I personally prefer the second image. I notice that there might be some redstone which could be interesting. However, there are some areas of improvement and/or suggestions you might want to consider before applying. What I also see are some bridges, which could lead into above and underground tunnels, and you could hide some of them or only make them accessible through /thru. To add, the walls look very bland. I suggest to make some creative or visually attractive patterns and layering, maybe even add in some fauna around the stone. If you choose to make a tower out of this you should make it a cylindrical shape or something besides a square or cube. Remember to be thoughtful with the amount and types of blocks you use in the build, and try to apply all skills you have to make it a masterpiece. Sorry if my interpretation of the image was off, but if you'd like to show me the builds in person sometime tomorrow I could give some more helpful pointers.
I like the idea of the second better because the first one looks like a castle with blocks thrown about inside... which I wouldn't really consider "detail". And to be honest, castles are nothing new - I see them everywhere. You can say the same about the second image but I feel that it is a less-seen project compared to a fortress.
Hate to break it to you that is detal and yes castle have been done a lot but none having been amzing and applied for architect
