Martin_B

@Hinckley: no worries - you come across as being knowledgable rather than pretentious, and hearing from people who know about gothic architecture is exactly what I need to hear! I'm working on the apse first, then moving to the crossing and the rest in stages afterwards...apparently that's how the originals were built (although I hope to finish the job in under 600 years! ) but going one region at a time is the easiest way. I can get the heights and widths right early on in the build. The half round arches you mentioned (the four in a block on the left hand side) are actually the arcs of the flying butresses...I realised that I needed to do pointed arches, but found a use for the 'quarter round' shape in those instead. The pinnacles will be decorated, with some embellishments on top of those cones. Cologne's pinnacles in particular are very...spiky. Tricky to do, but a fun challenge! EDIT: I really ought to emphasise how long this is going to take me...I expect to finish the apse in the next couple of weeks, but by Christmas the rest will still be at the 'floor plan' stage and I probably won't have got too far with the crossing and transepts by then. Really the main thing that's slowing me down is finding the right parts on Bricklink, and having the money ready!

Thanks all for the kind words so far. Yeah, the 'rainbow' structure is just a planning stage thing...I'll be using the 'right' colours for the final version. The majority of it will be built in light grey with some smatterings of dark grey to give an impression of age and exposure to the elements. The columns and arches on the inside though are made of tan bricks, to give the interior a feeling of warmth and light. Although we think of gothic architecture as being monolithic, dark and gloomy, at the time they were seen as quite light and airy in comparison with the thick walls and small windows of earlier buildings. I've not looked as far ahead as windows, but I think a lot of transparent 1x1 bricks and tiles will be involved. A lot. I tried making the side aisles out of two arches but it didn't look quite right so it's back to one on each side. I can also increase the height of the building without altering the angles of the arches - I can add to the columns and windows easily if I want to. It's a big job indeed, but hopefully doing it in stages (apse and choir, the crossing, the nave and finally the western facade with its towers) should stop me feeling overwhelmed!

Hey, all. It's been a while. I moved during the summer and my Lego collection sat in a cupboard for a while, so I only just got the bug again. After a Technic scale futuristic jet plane last year, I decided on a more 'traditional' architecture-related project this time around. It's early days but I'm doing a minifig scale medieval cathedral in the European gothic style. My main source of inspiration is the Kolner Dom in Cologne but for obvious reasons I'm having to make a few compromises - even at minifig scale, it would be physically too large to fit in my living room! I hit on the idea of doing it in a 'modular' fashion: minifig scale, with more detail than the commercially-produced Castle-era Lego sets but still smaller and made in sections. I reckon it'll be around a third of the size of, say, Notre Dame or Cologne from a minifig's point of view. Photos so far are on Google Plus...I'll add them to Flickr or something when each phase is completed. So far I've worked out the general floor plan, the cross-section shape of the nave and side aisles and the general shape of the buttresses outside. Apologies if any of the technical terms go over you head - I've had to give myself a crash course in architecture and engineering! The question I have right now is about the side-aisles (Re: the cross-section pic below). Church buildings of that era have a big span across the tall central area, but in the larger ones the lower side aisles are each divided into pairs of arches like this. I'm currently working to a simpler design with the side aisles made up of just one arch each, so I'm torn between a more conventional 'three arches' layout that's easier to build, or a more complicated arrangement of five, as in Cologne or Notre Dame. It's something I need to decide before going any further. Thoughts? Advice? Is this thread even in the right forum?? Anyhow, it's good to be back and feeling inspired to build something again!

The interior shots haven't made me more impressed, as I'd hoped they would. I have the same issues as some other people - the windows in the auditorium, the lack of projector room/toilets, the size in general. But then, if those limitations were intended to make the set a bit more affordable, I can understand why they've designed it that way. Anyone else see those interior shots and think, "Cool. I want to buy this and mod it." I can think of some areas where I'd take the charming details and overall concept, and extend it to my own liking in directions that wouldn't have been practical or financially viable for the original designers.

I'm not going to make a final judgement on one pic, but it does look better when part of that unofficial photoshopped image (well done on that, BTW). I'm sure it'll grow on me, but at this early stage I'm not all that impressed. There's a combination of pseudo-oriental design and art deco going on there, but they don't work all that well together. The blending of multiple styles in architecture usually makes the end product more than the sum of its parts, but it doesn't work too well for me here. I've always associated art deco motifs with ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, but I won't pretend to be an expert. I guess what I mean to say is, I love art deco and far-East inspired architecture, but it's not often I see the two of them combined successfully into one building. Here's hoping that this aspect of the set will grow on me with time. From a technical/building POV, I really want to see how the interior is designed. It does look a bit small - there was a modular cinema MOC, the pics of which were floating around a while back and really impressed me. From what I remember, that was a *bit* more modern but made efficient use of space in both the horizontal and vertical. I don't want to sound like an old grump for bringing out my old "I wish it weren't a corner building..." complaint again, but this set would probably benefit from being a full 32 studs in width while still allowing for that cool pavement/sidewalk detailing. The cinemas I've seen IRL rarely have entrances on corners. but still look great. In summary, I think this has some nice features but it hasn't convinced me just yet. Interior shots and possibly the RRP might sway that. If nothing else though, it will inspire me to design a MOC modular cinema that's nearer to what I was expecting!

Excellent work. The spires either side of the main door and the detail on the walls are especially impressive. I really like the look of the first version, but the re-designed one is even better. I've been thinking a lot lately about how to get light grey Castle-type elements built into a 'present day' Town setting, but you've just done a better job than I could've imagined! Well done!

This. What I read of Cardinal's posts seemed to infer that he was allowed to be rude to others (Rick, other people here and even TLG itself) but demanded that nobody should be rude to him because of his own interpretation of what he thinks 'freedom of speech' means. I'm sorry, but it's a two-way street and if you want to throw a concept or phrase around to make your point, at least have some understanding of what that concept means and what it's used for! I really enjoy reading and participating in this forum because you all seem to be a sensible and well-mannered bunch. I wouldn't want anyone to be excluded, but I if Cardinal shows the sort of attitude he's shown so far, I wouldn't want him around until he's learned some manners. The site rules don't ask too much in my opinion either. They're perfectly reasonable and work just fine.

The best (by which I mean worst!) joke I heard was about a jar of salad dressing found in the back of a fridge labelled "use by 21 December 2012." They reckon it's mayannaise. The apocalypse stuff seems to happen with surprising frequency, considering the 'finality' of what's supposed to happen. I think of it this way: if the world IS going to end...well, there'll NOTHING around after that, which by the same token means there's nothing to worry about either! Hmm...that's getting a bit too philosophical. Maybe I should stick to searching for bad puns instead...

Yeah. I'm planning to modify/modular-ify an old 80s Town set to incorporate it into the layout I'm planning in the new year. I can understand the charm and convenience of open-backed buildings for playability, but for AFOLs it makes sense to modify them. It's better for display purposes I think.

Inspiring indeed. The way you've extended the GE looks really natural, and the inside corner with diagonal door on the other building is fantastic. Thanks for sharing! Any other plans for modded modulars in the pipeline?

THIS. *highfives* I'd take great satisfaction in watching that. I'd do exactly the same thing in that situation too. I've heard about the same thing happening to musical instruments...'classic' or 'vintage' guitars from the 50s and 60s currently sit in vaults as 'investments' for wealthy collectors. WHY? They're musical instruments! They were designed and built to be played and enjoyed! Similarly, when a toy isn't played with it isn't a toy. It's forced into being something it isn't, which is really sad. I loved that James May vid BTW. The cheeky trollface.jpg grin as he left the auction house was great.

That fits in really well. I've been thinking about how to do MOCs of modern Japanese architecture - private houses and such, like you'd see in a small town or city suburb - instead of high-rises and old-fashioned 'classical' styles...they're 'modular' by nature but I was worried that they'd look too plain and dull if I did try it in Lego. Thanks for showing that it is indeed possible!

I'm not taken by that one either. The details are nice - with all due respect to the builder, it's great as a MOC - but the shape is too similar to Modulars of the past...namely the GE (which I own already) and CC. I'm just not overly keen on the idea of lots of corner buildings, because it gives fewer options for placement in a layout. It's dependent on how you're displaying it I guess, but I'm personally going for a shopping street type of setup. If I had one more corner-type building I'd like to build some that fit in between the road ends!

It is indeed something to be proud of! The angles of the roadway and half-collapsed buildings add a very un-lego irregularity to the layout. Most effective. The underground parts are a nice touch too. If you dig post-apocalyptic SF type stuff in urban settings, I recommend the works of Paolo Bacigalupi. The background story to your MOC reminds me a bit of the books of his that I've read.

Fantastic! I really enjoyed watching the series (I haven't got around to the latest one though...really should find some time for that)...heck, I dig anything that Akiyuki Shinbo's worked on. There's something really relaxing and calming about sitting back and watching an episode of Hidasketch after a long day! You seem to have the scale right, assuming you're working to minifigs. It's just so...instantly recognisable. I think that's the simplest way of giving my personal approval. Right from the first photo I thought, "yep...I know exactly what that is." I can see the challenges that were involved...there are a lot of clean lines and interesting bits of geometry going on in Shinbo's directing style that lend themselves well to Lego building, but at the same time it's a very stylised and 'simple' aesthetic so doesn't always give much background detail to go on when you're trying to make a model of it. Do you have any photos of the interiors of the rooms BTW?

Fantastic work...I even recognise the Lee Evans minifig! Okay, that's two Fifth Element MOCs that I'd go out and buy for myself if they were retail sets. It makes me want to rewatch the film...again. Very well done!

I have a couple of Black Knights-era sets, plus King Leo's Castle, and there are a lot of things I like about both. BURPs and raised baseplates are two things I've grown to dislike but I now appreciate how they can add an extra something to the aesthetics. The 'Fright Knights' were rubbish IMO, although there were a lot of things I didn't like about TLG's output during the mid- to late 90s. GCSEs were only a couple of years away at the time, and the Dark Ages duly ensued. I'm not sure where my KLC set came from, since it was available during that time! Presumably my family saw it in a charity shop and bought it for me while I was away at uni or something. It's a mystery! I had to look up the Kingdoms II line, but I honestly don't know what was going on with that. I can see why so many people were disappointed with it. The original Ninjas on the other hand...yeah, I would've dug that had I been paying attention at the time. I love the look of the Lion Knights/Crusaders and Black Falcons and always did. The BFs are not necessarily 'bad' guys like the Black Knights were, although I like both. I kinda dig the moral ambiguity between the Falcons and the Lions...there's potential for some nice nuanced rivalries. Plus, the Black Knight castle buildings had so many black elements they lost detail when viewed in dim light or from a distance. If I were to do some MOCs as a tribute to that era (not a bad idea, thinking about it...) I'd use the darker shade of grey instead of black. If I had to point at one thing that gave me a sentimental attachment to pre-1993 Castle, it would have to be *that* siege scene in the 1985 Ideas Book 200 (it's the last scan on this page). I've wanted to recreate a scene like that involving the Lions. Falcons and/or Black Knights since forever!

I'm still not sure whether to open up the box for this one or keep it as-is in case I want to sell it on later. The honest person in me would rather trade it for something else since it was a freebie in the Brick Friday deal! I don't know if it was (or will be) available elsewhere though, I'm afraid. There isn't much to it parts-wise but as an addition to a theme layout in your christmas stocking it's really nice. I'm half-tempted to keep it and start collecting the rest of the Winter Village stuff actually...

I'm learning how to use LDD (read: learn how to not lose my temper when it crashes) and rebuilding an old fave in the format of the newer, bigger and more detailed modular Town buildings. I believe this set came free with tokens as a promotional thing when you bought Weetabix back in the 80s...it's so long ago now, all I remember is eating loads of the stuff as a youngster and getting this cool little set. It has a nice look to it what with the two staggered halves to the building, plus the neat skylights in the roof. With a bit more floor space I reckon there's room to add more furniture, close off the back walls, add a pitch to the roof on both front and back, and make it look more in proportion with the modulars. Unfortunately LDD is apparently prone to bugs, at least in my case, so it's not as complete - or detailed - as I'd hoped. Ignoring then the fact that half the building floats in midair like an M C Escher optical illusion, here's the first draft of the ground floor. Viewed from the rear, with a 4-stud full-height window (I wanted five studs high, but LDD only had a 4x6). View from the front with postbox and garden furniture. I'll use the original 4x5 doors. The floor plan. Kitchen/diner to the left; living room/study on the right. Unless something miraculous happens when getting to grips with LDD, I'll probably build this 'IRL' instead since it'll be less frustrating in the long run! I'm keeping it to two floors for now, but of course since it'll be a modular there'll be room to add more in between the ground floor and the top one. In my late-night hair-tearing session this evening I even forgot where the stairs are going to go though, so suggestions are welcome!

Welcome! 30 years young, in the UK and coming out of the Dark Ages after a decade and a half...yep, sounds familiar! I'm finding it's not a bad time to get back into Lego actually - you probably have your own place and disposable income so really...why not indeed? Bricklink is the main place people seem to go for an online catalogue of bricks and complete sets (it's mega-useful for getting the pieces together for your own models as well as spare parts) but there's a 'pick a brick' feature on the official site too. I've only used Bricklink personally, but there's a thread on this forum somewhere that has tips and advice on how to use and navigate it. The categories and sub-categories are confusing at first but you soon get used to it.

I just ran up against the same problem as you: when I put my old Metro Park & Service Tower (6394) up against the new modular GE the top deck of the car park barely reaches the second floor! The only way around it is to somehow 'modular-ify' the old sets to give them a similar size and level of detail. I'm not keen on the idea of dismantling old sets, but rebuilding them to the newer 'modular' standard is the only compromise I came up with. Hpefully it'll mean I can enjoy the aesthetic of the modular stuff while paying homage to the old-school faves. I'm currently working on 'modularifying' my old 1484 Weetabix house to the new dimensions, albeit in LDD at this stage. I'll post pics!

I started thinking about the 'evolution' of the Town/City theme, and The Dutch Guy hits on some points that occurred to me after I wrote my last reply. One of the reasons I went into my Dark Ages was because the offerings in the late 90s and early 2000s didn't appeal to me so in some ways the new City and Creator sets are getting back to a higher standard. That's objective, measurable things like numbers of minifigs, piece count, number of specialised parts, and also more subjective aspects like playability and aesthetics. One possible argument for why things have changed is that TLG is trying to compete with videogames and other 21st century media, but I think the economic climate is a big factor here, as Aanchir mentioned. My theory is that, because times are tough financially, manufacturers are producing 'safe' products that are more likely to sell. Emergency services and themes with 'conflict' are obvious candidates for the target audience; adding other things to the range carries a risk of poor sales. Maybe if we didn't have this worldwide recession TLG might run the risk of experimenting with new ideas instead of falling back on police and fire stations? Another question: does anyone know why there haven't been any more reissued 'Legends' lately? Since it's impractical to keep the old faves on the shelves all the time, bringing the occasional classics back every now and then was a nice compromise.

It looks like there isn't much in my box of old stuff that isn't already scanned and uploaded, but I'll see what I can do. If nothing else, it's useful reference material for comparing the different names of things between the US and UK. Some of the old catalogues that came free with larger sets of the time (as opposed to the catalogues printed for each country and available in shops etc) had a slightly different format in that, instead of a photo+set title+set number+description they had set titles in several languages instead of the description. I quite liked the descriptions in the UK catalogues, but it was interesting to see what they were called in different countries. The original Pirates' ship is known as 'Black Seas Baraccuda' but in the UK we called it 'Dark Shark'...in France it was apparently called 'Requin Noir' which, according to my hazy memories of high school French classes, suggests that BSB's name was similar in France and the UK!

Yeah. I think it's going to be an issue with any historical theme - how to appeal to the customers without 'dumbing down' or sanitising it? I think Pirates is a shining example of how they can successfully overcome those issues though - it's eye-catching, fun and has loads of 'playability' and scope for MOCs (many years before a certain series of movies made pirates a mainstream thing!). And yet, all of this is done off the back of a 'romantic' public perception that came from the likes of 'Treasure Island' and suchlike as opposed to how the world actually was back then. There's certainly no mention of the darker side of the historical context, such as the violence and the scurvy! I'm not sure TLG will ever hit a marketing goldmine in the way that they did with the Pirates theme; that was a masterstroke that would be VERY hard to replicate with another. The Wild West is another child fave since kids either play 'Pirates' or 'Cowboys and Indians'. But then, Wild West is another historical theme that's been done in Lego already so what's left? Selfishly I'd like to see a Ninjas reissue...not the fantasy-themed Ninjago that's currently available; I mean the earlier 'historical' one. I got into Japanese culture and architecture later on during my Dark Ages and I wish I'd collected those now!

Wow, I remember those UK-based Bricks 'n' Pieces mags from the early 90s...even then I thought they were a bit 'low-budget' in the writing and presentation, but they had some genuinely cool and inspirational stuff in there and I have a lot of nice childhood memories associated with them. Shame I never got around to going to any of the events they advertised though...things like the Pirates exhibition would've been a lot of fun! Being the strange sort of child I was, I actually kept quite a few of them so although they're not in particularly good condition I've considered buying/borrowing a scanner to upload them for sharing with fellow fans. I found a box full of old catalogues, Lego Club mags and adverts...I doubt they're valuable financially speaking, but are fascinating from a fan's point of view. And those adverts...the stop-motion ones always impressed me. Thanks for sharing all this...it's brought the memories flooding back!