After a long day of microscale bustling about, I imagine the residents of any micropolis diorama would enjoy unwinding in this unashamedly wooden 60’s Tiki restaurant by eyescream54:
Tag Archives: Architecture
Modern townhouse
I saw Paul Hetherington‘s modern townhouse at Brickcon last year and was immediately impressed by the elegant artistic style of the creation. There is a fully detailed interior along with working light fixures. Take a look at more photos on Flickr to see different angles of the building, each offering a new visual aesthetic.
“Yes, we are an effective team...”
While the story line and characters of TRON: Legacy may have left you flat, it was hard not to be impressed by visual design of the movie’s vehicles and environments, which were almost certainly down to director Joseph Kosinski’s extensive background in architecture.
Kosinksi delivered a similar visual treat in the Tom Cruise vehicle Oblivion, which featured some equally eye-catching designs such as the Bubbleship, recreated here in LEGO by Shannon Sproule:
As an added treat for Kosinksi fans, builder Irwan Prabowo has also recreated the sky tower from the same movie, complete with an even tinier version of the Bubbleship:
Balboa Park
This creation by Bill Vollbrecht is a building from Balboa Park in San Diego called the El Prado Arcade. The ornate architecture of the model is stunning and is a real treat for the eyes.
Dining in style
Spring has only just started (on the Northern hemisphere), but the restaurant built by Snaillad already makes me long for summer.
This must be because it was inspired by the wonderful art deco buildings along Ocean Drive / South Beach in famously sunny Miami Beach. It looks very nice on the outside and also comes with a detailed interior. Normally I am partial to visible studs on a LEGO model, but I have to admit that this would not look nearly as good if it wouldn’t have such a clean and studless construction.
Character building
After almost a decade, LEGO’s café corner series seems to be as popular as ever. And while it’s not uncommon to see fan-created additions to the range, I’m particularly impressed by the collection that Flickr member Jme Wheeler has amassed:
But these are more than just pretty facades… The lively design and color scheme of each multi-story building continues on the inside, with a staggering amount of detail showing mini-fig citizens going about their daily lives. So much detail in fact, that a couple of example images just can’t do them justice! So I encourage you to visit the builder’s Flickr stream to enjoy the inner beauty of their Music Shop, Heartstone Bakery, Pip’s Salon and L. Rivendell Museum of Natural History for yourself.
Living in the past
Swedish builder LegoJalex‘s ongoing exploration of the mundane trappings of the 70s and 80’s continue to fascinate me. They are almost like brick-built, still-life photo studies of life before we worried about such things as “ergonomics” and “NSFW”.
If seeing a computer on every desk seems anachronistic for a 70’s office, remember these wouldn’t have been desktop computers, they’d have been simple mainframe terminals, and you would have only seen something like this if you worked in a futuristic thing called a “data processing center”.
The builder also created this cityscape, which I think complements the above interior nicely. It’s subtle, but the attention to detail in this scene is amazing, especially all the surface textures on the parking structure. And the Volvo grill is a nice touch!
Flying round town
Usually when we spot an interesting build, we’re presented with the overall view and have to dig in to appreciate the details. But on this occasion curve loving Flickr member lisqr has given us the opportunity to start close up, and pull back to appreciate the full splendor of his futuristic cityscape:
Click below the fold for the reveal!
Concrete jungle
Modern architecture doesn’t have to be all about boxes clad in plate glass. Inaugurated last October in the Italian city of Milan, the Bosco Verticale is a experiment in eco-architecture: Two high-rise apartment blocks which incorporate live trees into every level. And now Glascow-based builder Elspeth De Montes has created the definitive LEGO version! Here it is, next to a picture of the original:
Aerial Arena – The more you look, the more you are drawn in
You have to check out the domed roof on this lovely building by Pete Strege. The curve of the roof is so perfectly smooth, I can’t believe it. So very, very nice. But I also really like the colors of the building and the overall architectural style. It reminds me a lot of Vista House, an observatory that my wife and I used to visit in the Columbia Gorge.
Architecture: Curving away from the norm
Traditional architecture with right angles and straight walls are commonplace in LEGO cities, since the brick naturally lends itself to that style. Less common are modern buildings with curving walls, but flickr user lisqr manages quite well here with the clever implementation of curved train tracks to set the structure for this wavy edifice.
Massive “London 1875: Capital of an Empire” display captures the squalor & beauty of the Victorian era
The Bricks to the Past group in the UK unveiled their latest large-scale collaboration at the Great Western Brick Show (aka STEAM) a couple weeks ago, and it’s a sight to behold.
Featuring scenes from Victorian London at the time of the Industrial Revolution, the display was built by James Pegram, Jimmy Clynche, Simon Pickard, and Workshysteve
The display not only includes street scenes, great architecture, and other above-ground details, but also extensive underground detail, such as sewers, crypts, and fossils.
Check out their Flickr group and website for more photos and a walkthrough of the various builds in the display.