TheLegoDr Posted December 10, 2019 Our LUG did local landmarks for our recent show. I chose to do a few modular sized/style buildings around town. One of which is the Telephone Building. It was built in 1894 by the architect Thomas Rogers Kimball. It was finished in 1896 as one of (if not THE) first telephone exchange in eastern Nebraska. There was something about the color change and style of the building that made me want to build it. I have no personal connection or affinity for the building. We start off with the official building to compare against. It has a bookstore Francie & FInch on the main level. I am unsure what is in the upper floors. I thought the dark tan and medium nougat worked well against a dark green window and covered stairwell. Next we have an angled side look at the wall facing the alleyway. (I have actually modified this since taking this photo. I didn't realize until I started this topic). I changed the dark bley tile to make that section longer and used medium nougat behind it to blend better. I assume that section actually attached telephone wires to different sections. Full side view now. You can see the green stained glass window and the stairwell really well here. Close-up of the front seating area, tree, shrubbery, and front of the bookstore. I hope everyone enjoys it. It was a lot of fun building a local building. I plan on doing more in the future. I have another one from that show that I will post later. I don't want to clog the forum board with new posts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alessandro Posted December 10, 2019 Very nice building! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllanSmith Posted December 10, 2019 I worked in Telephone Exchange buildings in New Zealand for nearly 20 years. That were not a pretty as this one. Well done :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Man with a hat Posted December 11, 2019 Great Job. It compares perfectly with the real building. Of course you had to compromise the side a little bit due to the difference in depth. But other than that it is excellent! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mostlytechnic Posted December 11, 2019 Even without the real building to compare it against, that's a great looking building you made! Love it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peedeejay Posted December 11, 2019 Dark Tan is such a beautiful color and here it is perfectly used. Very great rendition of the original! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jody Meyer Posted December 11, 2019 This looks great, I really liked how the covered stairs turned out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmynick Posted December 12, 2019 This is fabulous - not only does it match the original almost perfectly, it's beautifully constructed to boot. I think we're all suckers for brownstones with earth tones and dark green. I like the ground floor storefront - really fits in with the rest of the MOC. Nice job reproducing the windows on the facade too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ivanlan9 Posted December 12, 2019 Killer building. If you had instructions I'd be happy to buy them. And please go ahead and make more posts about quality buildings like this! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted December 12, 2019 Thanks for the kind words. I have recently dropped this MOC off at the book store and it is on display there for her patrons to see. That should be fun. I do not have instructions. I build as I go without the use of any computers. I draw a few things out before hand, but nothing worth showing how it is built per se. I did have a lot of fun with this. I think the colors worked really well together. I recently built 2 other nougat colored buildings prior to this one, so I was running a bit low. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paupadros Posted December 12, 2019 Translates very well to Lego. Builds like this make one really understand how far Lego has come. Superb! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pate-keetongu Posted December 13, 2019 Well composed monumental facade. I like the colour change on the side wall and the main face, reflecting how more representative material is used on the public side. The stair box looks also very nice. Telephone exchange buildings are interesting genre of architecture from turn of the 20th century. Helsinki has one that looks like a medieval fortress, having a big contrast with the modern invention, telephone. But it's an excellent building. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Itsasecret581 Posted December 13, 2019 Stunning build! Looks practically identical to the real life model. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted December 14, 2019 Thank you. Thank you. I looked up that Helsinki telephone building. That was really cool to see, but definitely caught me off guard since it isn't what you'd expect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snaillad Posted December 14, 2019 Very interesting design. I've worked in exchanges for 15 years and none of the buildings I visit are as old as this. I like the shop doorway and the job you've done on the stairwell. Well done! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wout Posted December 15, 2019 This looks excellent. I like this style of architecture also . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted December 16, 2019 Thank you all. I am glad people can get some enjoyment from this MOC. I usually don't get a lot of positive feedback on here, so unsure if it was my build ability or source material. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSW652 Posted December 16, 2019 2 hours ago, TheLegoDr said: Thank you all. I am glad people can get some enjoyment from this MOC. I usually don't get a lot of positive feedback on here, so unsure if it was my build ability or source material. So just go with both. Anyway very nice moc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Brick Boss Posted December 16, 2019 I used to work at a call center. Not as nice looking as this one. The one I worked for was too business looking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted December 17, 2019 I was just frontpaged! I've been a member for 8 years and this is my first frontpage. I am honored and it really is a dream come true! Thank you to the moderator that frontpaged my build. It really means a lot! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krol Zmija Sebastian Posted December 17, 2019 Nice. Although the lower bricks are still painted the same color as the top bricks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted December 17, 2019 Lovely building! I love the main wall and how it looks perfect compared to the real thing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted December 17, 2019 2 hours ago, Viper Knight said: Nice. Although the lower bricks are still painted the same color as the top bricks. I guess I don't understand what you mean. If you are referring to the window panes, then the LEGO version is accurate to how it looks now. The picture is the only picture I could find online that represented overall how it looked with the side stairwell. It has gone through different modifications over the years, so finding an up to date picture was difficult. And it is enough of a hassle that I was/am unable to just go there and take a picture of it myself. If you are referring to something else, then please inform me. I don't understand. Thanks for looking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mestari Posted December 18, 2019 Looks really good :) Also the colours work well together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erik Leppen Posted December 18, 2019 I like how it's so different from the official modular buildings but still works really well. One detail I particularly like is how you used the ridges of tiles to create a subtle effect on the corners. It creates a variety of textures that works really well. The separate color for the side wall makes it much more lively as a Lego building, so great choice. Also the subtle use of plates (also in dark orange) on the side wall works really nicely. The black, the greenery and the flowers on the ground floor add a bit of color, making it a really nice composition that separates the gray floor and tan tower. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites