sonicstarlight

I have just been alerted that ebay seller miran0620 is at it again, this time claiming to have instructions to my modular courthouse. I have never made instructions for that set nor have I ever given anyone the rights to create or sell them. If you see any instructions for my courthouse or any other modular, DO NOT BUY THEM! I am alerting ebay now. Pity this guy wasn't banned a long time ago. UPDATE: Ebay has removed the listing.

Considering that I don't see myself finishing anything in time for the modular contest, I should at least enter this one.

I've been meaning to post in this topic for a few days now - really great work, and I love how the building really does look like an old building repurposed over time. The interiors are also very lovely, and I like that you took down some walls to get better photos of them. Blogged on Brick Town Talk!

I hate to bump old topics, but this model just went in the window at the LEGO Store in Rockefeller Center where is should remain through July should anyone in the NYC area want to check it out.

I knew you would be the one to beat, and thus far I think I'm right. At least you were nice enough to post early to allow everyone else a fighting chance to up their game. As usual I love everything, but putting the staircase in the middle of the building like that is something I've not seen often and is very well done. Once again, blogged on Brick Town Talk!

If it looks this good and you still want to make improvements, I can only imagine how great the final version will look. I personally like the extra height, and the detailing on both the front and the back is really great.

Really beautiful build! I've always been a fan of converting non-modular sets into modulars, and you didn't a brilliant job of taking the essence of the original set and making it your own. Very strong contender for the contest.

I don't think there is anyone else that is consistently putting out such great modulars as you are! The details are fantastic - the masonry work on the ground floor, the detailing on the bay window on the third floor, and just the overall scale is so completely perfect. I love that you don't constrain yourself to increments of 16-studs when making your buildings, and having everything at 4 floors rather than the standard 3 really makes everything look so much more realistic. I'll admit that I am hesitant to try my luck at the Modular Madness contest if you're willing to toss something as great as this out there just to get it out of the way so you can work on something that will somehow be even better (as mind-boggling as that is). I hope the runner up prizes are good. As always, blogged on Brick Town Talk!

Really beautiful building! You managed to take a color palette used in an official set and still make it feel completely original. The exterior detailing is perfect, and the interiors are really cozy. Blogged on Brick Town Talk!

Well, it looks like I need to end my little vacation from building early. Never entered a Lego contest before, but this is too tempting to pass up. Now, if only I actually had an idea for a new modular...

Took a trip to Washington DC last weekend to see the model installed - here are a few photos:

2) 3 votes 12) 2 votes 24) 1 vote 41) 1 vote Great entries - this was hard to pick from.

It's amazing the difference a proper camera can make! I've already posted on your flickr page and put these on Brick Town Talk, but I might as well give praise on Eurobricks as well. You continue to be the one to beat in terms of Art Deco models - so many subtle details when most only go after the grand gestures. The interiors are just as lovely as the outside, and those cars are worthy of a completely separate discussion topic. I've yet to see a build from you I didn't want for myself!

This tops the list, in my opinion. The way you took a highly complex building and scaled it down to that size while retaining all the design details that make it unique is nothing short of amazing! I'm glad I don't have an entry in here because there is no way I would top that.

Thank you for changing the title to avoid confusion - I was really on the fence when I made the topic and I agree that this helps to make it easier to find the real entries. I do. I'm not an architect, though - I actually do marketing and business development, which is how the invite made it across my desk first. I actually brought in one of my modulars as my pitch to do this, and thankfully the powers that be were impressed enough to let me run wild.

Nice to see Brutalism get some love again - there are a lot of bad buildings done in the style, but the great examples of it really stand up against any other style in my opinion. This is a great rendition of the building and it is really interesting to seeing two renditions of this by two different people in such a short time. Definitely one of my favorites.

I definitely think this is the most creative entry I've seen. It is extremely clever and fits the existing line very well.

NOTE: As stated in the topic description, this is not a real entry to the contest. It is completely my creation, but was done as part of my job and therefore I cannot accept any prizes. Besides, it's way too huge anyway. Over the last 6 weeks, I had the amazing opportunity to design and build my largest LEGO creation yet. When the National Building Museum announced they were expanding their exhibit on LEGO architecture and invited Robert A.M. Stern Architects to submit a model, I jumped at the chance. There were a lot of long hours and sleepless nights as a result, but I am very happy with the end result and am honored to have something that can be enjoyed by thousands rather than just anyone who happens to be in my living room. Here are some facts and statistics: Building Facts Project: 15 Central Park West Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP Location: New York, New York Building Height: 548 ft (35 stories) Model Facts Scale of Model: 1” = 16’-0” Height of Model: 36” Number of Pieces Used: over 30,000 Time to Create: 200 hours (100 hours to design; 100 hours to build) This model is now on display in the National Building Museum in Washington, DC as part of the expanded exhibit LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition from now until September 3, 2012. It is in the company of 15 models by LEGO certified professional builder Adam Reed Tucker, so I did my best to create something deserving of sharing the floor with them. With that out of the way, here are the pictures: A shot of the original building (photo by Peter Aaron/Esto for Robert A.M. Stern Architects). Now for my take on it. Here is the Central Park West facade. I like that the two buildings read as one from this angle - the same is true in real life. A view from Broadway and W. 62nd Street. You can see the retail shopfronts and the garden terrace on the sixth floor. The W. 61st Street facade. Here you can see that the two buildings (the House on the right and the Tower on the left) are connected by a central pavilion off of a motor court. Here is a shot between the two buildings looking the other way over the garden court. There is a health club in the lower level and the fountain in the garden doubles as a skylight to the pool below. Thank you for looking! Feel free to ask me any questions or give me your comments! Edit 1: Forgot to mention there are more photos on my flickr page.

Nicely done! I agree with everyone that this modular more than any others really lends itself to expansion, and I like that you built out rather than up. The proportions are much more pleasing than with the official set, in my opinion.

Probably about three times, and that might be low. It's more than twice the footprint of any official set, and while the bulk of it is lower than usual it still uses a lot of pieces. Every interior surface is tiled over, not to mention all the furniture (I just added a few more shots to the original post) makes this very piece heavy. I guestimated it at 7,500 before, but it wouldn't shock me if it were even another 1,000 on top of that.

I think this is my least favorite piece TLG has put out in recent years. I was fine when they were using them for the Creator sets, but I much prefer the system the original 5 modulars had over the Pet Shop. As for the color I am thrilled that it is dark orange over medium dark flesh. For one, this means a color that was extremely rare will now be abundantly available. On a more selfish reason, I already made two modulars that are predominantly medium dark flesh (again, because that color is already common and easy to get in bulk), so this will add a nice contrast to the mix.

Absolutely stunning! I'm personally a huge fan of building in mostly white, and I think you have nailed it. The hints of dark green are all you need - I wouldn't alter the palette you used in the least. The inside is full of tiny details which really adds a lot of life to the whole thing. I feel that a lot of modular builders have really been upping their game lately, and you are definitely leading the charge - the official sets are starting to feel underwhelming now as a result.

I've already posted this on flickr, but this is one of my favorite modulars of all time! Everything is so well considered, both inside and out - that double-height space with the chandelier is simply stunning. Blogged on Brick Town Talk!

Wonderful! The exteriors are clean but well detailed, and the interiors are truly stunning.

Putting a garage in a modular is a really clever idea and works well with this. The interiors might be a little tight, but I can say from experience that not all apartments are spacious.