Posted by
Dan
at
9:54 PM
| Name of Model: Green Gables Stadium |
| Created by: Pete Strege |
| Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/redcokid/sets/72157630697303666# |
Details:  Pete Strege recently uploaded new photos of his spectacular Green Gables Stadium. Sure, you've seen this before in our Brickworld 2014 coverage, and it also was a highlight of Brickworld 2013 - but it's enough of a stunner to deserve a post of its own. There are many details to love here - the 24-sided architecture covering a 30-inch square (4 of the big grey baseplates) steals your eye at first, but there's also the removable (and well-angled) dome roof, the large minifig heads wearing hats, the dark green lettering in the front, the stunning use of color (sand green, dark green, medium dark flesh, and dark orange cover most of the model), and even a full interior (customizable for a few different sports, although the hat outside makes me think of this as a baseball stadium).
Don't take my word for it - check out all 56 photos in the Flickr album, including pictures of the interior, work-in-progress pictures, and LEGO Digital Designer screenshots showing how the model was designed. The whole thing is beautiful, but I suspect we'll be studying that dome for years. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
4:56 PM
| Name of Model: Collapsible Building |
| Created by: Duane Hess (Legozilla) |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/legozilla/sets/72157629083690682/ |
Details:  Ever feel like it takes up too much space to store and transport your large town buildings? There's now a solution for that - collapsible buildings. This model looks great on it's own, but it's also a nice proof-of-concept for bigger and more complicated things. Now that hinge bricks (in white) are a common Pick-A-Brick part, it's pretty affordable to handle modularity this way. There's nothing stopping us from dropping floors into a design like this - and those floors could be taken out at shows without dismantling the whole building. For the first time, I think we have a real challenger to the Cafe Corner standard for town creations - and there's nothing stopping anyone from making a building like this also conform to the CC standard. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:01 PM
| Name of Model: HAK Utrine |
| Created by: gordangrguric |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49091484@N07/sets/72157624197803980/ |
Details:  We first had a look at this model back at BrickMagic 2011 - where it easily won Best-in-Show. The unusual technique used makes the building mostly hollow. The walls are built with substantial sideways sections, allowing the model to more accurately reflect the look of the original. No detail was spared - door pulls and light fixtures are carefully recreated. Every 1x1 round plate in the roof garden is carefully arranged and attached in just the right place, and the inner atrium appears in perfect detail. Some careful BrickLink purchases got just the right colors and pieces to make every detail exact. Look closely at those doors on the top floor - fairly rare medium stone 6 x 6 tiles were used to ensure a clean, accurate, consistent look, unmarred by the more distinctive textures that 1 x 6 tiles or some combination of tiles would leave. Photos really don't capture all of the details of this model, but it's a masterpiece of architectural reproduction. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:43 PM
| Name of Model: Galaxy Diner and Empire Theater |
| Created by: sonicstarlight |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26864031@N00/sets/72157626344290071/ |
Details:  In a bit of a retro/deco-ish feel, this pair of Cafe Corner-standard buildings gives us something we don't see enough in this modular style. It's easy to get wrapped up in the time period that we see in the official sets, but these feel a bit more 1950's or 1960's. Many of the techniques used are what you'd expect (the cinema in particular seems to borrow a bit from set 10184 Town Plan), but there are some great surprises. Plates with rails give the diner a surprisingly convincing impression of texture. The mix of three different styles of mosaic-based lettering gives a realistic feel, breaking up the impression that you're looking at something whipped up based on one person's preferences - the combination of blocky letters for the "Galaxy" sign and curvy letters on the "Empire" sign is a brilliant touch. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
9:42 PM
| Name of Event: LEGOPalooza 2011 |
| Created by: NCLUG |
| Found at: http://www.nclug.us/2011/03/06/legopalooza-2011-photos-and-coverage/ |
Details: 
I'm still pretty exhausted after a long, strenuous weekend at LEGOPalooza. I stepped up to coordinate the town & train layout, and pretty much everything that could go wrong did - the final result came out well, but I was surprised we managed to pull it off at all. Since I already wrote up a proper round-up on the NCLUG (North Carolina LEGO Users Group) website and would rather not have to keep track of this in two places, I'm going to direct you there for photos and coverage of the event.
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Posted by
Dan
at
4:00 AM
| Name of Model: A building complex started in 1991 |
| Created by: aror |
| Found at: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=463229 |
Details:  Every once in a while, you come across a gorgeous large layout that feels like minifigs could actually live in it. It's less like looking at a model, and more like seeing a little world. This minifig-scale model clearly meets that criteria - the four large buildings are flanked by smaller buildings, vehicles, and landscaping, in a way that resembles a well-maintained professional or academic campus early in the morning (before the crowds have come about). This project was started in 1991, and the colors reflect that - note how red and white are the main colors, and green is used sparingly. Back then, large plates and plants were the only widely available (non-DUPLO) parts in green. In spite of the limited palette, there's still a colorful ceiling pattern and plenty of other subtle details. The tall windows make this interpretation of minifig scale very close to that of the Cafe Corner set. The details around the windows aren't filled with tricky techniques, but they still take on a grand effect when repeated over these large walls. Don't miss the use of grey goblets on the chimneys, or the fantastic use of Imperial flags outside of a Pirates-based setting. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:16 PM
| Name of Model: Intermodal Container Port |
| Created by: Shuppiluliumas and other members of PennLUG |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34338074@N06/sets/72157624564108457/ |
Details:  If you've really waded through all of the thousands of photos from this past year's Brickfair, you've seen this beauty before. Had any part of this model been registered on its own instead of as part of the PennLUG town/train layout, it would have won one of the convention's awards. There's too much here to do an in-depth look at the details fairly, and it's connected to the rest of the layout in a way that makes it difficult to tell where various people's contributions start and end. A few striking things should not be missed: the large amounts of shipping containers, the enormous dark blue boat, the trans-green water (built with tiles in something of a mosaic style), the docks, the cranes. This was so much of a show-stopper that you could be forgiven for not knowing that the PennLUG is generally more well known for trains! |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:46 PM
| Name of Model: Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes |
| Created by: Joel.Baker |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joel_baker/sets/72157625701256635/with/5356656246/ |
Details:  This model (not related to the great recent set) is based on Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter books (more specifically, it's Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes). Just to kick things up a notch from the open-back nature of the Harry Potter kits, this rendition actually conforms to the Cafe Corner standard. The bold, rare colors are the first thing to catch your eye, but they're not even the most outrageous over-the-top feature - that would have to be the tipping of that hat.
The cleverly brick-built windows and the sidewalk mosaic make this stand out even more. Those great round dark orange protruded windows are also accurate to the version in the movies.
Oh, and about those rare colors - guess who figured out how much further you can go with them when you use DUPLO? This underused technique was able to keep the part count here unusually low - exactly 1,000 pieces were used. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:56 PM
| Name of Model: 1927 Alabama Theatre |
| Created by: Wesley Higgins |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesleyhiggins/sets/72157624866985152/ |
Details:  Since the builder did a great job of summing up the history of the source material (follow the links above for that), I'll focus on the building itself here. The first thing that caught my eye was the sign - an elegant mosaic with clear plates as letters. It's actually more complicated than it looks at first glance - it actually gets a plate thicker on each side near the top and bottom, the very top and absolute bottom face different directions than the rest to get the edge of the trim to come out right. The cornicework above the windows is so simple that it barely qualifies as an interesting technique, but the effect comes out perfectly. The entryway looks great, with a current show info, a ticket booth, and old-fashioned outdoor lights. In that same photo, you can see a few plates on the side of the building with their bottoms facing outward - probably held in by using round 1x1 plates wedged in between the studs, with the top of the 1x1 plates connected to Technic bricks. I really like that so much of the surrounding plaza and city scene was recreated here as well - it makes it feel more like a scene out of 1927 instead of a town with a random landmark thrown in. You can see some photos of the source material in the 31-photo flickr set showcasing this model. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:34 PM
| Name of Model: Lego: Fancy Bookstore |
| Created by: cimddwc |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24588874@N08/sets/72157624132729033/with/5038875332/ |
Details:
 
Usually, when I see a model inspired by the Cafe Corner set or following the modular build standard established by that kit, I write about it at Brick Town Talk instead of here (if it hasn't been blogged there already). As I was prepping a post about this model for BTT earlier, more details started to stick out to me - enough to make me realize I should feature it here as well. While this isn't quite a reproduction of the original building that inspired it (shown above right), this conjures up all the right details from the original and fits it into a layout-ready 24 studs (sure, 16- and 32-stud measurements are more common, but it's easy to fit in any multiple of 8 studs as a building width). The gargoyle-esque bits on either side of the top window are Bionicle krana in white. I don't believe we've ever seen them used in a model for minifigs before. Above that same window, we also see a ball joint element and a tooth with axle hole used as architectural details. Spires are made from 1x6 curved slopes, and border detailing makes use of many 2 x 2 curved slope pieces. All those clever bits come in before you even get to the gorgeous detailing at the windows!
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:51 PM
| Name of Model: Modulex Greenhouse |
| Created by: Karyn Traphagen at MiniBricks Madness |
| Found at: http://minibricksmadness.com/2010/08/03/modulex-greenhouse-for-brickfair/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/46628878@N07/sets/72157624649760616/with/4858632671/ |
Details:  One of the highlights (among many) of this year's BrickFair was a resurgence in the amount of models there made out of Modulex. I've previously written about Modulex, but my only experience with seeing these little bricks in person has been at BrickFair these past two years. With the exception of the fan (which is a combination of parts found in a few Atlantis sets), this greenhouse is made entirely out of modulex pieces. Complete with an interior, this is easily the most detailed modulex model I've seen so far. I had no idea that there were so many clear modulex parts or modulex window elements to work with. The colors didn't surprise me, but they are a bit different than what we're used to seeing - modulex colors and regular LEGO colors don't line up (since Modulex was made for architects and actually spun off into a separate company, there wasn't any reason to keep the colors consistent with the LEGO system of play).
If you're interested in reading more about Modulex or trying out Modulex bricks for yourself, you can actually purchase some from the builder of this model at her website. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:32 PM
| Name of Model: Hogsmeade Station (these links go to all of this builder's Harry Potter creations, but a Brickshelf Gallery with more photos of this model will be available soon) |
| Created by: _Matn |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30479264@N06/sets/72157619930248309/with/4972200294/ |
Details:  There are a dedicated few Harry Potter fanatics who have been building Harry Potter based LEGO models even when no official sets in that theme have been released (they are now reviving the line). While I'm specifically focusing on this fantastic train station, based on Hogsmeade Station, most of the links actually point to the builder's full assortment of Harry Potter-based creations. When re-creating scenes and places from a franchise that has been shown in multiple formats, one of the big issues is deciding which version to build. LEGO recently decided in one of their new kits, The Burrow, that they're tying their version of things to the movies instead of the books. In the case of this model, we're actually seeing a version of the train station that doesn't match the movies, video games, or books - it's an "upgraded" version of the building from after the Harry Potter stories. I guess that means this is technically a Harry Potter "fanfic" model - which I'll allow on the grounds that it's an awesome model. The landscaping, architectural details, and even the minifig posing all comes across as extremely realistic. While this a good example of keeping flashy techniques from getting in the way of a good design, the rear features a footbridge with some fantastic angled sections that only enhance the overall look.
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Posted by
Dan
at
7:55 PM
| Name of Display: LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition |
| Created by: Adam Reed Tucker |
| Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dp3/sets/72157624700188398/with/4881577498/ |
Details:  During my recent trip to BrickFair, I took a short detour to visit the National Building Museum. As I've previously mentioned, they currently have a display of Adam Reed Tucker's work entitled LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition. The LEGO display is one of several kid-oriented activities there - some of the other highlights include a separate building area and an arch-building exercise out in the middle of the museum.
The LEGO exhibit features a selection of large landscape models - most of which have some portion intentionally left out so you can get a good look at the internal structure. One model, the White House, was left unfinished so that it can be periodically built during visits from Adam Tucker. The models themselves are mostly noteworthy for their size - the exhibit was well named in highlighting the ambitious heights of the models - and not for their construction techniques. If you look closely, you can even spot a few pieces that are not attached to any other LEGO brick, but rather were glued into place. In our book, that's considered cheating - but I guess it was given the OK since LEGO seems to be supporting the display. About half of the display is devoted to a large play area where kids are encouraged to make buildings and put them on a "map" (the parts, partially donated by the LEGO company, are clearly current to what you can buy in 2010). There's also a gift shop area featuring some of the Adam Tucker-designed LEGO Architecture sets. This exhibit started on July 3rd and runs through September 5, 2011 (yes - you can make it part of a 2011 BrickFair trip).
The National Building Museum is itself an interesting historical structure - it's the "Pension Building" completed in 1887. In my flickr photo set, you can see a few photos of the original building and a minifig-scale LEGO rendition of it - complete with offices. The builder of the LEGO version isn't explicitly credited, but I'd assume that it was also Adam Tucker.
To be honest, I preferred the non-LEGO displays - after seeing landmarks by Arthur Gugick and building part of the new Tower Bridge set at BrickFair, Adam Tucker's large-but-simple-except-for-glue models looked a bit disappointing. Maybe I was getting a bit LEGO'd out after the long weekend of all-LEGO-all-the-time, but I was thrilled to see some of the other displays. If it weren't for the tourist draw of bringing in LEGO fans (and inevitably, families) to see the LEGO-specific display, I actually think a better display would be a larger portion of their construction toys collection.
There were also some great non-LEGO displays (sorry, no pics - photography is prohibited in the non-LEGO exhibits). Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights from the Collection showed a little bit of the collections not open to the public, including photography, bricks (of the fired-clay variety), steel, construction toys, and more I'm certainly forgetting. Washington: Symbol and City was a great treat, featuring historic displays about DC's city planning alongside history of various landmarks and even parts of some of the buildings. Not being able to make time to see more of the city this year, I was thrilled to get to see some of the actual details from various landmarks showcased in the museum - this display is so well-done, it almost justifies not being able to fit in many of the other landmarks during this trip. Drawing Toward Home: Designs for Domestic Architecture from Historic New England was a great look at architectural styles in New England and at how architectural sketches evolved over time.
Overall, it was a great trip, and the "Washington: Symbol and City" exhibit in particular was fantastic. If you're reading this, you'd probably enjoy the LEGO display (especially if you want to try out the play areas), but I'd definitely recommend getting a more thorough look at the museum. The exhibits apparently swap out fairly often, so check the National Building Museum's website to see what's going on before you plan your trip. The museum itself is free (suggested donation of $5) and the LEGO exhibit costs $5 for a scheduled ticket. I have no idea what the schedule is to see more of the White House model being assembled.
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Posted by
Dan
at
11:49 PM
| Name of Model: Gamble House |
| Created by: The Brick Scho |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/50502540@N08/tags/gamblehouse/ |
Details:  This gorgeous microscale rendition of the Gamble house in Pasadena, California, USA is fantastic. While the source material is an exciting bit of architecture, this LEGO version actually looks even better - the brighter shades of tan and reddish brown really pop, and the dark green here looks phenomenal. The balance of techniques is just right - the windows are flashy enough to stand out but still fairly faithful to the source material. When trying to capture a landmark in microscale, you sometimes need to make a bit of a caricature by emphasizing certain features. In this case, I think that the details where picked out as well as can be at this scale.
Please check out the builder's flickr photostream for additional photos of this model and other spectacular microscale models of real buildings. I tried to add the tag "Gamble House" to all of these photos to make them easier to see here, but for some reason that option wasn't available on a few photos of this model - including one of the better overview shots and the photo showing how the roof sections line up.
From the builder:
Built: 1908 Architects: Brothers Henry & Charles Greene Pasadena, CA
I hope that this has captured the look and feel of the Gamble House.
The Gambles considered selling it, but soon changed their minds when prospective buyers spoke of painting the interior teak and mahogany woodwork white! The Gambles realized the artistic importance of the house and it remained in the Gamble family until 1966, when it was deeded to the city of Pasadena and University. Enjoy! |
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