Olde English

Courtesy Blencathra by Derfel Cadarn

Stratford-upon-Avon, England- (BTT) For hundreds of years, stone was the way to go for buildings- it lasted, it didn't rot, it was easily stacked, and was readily available. In England, stonework seemed to be particularly favoured in medieval times. And although the stonework on this MOC is simply brilliant, it's not the only feature that catches your eye. The garden with ivy attaching itself to the walls, the chimney poking its head out of the roof, and the slate roof are all details of great note. Why, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch of the imagination to think of a famous playwright living here, or nearby!

Under Construction

Courtesy GGE, FB2 preview by Cimmdwic

Men at Work- (BTT) You know you hate the dust and reduced speed limits, but construction is a necessary evil. You wouldn't want the building that you're reading this in to fall down around you, would you? No. But, construction doesn't always have to be ugly. Just one look at these modified modular buildings shows how good it can look. The modified Grand Emporium, with  bar, rooftop gallery, expanded toy store (Now stocking Lego!), and cafe doesn't missuse the larger floor plan. The growing Fire Brigade, meanwhile, has incorporated another floor, complete with balcony, and what looks like a new garage, under construction. We'll keep you posted on the progress of this project!

What Happens in Amsterdam...

Courtesy Amsterdam Hotel by BrickCityDepot

Amsterdam, The Netherlands- (BTT) As one of the oldest cities in Europe, Amsterdam has had its time to rack up a large number of beautiful buildings. This is one of those buildings. From the elegant rooftop, to the awning over the entrance, this building screams beauty and elegance. The interior doesn't disappoint either! From a hotel logo on the rug adorning the foot of the stairs, to the mailboxes for the residents, the dual suites, a small landing leading to an even smaller balcony, this modular doesn't disappoint. May I suggest the caviar, sir?

Also, this is our 1,200th post! A big thank you to all of our readers and followers for making this possible!

Modular Building Blues

Courtesy Lego MOC: Blue Boardwalk by RedCoKid

Azure Drive- (BTT) Here we have what looks to be a lonely suburban modular house. But, one shouldn't always judge a book by its cover. Over here, Flickr user Red Co. Kid has built an entire city block of modular buildings in various shades of blue! From a blue rendition of the Cafe corner, to this great suburban home, it's all there! The buildings feature details such as stoplights, play sets, full interiors, a garage, Olivia's workshop, and even a microscale rendition of the very town that it exists in!

Inspiration of the Day 4-26-12

Courtesy House in beach Palabritas by Archdaily 

Time for more inspiration! I'm truly a sucker for soft colours and shiny buildings, so this one jumped right out at me. This house, designed by Jose Orrego in Palabritas Beach, Lima, Peru has an amazing touch built into it. The rounded rectangle in the front of the building acts as as a "frame" to the beach and nearby islands on the other side of it. These curves would be a challenge to recreate in Lego, but if they were well achieved, the result would be beautiful. Get building!

Smart-Bricks

Hello all!

I was asked by Jordan Vincent to make a post on the behalf of Smart Bricks. Here's what he has to say:

Smart Bricks, a new unofficial LEGO store opened few days ago. But what is it, what does it sell? Smart Bricks sells models created by designers.  That is to say, if you are a designer and you want to share your models, ask them and they will create instructions, a box, and buy the pieces to make a complete set. Then anybody can order the set on Smart Bricks and enjoy the model!

One model, “The Magic House” is now available! It’s a beautiful Victorian house and contains nearly 2000 pieces. It has been designed by Valgarise.  Other models will be available soon.

Visit www.smart-bricks.com for further information!

Check it out if you get the chance!

I Can See for Miles and Miles...



Courtesy Terraced Street Corner by Dakar A

London, England- (BTT) Glasses are a really great invention, without them we would all be moles, with no sense of vision, feeling around our blurry surroundings with only our nose as a guide! While minifigures have had glasses since the first variation from the classic smile, they've never had somewhere to get them, until now! The Brick Glasses Shop is the #1 destination for minifigs of all sizes when less than 20/20 sight is not an option. With 3 fully furbished floors, including, but not limited to, a bathroom, kitchenette, and dumpster, this building is chock full of detail. And it's partner doesn't look bad either!

Full disclosure, this is my own MOC, but it absolutely destroyed my collection of tan bricks, to the point that I had to use two trips to a Pick-A-Brick wall to get the necessary parts. It's also the main reason why I've been posting somewhat infrequently lately, so I promise more juicy Modulars to come your way soon!

Orange Crush

Courtesy Modular Orange Bank by Myko

Bayveiw Boulevard- (BTT) Colour can make or break a building. If it has too much grey, it will be easy to mistake as a communist parking garage. But, on the other side, if there's too much colour, then it will look like your building belongs in candy land. This building by Christer Nyberg (Myko) is a great study in colour- the top has bright orange, but it is subtly offset with greys and dark orange. The street also has a lot of personality, with the smug bench sitter and the anxious banker. Just make sure you don't get too distracted by the building and miss your bus!

1 Million Page Views!

And there we have it! Brick Town Talk has officially broken over 1 million page views this week...at least since Blogger has been recording! Anyways, thanks a lot everyone!

-Chris

Dark Streetcorner

Courtesy Dark Medium Flesh House by 1982redhead

Plumber Street- (BTT) It's always nice when someone makes a beautiful Modular building, but it is even better when it's an entire street of them! Firstly, there's the great Nougat house, with amazing stonework on the front of the facade, and a great girl's bedroom on the top floor. Next is the Dark Red, American style building, sharing some DNA with the Fire Brigade. Then we come to the Dark Green Canal house, showcasing a great kitchen, complete with a dining table and spiral staircase. Finally, we come to the Tan corner building, with an awesome reading alcove. The only thing that all four buildings are missing? A bathroom!

EDIT: Oops! I've been informed by the builder that the corner building has a bathroom! Looks like all four buildings will have to share!

Inspiration of the Day 4-18-12

Courtesy Fractured House by ArchDaily

Boulder, Colorado- (BTT) In a major city, or even a sub-major city,  buildings will have taken up a majority of the urban landscape, leaving potential builders with only one option- demolishing. The same idea applies to Lego- it may be hard, but we will eventually have to break down old MOCs in favor of new ones. But, as this beautiful residence designed by Studio H:T shows, the result can often be even better than the footprint it had filled.

Antique Freaks

Courtesy Antique Shop by Castor-Troy

Lyon, France- (BTT) These days, a car loses half its value the minute it's off the lot. So, if that logic was in place for everything, then why would someone pay hundreds of dollars for a chair from a sunken ship (Titanic, anyone?) for hundreds of thousands of dollars? Because everything that's outlived its estimated life has a story to tell. A silver chalice may tell of knights and castles, while an ancient painting may show the hidden talents of an artist long dead. This great building was built to allow the citizens of a Lego city to enjoy the same stories of times gone by, be it black falcons, or Blacktron ! It features a full interior, and a rear that draws inspiration from another antique, the Green Grocer!

Coco before Chanel

Coutersy No. 5 by Jared Chan

Los Angeles, California- (BTT) L.A.- The land of the rich and famous. Style. Glamour. Fashion, from around the world- Milan, Geneva, and Paris. Coco Channel has been a fashion icon for near 100 years now, and so it is fitting that their store gets a beautiful Modular building treatment. The amazing white-on-black with gold overlay colour scheme, the central tower, and the interior are just a few notable high points of this beautiful building. Because, why spend your money down the street at some other fashion store, when this beauty is within your field of vision?

New Sharing Buttons!

Hello all!

Off to the right, you can see our new like buttons for Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus.


EDIT: It's on the left side of the entire webpage now!

Thank you, AddThis!

Chris

Mini Modular Mania!

Courtesy XJ550, Mr. Attacki, Dakar A, and dhaas06 (In order)

Mini Modular Mania- (BTT) Over on Toys n' Bricks, a contest has been running since February 15th, and is slated to run until this Sunday, April 15th. From the pool of amazing entries, I have drawn a few good examples of what the competition looks like, and all four are great looking buildings that would look good in Mini- or regular Modular scale. So pop on over on the 15th, and help to send a deserving Lego fan a copy of this year's modular, 10224 Town Hall.

If the Shoe Fits...

Courtesy Star Athletic Shoe Shop by L. G. Orlando

1 Towncenter Drive- (BTT) According to the shop's catalogues and weekly inserts, Spring has sprung, and what better time to trade out that grimy pair of sneakers at home for a fresh, shiny and new pair? When you've got a hankering for slightly overpriced footwear, stop at the beautiful Star Footwear and Apparel shop. From the amazingly well-executed shoe sign on the second floor, to the professional-quality stickers, L. G. Orlando crams about as much detail as anyone would care to try to add to his open-backed buildings. This one is no exception.

Ivy Lane Pub Crawl

Courtesy Arthur's Pub by Ace Copeland

Heritage Boulevard- (BTT) Irish pubs seem to be a popular theme in modular buildings these days. That makes it much harder to have yours stand out. Luckily, this one has what it takes. The upstairs balcony, the cast-iron fence around the tree out front, and the Irish flag adorning the side all make this to be an eye-pleasing building. The beautiful signage is a work of art in its own, with the excellent shamrock logo and hand-drawn nameplate. After all, when stopping down to the pub for a few tall ones, who doesn't want to be wowed by the facade?

Turning the Corner

Courtesy 1940s Corner  by snaillad

A Good 70 Years Ago - (BTT) There is just something about the period between the World Wars that evokes a certain level of nostalgia, despite the fact that most who feel this way were born far too late to experience the era themselves. The fashion, the cars, the fact milk was delivered right to your door - things simultaneously foreign yet strangely familiar. At the top of the list, at least in this authors opinion, was the glorious Art Deco architecture, and this scene is blessed with 3 postcard-worthy examples of the style. On the far left is a tailor (does anyone even go to those anymore?), at the corner is a bar, and on the right is a bakery. Each have interiors as well thought-out as the exteriors, proving once and for all that they really don't make 'em like they used to.

Modern Architecture

Courtesy Vee Building by Brickapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana- (BTT) Apartments aren't always blocky, boring, and repetitive. Sometimes, they're freestanding and unique. This fine building falls right into that category. From the "Vee" rooftop, to the glass-encapsulated bottom floor, this has all the traits of a modern city building. Apparently, it's not new enough to escape the touch of modern street art, or as the rest of us know it, graffiti. The large brick built street helps to draw the eye to the building, then it steadily progresses up to the skylight at the top, ending in a pleasing overall view.

Best rates in town!

Courtesy MOC7 by The LostLostBoy

Financial district- (BTT) These days, banks will do just about anything to draw in customers. Silly slogans, memorable pitch lines, rebrandings. But sometimes, a bank is there. And has been since the last great war, or at least as long as you can remember. This beautiful Art Deco style bank is no exception. From the friendly patrons out front, to the not-so-friendly felon out back, it's crammed full of great detail. Just be careful that your significant other doesn't splurge the money from your loan on some jewelry upstairs.

What I've Been Up To

Courtesy 15 Central Park West by Jonathan Grzywacz

New York, New York - (BTT) If you noticed a bit of a lull in posting the past month, I am proud to finally share with you the major factor behind it - I was hard at work on the above model of Robert A.M. Stern Architect's 15 Central Park West, which is now on display in Washington, DC as part of the National Building Museum's exhibit LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition. It was a true challenge to get it done (only 6 weeks when I tend to take 6 months on a modular), but I am very happy with the end result. It stays on display until Sept 3, 2012, so should you find yourself in the nation's capital (well, the United State's anyway), I urge you to make the trip - it's a great museum with many other interesting exhibits to take in.

Many more stats are in the description on my flickr page.

Roadkill Grill

Courtesy Look both ways... by Eilonwy77

Roadkill Lane- (BTT) Sometimes, you're driving, and have to make a choice: do I protect the $30,000 hunk of metal, or that cute, furry little creature. Apparently, this little hedgehog was determined to be the lesser of two evils. Great little details make this scene- the grooves in the street, the cobbled sidewalk, the wooden backyard fence, and a great use of a Friends sticker. The house fits right in with its cousins, the other creator houses. Too bad it's got the ghost of a cute animal haunting it...

Inspiration of the day- 4-1-12

Cité Municipale de Bonneuil-Sur-Marne by Archdaily

These days inspiration always seems to be from the world around us, and sometimes, just our imaginations. But sometimes, it's nice to take a dive into the imagination of another person. This excellent concept image of the Cité Municipale de Bonneuil-Sur-Marne shows many great concepts, while keeping a modern, restrained facade, and showcasing the inside with its glass exterior. It creates a great flow, between the interior working space, and the exterior, natural world. The building helps define the landscape, showcasing man's ingenuity, while still showing appreciation of mother nature.

Exit Through the Tat Shop

Courtesy VirtuaLUG Layout by Tigmon74

San Francisco, California - (BTT) Real estate values have just gone up in a city where they are plenty high already thanks to a certain British artist who has left his signature mark on the side of a building that does the same to human flesh. Graffiti aside, there is a lot to love about this pair of buildings - it's worth taking a closer look at the sports bar on the corner to appreciate some of the clever detailing there. Residents of the apartments above can even enjoy a bit of sun on their roof terraces, assuming they can find a break in the fog.