[MOC] Weekly modulars #14 - House with Shop

[kodlovag]

Few years ago there were so many modular mocs here, on the city forum. I got a lot of inspirations from them, and started to build my own city, filling with modulars. Now, there are much less new modulars on the forum. So I decided to correct, what I neglected during the years: took photos of my modulars, and will show you here. I will post a new modular every week in this topic. Maybe I can inspire someone to design his/her brand new modulars.

Some of my modulars are rather old, and their style reflects the official modulars from thoose years, and also the parts and colors availability.

Let's start

#1 Pierre Marcolini

Year Built: 2013

Pieces: 2999 bricks

This building was my first modular. It was inspired by a real building in Brussels, Place du Grand Sablon. There is a luxory chocolate shop inside.

[paupadros]

Looks nice! Certainly feels more akin to the older batch of modulars but that's still a "feel" that someone today might go for intentionally. I like it! 

[Feuer Zug]

Grand looking building. Nicely done.

[Kristel]

This is gorgeous!

I can't believe you never showed this before.

[kodlovag]

On 9/14/2021 at 1:39 PM, paupadros said:

Looks nice! Certainly feels more akin to the older batch of modulars but that's still a "feel" that someone today might go for intentionally. I like it! 

 

On 9/14/2021 at 5:49 PM, Feuer Zug said:

Grand looking building. Nicely done.

 

On 9/14/2021 at 10:00 PM, Kristel said:

This is gorgeous!

I can't believe you never showed this before.

Thank you for the comments. Actually this modular was already displayed, only once, in a local lego exhibition. But never on the internet.

[peedeejay]

Good stuff! Keep them coming!

And yea, Forum is kinda dead in regards to new modulars. :( I also need to find the time to finish my current projects…

[kodlovag]

One week passed, here is the next modular.

#2   8-wide Red Brick

Year Built: 2014

Pieces: 632 bricks

After finishing Pierre Marcolini with its 3000 bricks, I realized, this will be an expensive hobby. So I decided to build something smaller. Preferably the smallest modular possible. Taken into account the baseplates available, I selected 8x32 footprint. Masonry profile bricks were rather new at that time, and the dark red version released only later, at 2015. So I patterned the wall with dk red, old brown and reddish brown colors to simulate brick build walls.

Furnishing is half finished, only middle floors are completed. I usually focus on exterior, my interiors are often incomplete or even empty. This is mainly because interior does not add anything to the look, when I put the modular into the vitrin. In this case I planned to add a bathroom to the top level, but finally left it empty, and promoted the building completed.

[karmajay]

Great job! Thanks for sharing these!

[kodlovag]

#3   Elevated railway station

Year built: 2014,  Upgraded: 2015

Pieces: 2030 bricks

I really can't remember, why I wanted to build a railway station for my city, when I only had the Pet Shop, the Grand Emporium, and the Pierre Marcolini. Probably I wanted a train much more, than the station. A train, which I always wanted, when I was a child, but I never could have one. There were a lot of railway stations on the internet, and also in this forum. Some of them could fit into the modular line, but all of them had ground level rails. Ground level rails breaks the modular concept, and I wanted something fitting more smoothly into a city. So I decided to make the railway elevated, and also the station. This way roads can pass under the rails, level crossing are not needed. Just like in a real city.

The concept is to have the 8 wide rail in line with a 8 wide platform, fits very nice on a 16 wide baseplate. At the first round I designed 3 modules, each hade 16x32 footprint. Two modules have stairs up to the platform, and there are a ticket office, a post office, an ATM and a phone booth under it. The third module have a covered platform area, and a park under it. The design allows single rail and dual rail station arrangements, but I only had 3 modules. So I decided to upgrade with more modules: I built two additional 16x16 footprint modules, and also a piece, which allows the platform to be extended over the street, so the platform can cross over the road and continue on the other side. The final design is very flexible. The station can be placed in between two modular buildings, or can stand freely in the middle of a square with a long streetfront.

The dual rail version

A possible single rail version, with train

My city is much larger now, and I'm planning to extend the rails across the city. No new station modules, just rails.

Extra - 7745 revival

Year built: 2014 (diesel engine with carriges), 2017 (high speed engines)

Pieces: 820 bricks

THE TRAIN, I always wanted. Of course, time passed, and I designed a facelift version with PF electronics. The red curve is vignetted on the white train front. The original diesel engine is now only used for freight trains.

I'm sorry, I know that 1600px wide image is against the forum rules/preferences, but this is the best way to present the train.

Extra - Bus

Year built: 2015

As there is a bus stop sign in the station too, I designed this modern London bus for the minifigs to continue their travel.

[Feuer Zug]

Your elevated station looks fantastic. I see fun tidbits like the conductor signalling and a red phone booth. The train itself is a fine blend of the 60051 and other passenger trains. Lots of first class seating on your high speed line. The bus is a good modern version of the classic double decker London bus.

[kodlovag]

#4   Institute of Oceanography with Aquarium

Year built: 2014

Pieces: 2540 bricks

The main researcher shows the newest development to the money guys.

There is a conference room in the top level with the helipad. The research area is in the mid level, and the aquarium is at the base level. The public can visit it.

 

 

[TeriXeri]

For 2014, that's amazing, even the helicopter looks great.

[kodlovag]

#5   Post Office

Year built: 2017

Pieces: 2056 bricks

Now I jump a little to year 2017 to present the post office. I do this because I took side-by-side images of the later modulars, and I used this building in one of the pictures. So this one must be presented first, and next time I will jump back to 2015.

This building is strongly inspired by other's work:

• Paris 1889 - The Engineers by @castor-troy
• Post office by @frogstudio
• Florist by TheUniqueBricks
• PCB with SOIC by @viracocha

The furnishing of the post office is very similar to the Brick Bank. I planned a designer office for the upper levels, with the PCB on the wall as the advertisement, but the rooms are currently almost empty.

[kodlovag]

#6   Inverse Corner Modular

Year built: 2015

Pieces: 2968 bricks

I wanted to try some new concepts, because negative corners also exist in the real word. Well, the face of an inverse corner modular building is strongly limited, either in size or style. Therefor the backside becomes more important, actually it should work like the front. The other side could be an other inverse corner, built around for example a square. But then I had a better idea: a waterfront for the city. Official modulars will grow the city, my moc modulars will form a waterfront.

There is a cafe and a bakery on the base level, and there are several flats on the higher levels.

  

This building does not really show its best face on the waterfront side alone, without the other buildings. It's just a core of something promising. The brown building at left side is based on an Amsterdam building, while the right side is in Italian style.

Edited October 18, 2021 by kodlovag

[gabrielerava]

On 10/11/2021 at 8:10 PM, kodlovag said:

#5   Post Office

Year built: 2017

Pieces: 2056 bricks

Now I jump a little to year 2017 to present the post office. I do this because I took side-by-side images of the later modulars, and I used this building in one of the pictures. So this one must be presented first, and next time I will jump back to 2015.

This building is strongly inspired by other's work:

• Paris 1889 - The Engineers by @castor-troy
• Post office by @frogstudio
• Florist by TheUniqueBricks
• PCB with SOIC by @viracocha

The furnishing of the post office is very similar to the Brick Bank. I planned a designer office for the upper levels, with the PCB on the wall as the advertisement, but the rooms are currently almost empty.

Great display for three buildings on a single plate, and it’s cornered too. Wow!

[kodlovag]

#7   The Anchor - Marina Restaurant

Year built: 2015

Pieces: 1968 bricks

This building was inspired by city of Portofino (Italy). This city is really colorful, in all shades of yellow and red. I wanted to replicate this, however, we are still at 2015, when the availability of fame yellowish orange and cool yellow bricks were strongly limited, also expensive. But I managed to collect some to color the building.

Here is a picture about the backside too, with the staircase to the flats. There are two flats: one at the left, and the other is at the center+right side. Both flats have their own internal stairs, with access to the rooftop. Only the kitchen of the restaurant is furnished, the small shop and the flats are unfurnished.

One additional image about the waterfront, restaurant is side-by-side with the inverse corner modular.

Extra

I decided not to create a dedicated post for a modded Market Street. I bricklinked my Market Street in 2014, then I modded it to fit to the waterfront. It's a bit empty now, I plan to add a fish market here.

[noahtheb]

I look forward to these weekly modulars, and they never disappoint! I love this one, it definitely looks like something straight out of the Italian countryside.

[Yoggington]

These are excellent and inspiring.

In particular I love the aquarium, but I don't see a bad build in the lot.

[brimbolet]

Great models, the oceanography aquarium & helicopter are particularly impressive (I like realistic looking helicopters). Thank's for sharing!

[kodlovag]

#8   City Hall

Year built: 2015

Pieces: 1963 bricks

This building was inspired by several palaces along the Grand Canal, Venice.

My city required a city hall, but I did not really like the 10224 set, just its color scheme. So I designed my own city hall, next to the water. It has a wide stair at the entrance and a tower with an alley under it, connecting to the standard modular street.

There is a reception and an office at the first level. At the second level there is a press room and the office of the mayor.

And an image of the city hall with the restaurant.

[Feuer Zug]

Good work on the city hall. I like how you found a use for the massive numbers of extra wheel wells as architectural styling.

[kodlovag]

#9   The Angel - Marina Hotel

Year built: 2016

Pieces: 2134 bricks

A city requires a hotel to support tourists. Unfortunately I don't have the Cafe Corner, also never tried to bricklink it. Instead I created my own hotel for the most frequently visited part of my city, to the waterfront area.

It's not big, only two rooms with the reception and the dining tables, but has the direct look to the bay and features a pleasant atmosphere. Both room has access to their own balcony. There are two entrances, one to the waterfront, and the other on the side, which connects smoothly to the normal modular street.

Visitors can also find one of the most famous landmark of the city survived since the Roman ages, just next to the hotel, the fountain called Angel in the Rain.

And the usual final image: the hotel side-by-side with the city hall.

[kodlovag]

#10   ClockTower

Year built: 2018

Pieces: 3320 bricks

This is the last building in my waterfront row, also an inverse corner modular on the other side, to connect smoothly to the normal modulars. The ClockTower landmark is visible from all districts of the city, also attracts tourists. There is a city map on the inverse corner, for tourists. There is also a small bay on the waterfront side with a jet-ski renting place: and everyone must drive under the bridge!

TLG was so kind to release the 70620 Ninjago City with an almost perfectly compatible waterfront, so I could just easily copy the floorplan with the bridge, and I also added my favourite part, the house with the tree growing out from. I modded the house to have a half diagonal backside, so the tree could cover the little bay. I also recolored the foliage matching better to my city.

 

The clocktower is a very slightly upscaled and rcolored version of the 10253 Big Ben, modded to have a working clock (both pointers!) on all four sides.

• The driving axle is coming from the blue round plate
• The black 20z gear drives 4x tan 12z half bevel gears. These are directly connected to the four minute pointers at each side.
• From the backward axle there is a 8z-24z gear reduction driving the axles at the top.
• Black 12z double bevel gears are used to split hour pointer driving for each side.
• At each four sides of the tower, there is a 8z-16z gear reduction inside the tower, and a further 8z-16z gear reductiion outside of the tower.
• That is a total of 1:12 gear reduction between the minute and hour pointers.
• And correctly working clocks at all four sides!

I missed to take closeups, so here is one from LDD. There are stairs inside the tower, going up to the two flats. There is also a connection point at the corner of the building to the beach area.

Edited November 15, 2021 by kodlovag

[Feuer Zug]

Nicely done. On first impression, I though Big Ben, but then transitioned to St Mark's Campanile as I scrolled down. I think it could fit in either, but your more Venetian setup is perfect for it. Great design on the clock gearing, even if the picture makes my eyes hurt.

[kodlovag]

#11   Factory

Year built: 2016

Pieces: 2531 bricks

This is my factory building, with road, rail and port connections.