Actually, this is something that I've been contemplating too. My original hand-drawings of the layouts did this before I embraced the saucer shape more. I'll do some quick Photoshopping to see what it may look like.
Excelsior Technical Manual: Grand Finale
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Actually, this is something that I've been contemplating too. My original hand-drawings of the layouts did this before I embraced the saucer shape more. I'll do some quick Photoshopping to see what it may look like.
Okay, I've done some layer duplication and worked up some quick sketches:
The smaller core section is necessitated to make the rear spar section work. The center section on Decks 05-07 would be a bit beefier (and corridors aligned a bit differently) than on Decks 03-04. Deck 06's smaller core section would necessitate a more traditional half-circle auxiliary control room rather than the "Mr. Scott's Guide" type full circle, which I am actually quite alright with.
You have to use your imagination a bit to see how the port-to-starboard straight cross corridors would align. Deck 08 would stay largely the same as I've drawn it (other than having its core size adjusted to match) since the saucer and interconnecting dorsal are disconnected, but the decks of the interconnecting dorsal would likely change layout to look more like the spar sections above.
Sickbay would move to the forward section of Deck 07, similar to how it was depicted on the Enterprise-D which I also like, as it bridges the design a bit in that direction more:
Overall, I like it. I had concerns that the decks wouldn't lay out well and there would be tons of random extra space here and there but the smaller core section seems to save it.
Before I go all in, what do you fine folks think?
The smaller core section is necessitated to make the rear spar section work. The center section on Decks 05-07 would be a bit beefier (and corridors aligned a bit differently) than on Decks 03-04. Deck 06's smaller core section would necessitate a more traditional half-circle auxiliary control room rather than the "Mr. Scott's Guide" type full circle, which I am actually quite alright with.
You have to use your imagination a bit to see how the port-to-starboard straight cross corridors would align. Deck 08 would stay largely the same as I've drawn it (other than having its core size adjusted to match) since the saucer and interconnecting dorsal are disconnected, but the decks of the interconnecting dorsal would likely change layout to look more like the spar sections above.
Sickbay would move to the forward section of Deck 07, similar to how it was depicted on the Enterprise-D which I also like, as it bridges the design a bit in that direction more:
Overall, I like it. I had concerns that the decks wouldn't lay out well and there would be tons of random extra space here and there but the smaller core section seems to save it.
Before I go all in, what do you fine folks think?
I may have missed your mentioning of it up-thread, but I'm guessing the little gray boxes on Deck 8 are escape pods? To my recollection, neither of the main filming miniatures (the original and the one Greg Jein built for "Flashback") had externally-visible pods like the Galaxy and her 24th century classmates. Are you assuming that they are hidden behind articulated deck plating that move aside prior to deployment? Just curious about that one. Otherwise, beautiful work, as usual! 
I may have missed your mentioning of it up-thread, but I'm guessing the little gray boxes on Deck 8 are escape pods? To my recollection, neither of the main filming miniatures (the original and the one Greg Jein built for "Flashback") had externally-visible pods like the Galaxy and her 24th century classmates. Are you assuming that they are hidden behind articulated deck plating that move aside prior to deployment? Just curious about that one. Otherwise, beautiful work, as usual!
You are too kind, as usual. Thank you.
I don't think I ever actually said, but yep, those are lifeboats that I'm imagining those are hidden behind blowaway panels as you surmised. Their placement is an homage to Doug Drexler's Enterprise-B MSD from "Generations":
I've only designed the actual lifeboats in my head, as four-person versions of the small rounded cubes imagined for "Mr. Scott's Guide."
Regardless of whether you actually go that way, thanks for the consideration. The mockups you did really illustrate the idea and I think it adds a fresh take on the traditional saucer deck plans.
A recent rabbit hole had me looking at round buildings and I was surprised by the number that didn't actually have round interiors. for example:
Thank you for the suggestion! I agree that it tends to give it a unique perspective which is something I felt had been lacking, so I'm going to let it simmer and probably end up going with it unless any issues are found.
A recent rabbit hole had me looking at round buildings and I was surprised by the number that didn't actually have round interiors. for example:
That's very interesting - I'm particularly surprised by how the core of this one is laid out. The school I went to was comprised of three hemispherical sections on one floor and the outside was divided similarly but the inside of each "core" was either a central space (one of them housed the auditorium) or divided in a "pie wedge" fashion.
Regardless of whether you actually go that way, thanks for the consideration. The mockups you did really illustrate the idea and I think it adds a fresh take on the traditional saucer deck plans.
A recent rabbit hole had me looking at round buildings and I was surprised by the number that didn't actually have round interiors. for example:
That's a pretty neat observation and makes sense from a practical standpoint.
In the process of further fleshing out the new sparred deck layouts, I discovered that my spacing of comparting rings and corridors was still a bit slapdash, so I would have had to re-space and redraw them anyway. Oh well. 
Here's what the revised decks are looking like:
Allowing for the turboshafts and other details that need adjustment now, the compartments and corridors all line up MUCH better now in my opinion, and I think the spar sections will make a lot more sense with transverse corridors. It'll also allow me to easily change how the turboshafts route down through the interconnecting dorsal easily if I want/need to.
I'm going to brainstorm a different way to have the core section turboshafts route, perhaps avoiding the circumferential section altogether on some decks. Speaking of which, Deck 07 is going to be particularly challenging with the turboshafts and the spar section, but I think it will ultimately work out well. The upper dining rooms will also go back to being a bit more narrow and balcony-like on this deck.
Something that I don't think I have done an especially good job of doing yet is having well-spaced turbolifts outboard facing inward, to reflect how the turbolift stop was reflected on Stage 9.
Anyway, please do let me know what you think of this new approach and thanks to @BK613 for suggesting this approach. More to come!
Here's what the revised decks are looking like:
Allowing for the turboshafts and other details that need adjustment now, the compartments and corridors all line up MUCH better now in my opinion, and I think the spar sections will make a lot more sense with transverse corridors. It'll also allow me to easily change how the turboshafts route down through the interconnecting dorsal easily if I want/need to.
I'm going to brainstorm a different way to have the core section turboshafts route, perhaps avoiding the circumferential section altogether on some decks. Speaking of which, Deck 07 is going to be particularly challenging with the turboshafts and the spar section, but I think it will ultimately work out well. The upper dining rooms will also go back to being a bit more narrow and balcony-like on this deck.
Something that I don't think I have done an especially good job of doing yet is having well-spaced turbolifts outboard facing inward, to reflect how the turbolift stop was reflected on Stage 9.
Anyway, please do let me know what you think of this new approach and thanks to @BK613 for suggesting this approach. More to come!
That new layout definitely seems like it's a great opportunity to have a direct lift shaft heading aft on some deck, or even split between a couple, allowing better access to the neck shafts. It looks like some of the existing compartments are already shallow enough to squeeze one through. Say, eliminate one of the cross corridors on Deck 5 to send the shaft aft and then drop to Deck 6, cutting out the next one, which eyeballing it should let you get down to Deck 8. (Or do it on 6 & 7, or maybe even 4 & 5.)
If you are going to redesign the bridge module as compared to filming model anyway (by using a bridge from the TMP Enterprise), why not just modify that bridge module to have accommodate two turbolift shafts on the sides (perhaps using a cylindrical projection like the one on the TOS ship, but with streamlining)?
I could imagine that 1701-A would have a bridge dome that would look like that if it existed in real life, but they just neglected to reflect that on the model
Would a 3-deck bridge dome fit into one of the other possible sizes like 622 or 511 meters? Looking at the image, the bridge dome really might only be 2 decks. Would that fit one of the sizes that the ship already might be?
I re-scaled the size comparison image that's floating around with a 442m Enterprise and a 622m Excelsior, I think it still works.
Was it Probert or Sternbach that established the (526 meter?) length for the Ambassador? A length of 630 or something close to that for the Ambassador (or even just carrying over a length of 622 meters with more width) would still carry the dramatic idea of each Enterprise getting longer without having to change to much about the designs.
A two-deck bridge would definitely fit. The command S31 ship from S2 DSC had a double-decker and that ship was much smaller than an Excelsior, IIRC.
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With Discovery winding down, a technical manual for it might be a good next product…and an opportunity to do some exploring.
The first Discovery in an Asteroid (prototype)…as built…32 century refit, alternate universe PLANET OF THE TITAN designs…Ariel, study models, etc.
Less confining than this manual.
The first Discovery in an Asteroid (prototype)…as built…32 century refit, alternate universe PLANET OF THE TITAN designs…Ariel, study models, etc.
Less confining than this manual.
Agreed, thank you for the suggestion.
If you are going to redesign the bridge module as compared to filming model anyway (by using a bridge from the TMP Enterprise), why not just modify that bridge module to have accommodate two turbolift shafts on the sides (perhaps using a cylindrical projection like the one on the TOS ship, but with streamlining)?
I could imagine that 1701-A would have a bridge dome that would look like that if it existed in real life, but they just neglected to reflect that on the model
Yes, i was thinking of having little "Mickey Mouse" ears at the top of it to accommodate.
Most definitely.
I believe it was ultimately Sternbach. But, even if the Excelsior is longer at 622 meters, that doesn't make it bigger. The Ambassador's saucer and engineering hull are still pretty huge at 526 meters. Personally, I don't think it's a necessity that each Enterprise be longer or larger than the previous. The Enterprise-E may have been longer than the D but it wasn't larger by volume. And then there's the G...
Eh, believe it or not part of the fun of this for me is how conifining it is. Also the likelihood no one else will ever do it. I have seen incomplete Excelsior plans across the internet but they all have issues or things I disagree with. But for the project after this (whenever it's done) you never know.
I haven't gotten as far as I'd have liked to over the weekend but here's how the saucer is looking so far:
You can see where I have mostly maintained the saucer core while still extending the impulse deck "spar" corridors aft, which I think echoes the shape of the raised saucer section pretty well.
Probably most notable are the new turboshaft passthroughs into the interconnecting dorsal down to Deck 08, while so far I've kept the rest of the turboshafts there about the same. I may have mentioned it before but most of the interconnecting dorsal on Deck 08 will be dominated by docking clamp hardware for the saucer connection.
More to come!
You can see where I have mostly maintained the saucer core while still extending the impulse deck "spar" corridors aft, which I think echoes the shape of the raised saucer section pretty well.
Probably most notable are the new turboshaft passthroughs into the interconnecting dorsal down to Deck 08, while so far I've kept the rest of the turboshafts there about the same. I may have mentioned it before but most of the interconnecting dorsal on Deck 08 will be dominated by docking clamp hardware for the saucer connection.
More to come!
I'm really liking those new corridors. It adds some variety and also spaces for compartments that might not fit nicely in the curve of the rings. It makes me think of things like life support, emergency batteries, and similar utilities that might benefit from being buried and also having a position above the dorsal where major supply lines from the engineering hull can easily reach.
@Rekkert @The Librarian Thank you! I still owe you guys a few photos of my sketches from twenty years ago.
I'm remembering from those that I only had two main turboshafts port and starboard. While I'm not going this route, I am going to do more experimentation with the turboshafts to try to create a look that evokes the corridor sets more.
One thing I think I haven't talked about is my desire to have a central Jefferies tube ladder, similar to what we saw in "TWOK" in a few scenes. My general thought is that this will run at the forward side of the central core, which is why you see the forward corridor stretch so far back in most versions and particular on Deck 07 where it would be unreachable otherwise. I think I'll also want/need to add a similar Jefferies tube that extends down the interconnecting dorsal to engineering as well.
I'm remembering from those that I only had two main turboshafts port and starboard. While I'm not going this route, I am going to do more experimentation with the turboshafts to try to create a look that evokes the corridor sets more.
One thing I think I haven't talked about is my desire to have a central Jefferies tube ladder, similar to what we saw in "TWOK" in a few scenes. My general thought is that this will run at the forward side of the central core, which is why you see the forward corridor stretch so far back in most versions and particular on Deck 07 where it would be unreachable otherwise. I think I'll also want/need to add a similar Jefferies tube that extends down the interconnecting dorsal to engineering as well.
Okay, just a small update for today on Deck 03 and Deck 04:
To the sections that aren't full head height I have started to add "girders" and other structural members. The idea is that the habitable volume is flexible like on the Enterprise-D but that overall the ship is a bit more rigid in its construction, representing a midstep between TOS-style and TNG-style shipbuilding.
On Deck 03, you can see where I've roughed in the phaser bank compartments and the upper sensor platform. I've roughed in some basic compartments for quarters, with cabins 1-10 being larger double senior officers quarters and cabins 11-16 single room junior officers quarters. Not all of these quarters will be occupied. Rather than the VIP quarters that @Rekkert has on the Potemkin, on Excelsior I've envisioned the forwardmost section as an officers mess. There are also officers lounges at the aft end of the deck on either side. My thought is that these three rooms could also double as casual meeting rooms for staff as well as off-hours work rooms, similar to what we saw Scotty doing in the officers mess on the A in "TUC." On Deck 04, you can see where I've roughed in the phaser control rooms beneath the phaser compartments above. This deck will also feature sensor maintenance rooms and more junior officers quarters, of which there will be a total of at least eighty.
I've also created an "impulse engineering" room for both which I will refine as I go. The idea is that these rooms originally had the TMP-style intermix chamber, but when the ship was refit for active duty and the TNG-style warp core installed that the floor was filled in and these rooms were converted into simple monitoring and work rooms. The basic floorplan would resemble somewhere between how main engineering on "TNG" was redressed for a corridor section and the actual engineering set.
I'm generally pretty pleased with where this is all headed now. Feedback always welcome.
More to come!
To the sections that aren't full head height I have started to add "girders" and other structural members. The idea is that the habitable volume is flexible like on the Enterprise-D but that overall the ship is a bit more rigid in its construction, representing a midstep between TOS-style and TNG-style shipbuilding.
On Deck 03, you can see where I've roughed in the phaser bank compartments and the upper sensor platform. I've roughed in some basic compartments for quarters, with cabins 1-10 being larger double senior officers quarters and cabins 11-16 single room junior officers quarters. Not all of these quarters will be occupied. Rather than the VIP quarters that @Rekkert has on the Potemkin, on Excelsior I've envisioned the forwardmost section as an officers mess. There are also officers lounges at the aft end of the deck on either side. My thought is that these three rooms could also double as casual meeting rooms for staff as well as off-hours work rooms, similar to what we saw Scotty doing in the officers mess on the A in "TUC." On Deck 04, you can see where I've roughed in the phaser control rooms beneath the phaser compartments above. This deck will also feature sensor maintenance rooms and more junior officers quarters, of which there will be a total of at least eighty.
I've also created an "impulse engineering" room for both which I will refine as I go. The idea is that these rooms originally had the TMP-style intermix chamber, but when the ship was refit for active duty and the TNG-style warp core installed that the floor was filled in and these rooms were converted into simple monitoring and work rooms. The basic floorplan would resemble somewhere between how main engineering on "TNG" was redressed for a corridor section and the actual engineering set.
I'm generally pretty pleased with where this is all headed now. Feedback always welcome.
More to come!
Sounds right and it follows established canon, as they re-used the TNG engineering set for the E-A in TUC.
Unfortunately, it also completely eviscerates the Galaxy class and E-D as being the most advanced starship of its time, using a 70-or-80-something-year-old warp core.
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