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Hey fellow AFOLs! Last week, one of my dreams finally came true — I managed to collect the necessary pieces for two old modular buildings that were missing from my collection: the Café Corner and the Fire Brigade. I was sorting my loose bricks during the summer and realized I had many 1×2, 1×4, 1×6, and 1×8 bricks in various colors that I hadn’t really used over the last couple of years in my builds, so I started playing around with the idea of checking how many of the necessary bricks I already had for these two classic LEGO sets. After a quick check, I found I already had around 30% of the parts, so I thought it would be a good idea to order the remaining bricks and finally build these beauties. Café Corner This set is from 2007, and it contains some bricks that I knew I’d need to substitute: There’s an old 1 × 4 × 5 gray door on the side of the building which is just too expensive for me, so I used a newer 1 × 4 × 6 light bluish gray door instead. This meant I had to redesign that section of the building a bit, but it’s not a big deal for me. In contrast, I didn’t replace the famous front door of the café, because I really liked it and managed to find it for under 10 euros — which, in my opinion, was an acceptable price for a rare, discontinued part in new condition. There’s a nice decoration above the door made out of ski pieces. There’s a new mold variant of these pieces that is significantly cheaper than the old one, so I decided to use the newer ones. The designers used a beautiful 1 × 8 × 2 dark blue arch piece above the side door. Since I believe there’s a chance LEGO will re-release that piece in future sets (it’s a common part, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t use it again), I just used a dark bluish gray one for now and I'll change it in the future. It doesn’t spoil the overall look, and I had plenty of those lying around. To my surprise, the 2 × 2 light bluish gray turntable pieces used for building the 45-degree walls are also pretty pricey, but they can be substituted with 2 × 2 jumpers, so I changed those too. Of course, I replaced the old white wall pieces with real 1 × 2 × 3 windows, and also the big 2 × 4 × 3 windows with the new type. The parrots that decorate the tower come in two different mold variants, so I just used the cheaper one (I believe it’s the new one). The designers used 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 tiles because 1 × 3 tiles didn’t exist back in 2007, so I replaced those with 1×3s in some places. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the result! Anyone familiar with modular buildings can tell this is the Café Corner, and these small piece substitutions are noticeable only after a detailed inspection. Fire Brigade This set is a bit newer, so I didn’t need to modify much of it: The designers used a big 8 × 16 tile as the base of the garage, but I had plenty of 2 × 2 and 2 × 4 tiles in my collection, so I just used those instead to save a bit of money. The back doors aren’t produced anymore and are hard to find, so I just designed and built my own doors — I think the outcome is pretty solid! The fireman’s pole was yellow in the original set, but I found silver ones on the online Pick a Brick website, so I ordered those instead.This way it was cheaper, and it also looks better! And the red garage doors... well, I almost gave up when I saw that those pieces are around 6-8 euros each on BrickLink, but luckily I noticed they were reintroduced in the City Tower set earlier this year, so I just had to wait around 3-4 months to get them from PAB! I was very impatient, but it was worth the wait. ;) Verdict For modular building collectors, I believe this is a fantastic way of building these old sets, since they’re very expensive if one wants to buy them sealed. I paid around 440 euros (including postage) for the two sets, using all new pieces except for the gold dish on the bell and the three special grille pieces — but fortunately, I managed to get those in very good condition. Now, let’s see all three of my BrickLinked modular buildings together — they’re beautiful and I still can't believe I finally own them! :) I displayed all of my modular buildings and the beautiful Creator Expert carousel on a local LEGO exhibition last week, the visitors really liked the layout! I'm planning to motorize the carousel and add some trains to the layout next year! ;)
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My Lego project this year has been parting together the first three sets from the modular building series. I used parts from my own collection in combination with bricklink orders, and while there are a few part substitutions for cost reasons, I wanted to keep things as faithful to the originals as possible. Some of the notable changes are: CC) old style 1x2x3 panels with solid studs and 2x2 jumpers for most of the light bley turntables; MS) old style white hoses for balconies (I think these look a bit nicer too) and basic 1x4x3 windows instead of train windows; GG) the sand green walls redesigned to avoid 1x8s. My custom interiors use only parts that were accessible in 2007/08 to keep a consistent style going. It was also a really fun challenge. I hope you like seeing what I came up with. Cafe Corner After parting together the Cafe Corner, it has undoubtedly become one of my favorites of the modular building series. The warm colors on the upper floors are handsome and thoughtfully blocked out, and the dark blue on the ground floor is a fantastic idea. It being a hotel and cafe is also very inviting imagery, and I was inspired to turn it into a European-style hostel with a ground floor cafe and bakery. The ground floor cafe and bakery has a few seats and tables as well as plenty of open space for customers to stand. It's all a bit kitschy, especially the floor design I chose, but also pretty in-keeping with design sensibilities from this era of Lego in my opinion. I put the kitchen area in front of the set's blue wall to keep things visually sectioned-off. The coffee machine was a build I had a lot of fun coming up with. There is also a key on the wall, which is meant to represent keys to the door of the stairwell leading up to the hostel— I figure this counter is the one-stop-shop for everything in the building. The first floor of the hostel features three bunk-beds with storage drawers underneath for each guest, a bathroom, and some stained glass, which continues the old-world feel of the brown interior and lattice windows. The upper floor has more comfortable accommodations with three larger beds, a desk and chair and a dresser. Market Street I was really, really surprised how much I ended up loving Market Street. This set is typically found at the bottom of people's rankings of the modular buildings, but it's safely near the top of mine. Sure, it's a hair more than half a modular; but it was priced accordingly, and who doesn't like a little height variation in their layout? Besides, the open-air market space would be a terrific addition to any urban area. The ability to configure the square floors in different directions is a bit unnecessary for display, sure, but it's undeniably in the spirit of Lego. And medium blue, gosh, what a pretty color. I decided to make mine into a science museum with its medium of engagement being its library. This is a museum you could spend all day at, combing through their collection of books on the scientific topic and deepen your understanding. Much of my inspiration here came from a place I visited in Amsterdam called "embassy of the free mind". The guy in the blazer is the owner of the museum and has immense passion for the topic, demonstrated by the piles and piles of books scattered everywhere. To him, though, it's organized chaos. I tried something different with the technic bookshelf, I think it turned out pretty cool! The second floor features walls of infographics, important objects on display, and general outlines of the topic. Inside the clear case is a sextant element; maybe this is some sort of astronomy museum? I made the absolute most of the available space on the third floor to place several columns of bookshelves, a plant, and a statue of a foundational scientist in the field. The outdoor area under the awning is kept the same from the original set—a fantastic place to pass the time and read! Lastly, here's what I've done with the market space and the back side. I guess we know where the plant in the 2x2 yellow cylinder out front is grown! Green Grocer Green Grocer is a fantastic, inventive modular building and fits beautifully with the previous two. Many of the window and door elements we take for granted today were released in 2008 with this set and the Town Plan. But in my opinion the sand green groove bricks, creating a powerhouse of detail, are this set's real showstopper. It's a shame they're not more readily available. I've kept the ground floor the same from the original model. That tile design—so charming! I made the rest of the building into a spacious two-story apartment. The rug and the grandfather clock have been moved to this floor from the upper floor where they were placed in the original set, I think they give the space a lot of character. The chairs are a variation of a design I came up with for my Hobbiton MOC a long time ago, and they work well here I think, the upside down grey turntable playing nicely off the grey floor. I'm also quite proud of the sink, which I got to fit almost perfectly in the bay window, and the SNOT refrigerator using mailboxes and brackets partially locked into the wall and partially acting as storage shelves. Upstairs is a bedroom with a reading nook and a full bathroom. The bed frame is a somewhat complex build featuring hammers, continuing the set's motif of using that piece for detail. I made no changes to the rooftop patio on the original set, it's perfect as is! Thanks for looking at what I had to share! Let me know what you think -
I'd like to take you to another stop in my burgeoning modular LEGO city! Today's visit is to the Octopus Japanese Restaurant, where minifigs flock for authentic Asian cuisine! Here's Octopus! The torii and rock garden help to allure hungry diners to the restaurant. If you're in the mood for sushi or hibachi, you've arrived at the right place. Around back, we can see the open air dining area. A closeup view of the dining area in the back of the restaurant. Now for a look inside! Here's the ground floor. The sushi bar is to the right, with a casual dining area to the left. Another look at the ground floor. There's a sink in the prep area near the sushi bar, some decorative items on the wall, and a restroom under the stairs. One of the most alluring aspects of the ground floor is the large aquarium, dividing the sushi bar and table settings and giving the restaurant a calm atmosphere. There's even a light feature in the aquarium to further enhance the experience. Here's a look at the bathroom. It's a small space but it has what's necessary. But now, let's travel up the stairs to the next floor: The next level has two hibachi tables. The hibachi is very popular for large parties and business meetings. The chefs are very skilled and put on a highly entertaining show. To the right, another chef prepares food for preparation at the table. Some friends are enjoying sake and miso soup before their entree is served. Swinging doors separate the kitchen area from the patrons in the main dining area. And now, let's go up one final flight of stairs, which really picks up after hours: The top floor contains a karaoke bar and lounge! Patrons sing their hearts out to their favorite songs, but occasionally a professional entertainer puts on her kimono for a performance on selected nights. Dark curtains help keep an ambient vibe and another aquarium and flowers keep the patrons happy. And for musical accompaniment, a full sized piano sits on the stage. Our featured performer hopes you enjoyed your evening at Octopus! Check out more pictures on my Flickr page!
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Two years ago, in a break between some Mocs, I spent a couple of evenings working on the interior furnitures for the 10182 Cafe Corner. Everything has been designed to be inserted without touching any existing details of the first classic Modular Building. Neither the walls, no part has been replaced. All I did was simply trying to add things and details. Even plate to make more solid the floors. But let's go inside the description: On the ground floor there is a café (obviously), I looked for similar French cafè on the internet to get some inspirations, so I tried to give an 'art nouveau' look with arches enclosing the area with tables, leather sofas ... Among the arches I've put lattice in the completed model, to give a sensation of being inside a gazebo (unluckily LDD doesn't accept lattice inside arches)... To this lattice a fixed 2x2 pictures decorated tiles using technic pins Floral decorations were very popular in the Art Nouveau, so I placed flowers on the pillars. The bar counter with wood inlaid is completed with foodbox. The cabinet on the back has more or less what you can usually find in a bar, glasses, bottles and a coffee machine. The central door has been given a bell. The tile and plate scattered in the air have been put to fill the holes left in the set. The staircase has been all covered and equipped with handrails. The first floor includes the Hotel reception with a small bench and the bell, a plant, a single room with a bed and wardrobe and a bathroom in common. Unfortunately the space is what it is and the chance to do complex things, or more accurate was impossible. But in the end, if we think about it, a few decades ago it was usual to find small hotel with a shared bathroom in the hallway, so I thought it could fit in a consistent manner. Above the reception desk I placed a classic shape chandelier. On the second floor there are two bedrooms, one double and one single ... Above the stairs, another chandelier with classic shape. That's all, I hope you enjoy this little Moc.
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I know there is no way to know what Lego is going to do and I know that chances of it happening are slim at best but as I am seeing a few, well a couple, of Lego sets being re-released, like the Death Star and the Winter Village Toy Shop, both re-released recently although slightly different from their originals, I was wondering if Lego would ever re-release one of the three first modular buildings, Cafe Corner, Market Street or Green Grocer. I guess they will never do it, it would make the parallel/secondary market mad at them. But I have hope, one day it may happen. Lego is a mean company...
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I own the pet shop and the fire brigade, my sister owns the green grocer, the grand emporium, the palace cinema and the town hall, she isn't into LEGO anymore, but she keeps them as ornaments.
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I recently completed parting out the Green Grocer and had a lot of fun with it. I had to make a few modifications due to the super high cost of some of the rare bricks and it looks like I'll have to do the same thing with Cafe Corner. One piece I'm particularly concerned about is Element #4222968, "White Ski with Hinge". 11 of these babies make the front arch thing. I've noticed that the Ski without hinge is significantly more common/cheaper and was wondering if anyone else who bricklinked/parted out cafe corner made this similar variation and has a picture of it. Can't decide which way to go but wish I had an idea before making the decision to fork over the $$$ or not.
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Hi all, Here is a layout I did recently. The front section was custom built for this event. It was inspired and supposed to loosely resemble Neuhoff in Denmark. I used over 40 different colors and fun trying to make as many different styles. It was a great exercise in using many of my random windows, doors, and roof slopes, and rare colors that I have acquired over the years but didn't have enough to do anything large scale with. Most of the boats were also recently made and came out well for what I was aiming for. The back section has some of my larger town buildings some of which are somewhat new. Total layout is about 8x8 feet. Enjoy! More pics on my Flickr stream
