and appealing, yet minifigure scale. I think it's better in display sets this amount of interiors instead 10 rooms.
Day 1 purchase for me. You have my vote.
Please don't give up if it will be not chosen, You really have a gift
huh, I don't remember when last time I wrote something so positive :D
KingCreations is a 3 time BDP finalist right? At what point is enough enough?
I love it and I thought the hospital and tower were pretty good too.
I don't think there was as much castle themed entries this time, especially in comparison to the last series when if was saturated with them. There were a few I wished had been reentered, but I think some lost heart.
There were some really amateur entries, inspired by the ramen dish I felt, or maybe deliberately mocking the series.
Anyway, I really like this.
Looks fine as a standalone. The colors and details are nice. But the scale makes it look off somehow, if it's minifig scaled. It looks like a microfig scale model.
I don't think every new knight that Lego makes needs a castle set. Especially since they didn't even come in a castle like the new horse knights.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @J0rgen said:
"'tis a fine church, but sure 'tis no palace, English."
I was kind of thinking the same thing. I also find it interesting how this design manages to be quite sizeable, but at the same time feels very cramped. I mean, the interior spaces don't look like you can pose a lot of minifigs, and with it being unable to hinge open, there's no real way of getting inside, apart from the removable wall. That also limits ways to display this castle/palace/church.
While it is aesthetically pleasing in its shaping, it's also a bit bland. It mostly stands out because it's a white castle-type building, which is fairly unique, but it doesn't really have a lot of contrast going on besides the dark roofs and the autumn foliage. It's definitely nice, but this is one of those designs where the minifigs interest me more than the actual build.
I hope I'm not being too harsh, because it does have have a certain flair, and it would certainly look good between all of the grey castles we've seen so far. In fact, I'd argue that the main reason for possibly getting this is BECAUSE it's not another grey castle -- and it's also secretly a church."
Thanks for the feedback! I'll keep it in mind. :)
@Briczk said:
"It looks amazing! I love it! Colour choice is excellent!
Usually I'm quite harsh browsing "castle" sets in BDP submissions but You solved biggest issue: usually detailed sets come with high piece count and this makes high prices.
There is perfect amount of ground and trees. Build is closed and appealing, yet minifigure scale. I think it's better in display sets this amount of interiors instead 10 rooms.
Day 1 purchase for me. You have my vote.
Please don't give up if it will be not chosen, You really have a gift
huh, I don't remember when last time I wrote something so positive :D
"
Thanks a bunch! That was my thought as well, instead of trying to fit everything in, limit the scope a bit so I can maintain quality without being yet another 4,000 part castle.
@J0rgen: I was thinking the same thing, but of the hospital...seriously, it looks like a cathedral got converted. :)
I appreciate that this castle has a highly efficient build where every part has a purpose, and I appreciate the thought that has gone into its internal layout for minifigure accessibility, but it still leaves me cold. The colors are distinct from other BDP castles, but the layout isn't unique and the courtyard accessibility for play is limited. Detail and polish are important, but I increasingly value an emphasis on playability over an emphasis on small details and visual polish.
@QuestionBrick said:
"KingCreations is a 3 time BDP finalist right? At what point is enough enough?"
Why?
Each round includes several hundred submissions. Why would we not want our best fan designers to continue to submit for consideration? And if their entry is selected as one of the best five, all the better for us.
Reasonable limits of 1 selection per calendar year have already been instituted recently. I welcome and look forward to discovering the newest offerings from King, Sleepless, Jonas, Lucky, etc each quarter.
@yellowcastle said:
" @QuestionBrick said:
"KingCreations is a 3 time BDP finalist right? At what point is enough enough?"
Why?
Each round includes several hundred submissions. Why would we not want our best fan designers to continue to submit for consideration? And if their entry is selected as one of the best five, all the better for us.
Reasonable limits of 1 selection per calendar year have already been instituted recently. I welcome and look forward to discovering the newest offerings from King, Sleepless, Jonas, Lucky, etc each quarter."
This is true. I haven't been selected yet, myself, but I know I shouldn't give up, and Bricklink tells me and others to keep entering models.
Hospital..., el mejor.
@KingCreations All your entries are great. The fact that you built the Ivory Palace physically as well is even better. Love the picture quality.
@QuestionBrick If the best fan designers are returning every year with one set, I don't see any problem with that. I'd rather spend my money on high quality PDB sets, than most mediocre stuff TLG is churning out like crazy.
@R0Sch said:
" @KingCreations All your entries are great. The fact that you built the Ivory Palace physically as well is even better. Love the picture quality.
@QuestionBrick If the best fan designers are returning every year with one set, I don't see any problem with that. I'd rather spend my money on high quality PDB sets, than most mediocre stuff TLG is churning out like crazy."
Much appreciated! :)