MOC: Built of my local museum, The Dickens Opera House

[dvsntt]

The local museum asked me to build something iconic of our town. I decided to build one of the most distinctive and iconic buildings in Longmont. The Dickens Opera House. It was built in 1881 by William Dickens as, well, an Opera Theater. I used to perform as a young boy and into my teens at the dinner theater that operated there when I was growing up. I met my first girlfriend there, and for many other reasons, it is a special place to me. Anyway, the model is built now and on display at the civic center until it gets moved to the museum where it will be on display (with a couple other of my models) until September.

The design has elements of the building the way it looks today to be recognizable, that's why the front awning look the same, but I made some adjustments to add details from the way it used to look, which is why the side awning is different and the roof line is stone colored as it used to be (it is black now).

On with the photos:

Photos of the building

This is pretty much how it looks today, (no signs on the building now)

This is how it looked when I was growing up

This is the sign on the building now

The model

It is built with over 4000 LEGO pieces, it cost me about $1200 in parts and took about 16 hours to assemble. The only non-lego part is the sticker on the sign that I made in Photoshop and printed on an address label. The poor cutting skills of the sticker was also done by me.

I have some of the sign that shows some of the technique I used to design it, because I get asked about that since both the top and bottom are identical, and are the bottom of LEGO (the studs face inward toward the center of the sign)

This is the sign with one of the black plates removed (left side, you can see the studs sticking out where it was attached):

and give it a little turn to see how the Lego pieces are stacked:

Edited April 13, 2013 by Rufus
Indexed, tags adjusted

[Rufus]

Thank you for posting: that's one beautiful MOC! I love the way you've made the glass bay windows at the front.

It's on the Frontpage.

[legolijntje]

I remember the building from some digital files you posted a while back in the LDD/LDraw forum here on EB

It really looks good now in real life. Great job on all the details

It would've been nice if you placed some interior, but it looks very good as it is now

[Legogal]

Congratulations! Nice replica! Love the awnings, which must have been useful with the snow in Colorado. It is wonderful that it is on display!

[Vincent Kessels]

That is a great model. You captured all the details.

The only thing that is missing is a bit of an interior, especially with those big front windows.

[L@go]

This really is beautiful. Those awnings are particularly nice, and the sign is a neat little build. Well done!

Shouldn't this go in the Town forum, though?

[Wedge09]

Awesome work, very real :thumbup:

[dvsntt]

On thanks you so much. I'm beeming with joy that you say such high compliments about it. When I was taking the photos at the exhibit, some kids went up to it and they loved it, and the boy pulled some minifigs out of his pocket and held them up imagining them in the dirramma. I was so pleased, happier than when I built and finished it. That was the moment for me. :) I can't wait for the museum exhibit, I'm helping with it too and it's going to be so much fun.

[ManInATopHat]

Wow! Amazing MOC, I love the use of the red bricks, nice rendition. Very detailed, great work!

[theDeanoRama]

Well deserved placement in the museum. You have nicely captured the real thing here, are there any future plans towards building out the interior at all?

[Hrw-Amen]

Looks really nice just like the real thing! Should look good on display. What are the other models you mentioned that will be displayed alongside it?

[Alasdair Ryan]

A excellent Lego version of a nice looking 80's building.

I like the decorative futures at the top and around the windows.

[eurotrash]

Super job and congratulations on being front paged.

[dvsntt]

I would love to be able to complete the interior. My budget won't allow for it now, I used almost every available penny to my name to build it. I did it for the love of Lego and my town. I can't say for certain if I will be able to do it, I've heard the owners of the Dickens are interested in buying it, and if they decline to have the interior furnished, it will be done as-is then. If they don't buy it, it be my next project, for certain.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Stunning MOC!

[King Aragorn]

Excellent building ...I love the logo "The Dickens Tavern"

[Ecclesiastes]

Great stuff, love the angled windows and ornamentation. Surely something be proud of, even more because it's on display!

[TheLegoDr]

Impressive work! A very fitting rendition of how it looks today. The only thing to add would be some trees and it would look as spot-on to the pictures as can be.

That'd be awesome to sell that. Hopefully you can recoup your costs! I can never imagine spending $1200 on one MOC, even if it was a passion of mine. So kudos on that. Dedication to the fullest.

Keep up the good work. Congrats on the front page and the exhibits.

[Ralph]

Great job! Thanks for sharing.

[The_Creator]

Very nice! All around an excellent build!

[Savage_opress]

OMG this is really cool completly similar