MOD: Modular Bike Shop and Café -> Bank 31026

[finnbricker]

I bought two 31026 sets in order to modularize these "semi-modular" buildings in a way that would make them fit in modular city but at the same time keeping the detailed architectural features. When I saw the first leaked images of this set, I immediately fell in love with it and thought TLG was releasing something of a "semi-modular", houses that reflect (almost) the same details and style as the modulars, but at the same time creating a set that is smaller and more affordable. Thus, a perfect MOD project!

Here's an overview. I built the bike shop according to the instrucions and toyed with it for a while, looking at it from different angles and turning it, opening it and also half-opening it, making a corner building. After a while, I decided to stick with the corner building, since this would allow me to build two facades that can be different, thus taking advantage of the different kind of window designs offered. Only when I had completed the modularization of the bike shop did I build the café, once again according to instructions. It became apparent right away that I would turn it into a 16x32 modular because of the small piece count and the less detailed features.

Here you can see the bike shop standing alone. It's still a WIP because the roof misses its final touches. The front will not have reddish-brown plates but a row of dark red ones and another of white ones instead. Also, the two black pieces in the corner are a test – I will likely make them into a whole row at least on the left side, if not the whole roof. Still missing those parts, though, as well as a couple of tiles for the sidewalk.

I tried to keep as many of the original features and stick to the original bricks as possible. A lot of extra bricks in white and medium blue were needed, however, as well as all the tiles when modularizing the floors.

I decided to enlarge the facade by adding another big window and a second floor window above it. The bike shop sign is new and uses printed tiles from 850425. There's virtually no interior yet.

I like this side a lot less. The ground floor is boring and I never understood the idea of a large window/door apparently used as a service entrance (for the bikes?) but oddly placed a couple of steps above street level. I kept the design, with the lamp, anyway in order to stay true to the original model. The second floor uses the window design from the original. The top floor is an addition that came into being after I had sort of completed the model and was left with a lot of extra windows. I started palying around with them and built the window design accorging to the instrucions, then placed all these windows in a row. The row looked pretty nice and I started experimenting with placing them as an extra floor. It turned out okay, I think. The building looked really low with only two floors + roof, so this way it fits in better with the TLG modulars. There is no access to the balcony.

Backside. Very plain. There's a back door, just like there always is... This time the back door serves a real purpose, though, since it is the entrance to the apartment on the second floow. God bless PAB walls and their medium blue 1x2's :)

Access to the top floor is by ladder. The design is the original one and I used it for roof access – then I decided to build an extra floor, but kept the ladder. Somehow that row of windows reminds me of some kind of a reception hall. Poor ladies in their evening gowns trying to climb the ladder to get up here for a cocktail party or dinner. ;)

No interior, not even a banister yet. I'm not that good with interiors, but ultimately I will probably furnish this floor with the furniture from the original.

The bike shop will sell red bikes (from the original), medium azure bikes (from the hot dog stand), white bikes (from the police station (7498)) and green bikes (from the pet shop) when the interior is completed.

I started work on the dark red and tan building, the café, in an unusual order – from the second floor. I wanted to accommodate the original window design and place two of those windows next to each other for the facade. There's not room for much else, nor is there a need. I think the second floor actually looks pretty nice like this. Then I moved on to the ground floor and quickly realised that the big window was not usable – if I wanted those second floor windows, then I would have to have two similarly sized windows on the ground floor as well. So out went the windows and very nice curtains. I also wanted to place the ATM on the ground floor facade, but was left with little choice for its place, so right in the center it went. The design didn't look anything like a café (and my city already has a café and a juice bar and a pizzeria) so I decided to write "bank" on the sign instead of "café". Kind of looks like a bank with the ATM and the dark red walls, doesn't it?

The building only has two floors, and they're not very high, so it looks sort of smallish next to the official modulars. If I know myself, I will probably end up buying one more set + doing some bricklinking and adding another floor similar to the second one some time later on.

The back side has some nice details because I mostly just copied the original – windos, doors, steps etc.

Those ground floor grills will have to be replaced with tiles, and the sidewalk has to be completed when I get the bricks.

Minifigs combined in different ways, plus two extras from the 850425 who actually look like they could be working at the bike shop, servicing and repairing the bikes.

Oh, and the stupidly small yellow car? It's not that stupid at all. Think of it as a toy car for kids! I built both cars and now they're on sale at my TRU toy store in Lego city :)

I would love to hear your comments on this MOD – while I love the modulars, what I like even more is to buy a Friends, Creator or City set (usually multiple of those) and MOD it into a modular.

Edited July 1, 2014 by finnbricker

[lightningtiger]

Excellent redo work there 'finnbricker'......no interior's ?

Brick On 'finnbricker' !

[Jody Meyer]

looks great

[d-delay]

Awesome work Finnbricker. I'm currently trying my own moc with two 31026 sets, but I'm designing it for my kids to be a police station, whilst cannibalising my old station sets. I do love the window designs in 31026 and plan to use a few of them. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement!!

[TheLegGodt]

Looks good to me too! Although I would add a bit more detail on th roof top of the bike shop.

I plan(ned) to put this set in my suburb street that runs in front of the mainstreet (lined with modulars). It is planned to go next to my train station that is a modified 4954 town house. That setup is based on real life in the village where I live.

Seeing this though makes me rethink that plan...

[bjorkan]

Great :)

[Nightfall]

Looks great!

[finnbricker]

Looks good to me too! Although I would add a bit more detail on th roof top of the bike shop.

Yeah, the roof is still WIP. As are the interiors – there will be some eventually.

[finnbricker]

I have now completed the Bank. I got inspired by the Lego Neighborhood book and specifically page 63, which presents some examples of interior elements for a bank, so I started working on it.

The facade. I have added an extra floor, as was my original plan (though I only used bricks that I had + PAB & Bricklink, no new set) and also finished the sidewalk, where some tiles were missing earlier.

The backside. You can see the added floor with three windows instead of two + door, and also some added greenery. The baseplate is light royal blue, so I needed to cover the whole backside area to make it look more realistic.

There is no interior on the 2nd and 3rd floors, nor will there be. I am just not interested in furnishing yet another apartment. While there is an outdoor staircase reaching the 2nd floor, there is no access to the 3rd floor or the roof. Outdoor access would mean the stupid solution of the PR, where you need to enter the 2nd floor apartment in order to proceed to the 3rd floor. Out of the question, in my opinion. Indoor access would have used up a substantial amount of room on the 2nd floor. Since the upper floors are for show only, and not to be used, I didn't bother.

However, the bank is fully furnished and the floor tiled. I didn't want to make yet another 2x2 check pattern for the floor, so I ended up with this design, used by many others before me. I think the colours give the floor a certain decorum. Perhaps it's a stone floor? This is only a small branch office, so it's lacking some features. There's no manager's office and no safe or vault. The 40110 Coin Bank set would make a nice vault and could be placed on the 2nd floor, but at least right now I don't feel like modding it.

Looks like Mr Brickster has come to the bank to deposit some money. He wouldn't be in here for a withdrawal since there's an ATM outside for that purpose. There are two positions, but only one manned. Have you ever been to a bank where they actually keep all the positions manned? The teller windows are designed by Brian and Jason Lyles, I have just shortened the section a bit.

Someone is waiting for his turn next to the water dispenser. The dispenser is also a Lyles design, albeit with one small modification (the inverted roof tile).

I definitely want to see how my Bank fits in with the official modulars, but right now they're at another location. Here the bank is positioned next to a current WIP MOC of mine. Stay tuned to see this building finished some time this winter. The building includes a juice bar (of course!), an ice cream stand, a perfumery, a nightclub and some 2nd floor offices.

Thanks for taking a look! I'd be grateful for any comments.

[PastVPresent]

Finnbricker, looks great! Really like the floor tile, water cooler, and wall/protection for the tellers