16 replies to this topic

[LeeMcG]

B-OM-27A

(I have copied the original version of this post at the end of the thread so that the first set of comments will not be so mysterious - I think it's right to edit the first post).

Welcome to the London Joint City and Midland Bank, a grand building built in central London in the early 1920's.  In building this entry, I wanted to see what variety of textures I could achieve using predominantly one colour.

The facade of the building is largely unchanged since its construction:




(Note a security guard from the Associated Deposit Union taking the cash away).


But the interior has been recently renovated in a very contemporary way, the only remaining period feature being the internal column on the ground floor, which is structural.

The ground floor houses the main walk-in areas of the bank, cashiers, ATMs, that most traditional of British things - a queue and in the recent renovation, low tables and trendy seating designed to keep clients calm. The man taking cash out of the ATM is actually a mini-fig version of me designed by my 5-year old. He puzzled for some time as to the right hairpiece to use, and was delighted when he realised that none was best.



You can see a businessman paying in some cash, the janitor from the Town Hall waiting to pay in his wages and a Mondrian painting in grand scale. You might think this is the bank flaunting its wealth, but you'd be wrong, this painting is an obvious fake...



... the original sits in the managers office on the first floor. You'll recognise the manager, no doubt, as he's also the Town Mayor. The power of his political office and wealth of the bank has somewhat gone to his head, as he sits in a throne-like chair, and, as well as the painting, has a valuable antique rug in his generously-sized office.




The rest of the first floor is taken up with meeting rooms, and a spectacular floral display.





The loft space is taken up with storage boxes, containing who-knows-what kind of wealth that the bank has accumlated over the years. Check out my flickr stream for photos of this area and some other views.

Thanks for taking a look, and thanks for the positive comments on my draft that encouraged me to continue.

Edited by Phred, 24 July 2012 - 06:56 PM.

[Vincent Kessels]

That is a great start of a modular building!  

[Redhead1982]

That's an amazing facade! I like the detailing so far, and despite one colour scheme, it's very interesting! And it looks a lot like its real-life model.  

[snaillad]

Nice idea   , I particularly like the hinges placed along the underside of the balcony.

It will be interesting to see how you make it modular.

My only 'suggestion' would be to perhaps try and add some colour definition into the fascia. Maybe just some dark bley or dark tan to mix it up abit and dont forget some flowers!  

[The Blue Brick]

This is very interesting. It is also looking very detailed already, and can't wait to see more updates.  

[gotoAndLego]

It looks very good so far. You could buy one or two Modular sets to get a base amount of bricks to work with. I bought a FB and GE when I was making the Crimson Permenant Assurance and those helped greatly. Aside from that you could just write down a list of what you think you will need, double that amount, and then order those. As you've been building your facade, you should have an idea of the kinds of brick you need. LDD is helpful as well.

[L@go]

This is your first MOC? I'd never have guessed. You're on to something really nice here. I'm very much looking forward to seeing this finished - even though it will mean another great entry for me to compete with :)

[sputnik16]

very nice! I am looking forward to see how this will come along!

[lightningtiger]

Great job so far on the frontage of your building 'LeeMcG', totally has that Victorian era look to it.
Keep going and Brick On 'LeeMcG' !

[TheLegoDr]

The build looks very detailed. Most buildings in real life have that monochrome scheme, but the Modulars are more colorful. I like this idea though.

Keep up the good work. It will be neat to see how it becomes Modular with the different levels and where they would separate.

[phonciplebone]

Using the main pice of the 2x2 spinning plate for detail like that is so cool. Always like seeing a brick used differently like that.

[The Player Nº1]

Continue the great work!

[LeeMcG]

(original post - I have edited the first post with final pictures)

This is very much a WIP, as you'll see because at the moment it's only a facade.

I wanted to do a building that was pretty much one colour (light bley), and use various textures etc. to make it still look interesting.

I based this model on a real building: 69-70 Pall Mall in London, which was built for the London Joint City and Midland Bank in 1922-27. It's now a branch of HSBC.


There's just the one photo at present because it's only the front view that exists.



The source building, for comparison (this isn't my photo, thanks to the photographer):




This is my first 'real' MOC, and definitely the first time I've entered a contest, so please go a bit gentle but I am genuinely interested in feedback.

The left wing is the correct look, and will be copied to the right once I get the pieces.

My plan is to have a very modern bank inside, to contrast with the old facade. The rear will be pretty plain, and the first floor will have offices for business managers. I've not decided what to do with the top floor - it was living accommodation when the building was completed.

I've realised that I need a better amount of base Lego, because ordering just the pieces you need from BrickLink as you go means that building is quite slow. I hope to get finished before the deadline!

Thanks for looking,

Lee

Edited by LeeMcG, 21 July 2012 - 10:53 PM.

[Ferrik]

The detailing and texture looks superb.

[Legocrazy81]

That is an awesome front! It has great detailing. I love that you used just the light grey color. Your details are great and you succeeded in giving it texture, in my opinion. Some nice piece usage here to achieve that texture. I like the interior bank as well. The cameras in the corner, the tellers area are all accurate looking details. The flower bush is pretty ingenious too.

[L@go]

You certainly didn't disappoint! The exterior obviously looks even better now that it's done, and the interior is no less impressive. I especially like the layout of the ground floor with the angled ATM section and the column. Great job, and the best of luck in the contest!

[Vincent Kessels]

From a great start to a brilliant finish!