De Muntstraat

[Jasper Joppe Geers]

Layout

Most of you have seen my buildings i reckon, but just to get indexed i decided

to start this topic. I'm sorry to provide you with pics that are already known,

but perhaps it is worth it to put everything chronologically, and tell you where

it is today.

It has begun a few years ago, 2007 i think, when i created the first buildings

that turned out to become my collection of modulars, otherwise known as Muntstraat.

I never meant to recreate something exisiting, or to use a real building as example,

these creations came into view, mostly when i was working on something.

It all started with this bus:

When i created it, the Cafe Corner was just a few months previously released, and

everybody got crazy about it. A new chapter in Lego history had begun. I was hooked

on as well, but from the start i wanted to create something of my own invention.

The first idea was a local newsprint office. Something old-style, a bit Amsterdammish.

Here it is:

And while working on that one, the idea to create a restaurant right next to it was

already a complete plan. Basically it was just the common problem of collecting the

right bricks i just needed to start:

Next building had to become a bank. in the meantime, other sets came out like the GG

and FB. I knew that if i was going to add road plates, it would make a lovely scene!

The bank itself was done with some memories in my mind from a very small local bank

we had in the 70's. It no longer exist, but sometimes i just wish it would.

Here iit is:

And this is a picture how my street looked thus far:

I must say, at this time i still used Photobucket.com to upload the pictures.

Very useful it was, and still is perhaps, but most people here used Flickr,

so i wanted to use that as well. Just trying to get along! :)

The space on my table begaon to increase, but i desperately wanted to create

once again an old style building, with a bicycle repair shop in it.

Even more than the newsprint agency, i wanted it to look very monumental.

Very decorative, lots of detail:

After that, it was time to come up with a corner building. Something that was

needed very hard in my street: the Post office. By this time i got more and more

into the use of minifigs as well. Not only the interiors had to be great, but

it had to be completed with the minifigs and cars, bikes etc:

When i was working on the Post Office there was already the idea for a candyshop.

This time it had to be right, funny, and gorgeous from the start. I wanted it

to be a bit Charles Dickens style, an odd colour perhaps, and it turned out to

be this, Elladora's Sweetshop:

The dark purple color was very useful of trying to be patient when collecting the

bricks together. At that time, Dark Purple was not very common, and bricks were

quite expensive on Bricklink. No matter, just be patient...

And so, the street started to look like this:

This last picture was taken by Vincent kessels, when my street was on display in

the Thermen Museum in Heerlen. I never managed to take proper pictures when the

whole thing was set in my room, so i have to be grateful to Vincent for this!

And like an addiction, somehow it is very hard to stop creating. And so, when i

got everything back at home, i wanted to do something that was done may times

before, but never satisfying to me, a genuine police office. And like the previous

buildings, i wanted it to be complete with everything you can think of: the police

officers, bikes, interior. Somehow cars never worked for me to get them right,

so i left that one out. But here it is, Muntstraat police HQ:

To finalise my street, i had the idea of stained glass windows. Someting i knew

that would look great on all of my buildings, and would give a nice detail to it!

When doing the police office, i worked on a technique with acryllics and enamels

to get a variety of colours that were transparent. I really had to nail the effect

of stained glass both ways, that it had to look real without any light from inside,

and a bit of a surprise when the light is turned on! Here is a lovely example of

the extra work i did with the bike repair shop:

And that's it! Of course there are a lot more pictures of every building in the

creating process, many of them can be viewed on Photobucket.com and my Flickr map.

Feel free to explore them, and send me a PM if you have any questions.

http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/JJGeers/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50639649@N04/sets/

Finally, i should tell you that i sold the whole collection about a half year ago.

Some guy from Antwerpen was very keen to have it, and still treasures it with his

kids. Thankfully the Muntstraat found a good home.

And my table is empty now. If i ever start again? Who knows. There are many ideas

that could be done brickwise, but i noticed that many other people create some great

stuff as well! So great to visit EB these days...

Cheers!

JJ

[Vincent Kessels]

...

This last picture was taken by Vincent kessels, when my street was on display in

the Thermen Museum in Heerlen. I never managed to take proper pictures when the

whole thing was set in my room, so i have to be grateful to Vincent for this!

...

It was great to see it in real live!

[bootz]

These buildings are lovely individually, and even more so as a whole. I wish I had the funds to do something like this.

FB looks a bit out of place in that scene. It's a bit too American compared to the buildings around it.

[TheLegoDr]

Those are incredibly detailed and look amazing. You did such a great job on all of the builds. Each one individually is brilliant, but seeing all of them together is overwhelming.

I recall seeing that police station before and was considering doing a corner building like that, but with a fountain out front in the courtyard. I just need to come up with an idea of how the building should look.

All of these are incredible and I will check back often just to stare at them. I can't wait to see more.

Keep up the good work.

[woolie]

Another master who I am studying very closely :)

[lightningtiger]

Drop dead AWESOME 'Jasper Joppe Geers', no expense spared in the detailing....I the post office, bank and that stain-glass in the bike store is to die for.

A wonderful street scape too, Brick On 'Jasper Joppe Geers' !

[RedGiant]

The building with the bicycle repair shop in it looks amazing. I love that roof!

[JackJonespaw]

Very nice! There are some nice piece usages in here! My favorite is the sweetshop.

[gotoAndLego]

Before you began each building did you have almost all of the bricks, or would you test build a section out of the colors you had and then order the approximate amount you felt you would need?

[Jasper Joppe Geers]

Before you began each building did you have almost all of the bricks, or would you test build a section out of the colors you had and then order the approximate amount you felt you would need?

I must say, in the beginning i had the amount of bricks needed in stock.

Since the last three Mocs i had to order more and more bricks in addition

to the bricks i had. Only the last moc i did (the police office) was almost

completely ordered from Bricklink...

[L@go]

Well, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Your work is incredible. The amount of detail is fantastic, the whole street is just so monumental, and your building style is easily on par with - or better than - anything that's yet been released as an official modular set. I'm a bit shocked to hear that you've sold it all off (I don't think I could ever do that with the stuff I've built, it feels too personal), but I guess that's a good chance to start all over again - and that can only be good for us fans :)

[PhaTic]

Wow! I'm blown away by the detail that each building has. Elladora's Sweetshop is my favorite one.

[sonicstarlight]

I'm a bit shocked to hear that you've sold it all off (I don't think I could ever do that with the stuff I've built, it feels too personal)

I was going to say the exact same thing. Honestly, I think it is great that you are able to to do this, JJG - it really is silly to attach too much sentiment to bits of plastic.

Your work has always been a huge inspiration to me. It's great to see it all together in one place - I'm sure I'll be checking back here from time to time just to gawk.

[cimddwc]

Indeed it's nice to see all these masterpieces together, with every single one already monumental on its own...

[MadManMingo]

Impressive!!!

The thing I like most about your modulars, are the way you balance the amount of details. Not too little, and not too much. A lot of buildings hav a tendancy of being too boring, and yet again someone else dont now when to stop and overdo the detailing. You also see a some modular which has startet very well at the bottom floor, but when they get to the roof, they hurry too much to finish it.

Your works is what I call finished buildings. You can look at it, and say: Maaaan that looks good. And it has a rare undiscribeable touch of being thought trough in every detail.

A humble admirer

[SalvoBrick]

Excellent buildings, maybe the best ever done by a single person. My favourites are the post office and the police HQ.

[KristofBD]

This simply is stunningly beautiful. I think I like the Police station the most, but the others are great as well!

PS Why did you sell it?

[SwissBrick]

As said before "uhhhh you sold it???"

Dear JJG, you must be an artist of some kind, doing lots of creative things of all sorts or am I wrong?

As I am starting my first moc and seeing the gap with your "work..." my brain is telling me, "uh he probably does even more impressive things with other stuff, that's why he needs room on his table..." Otherwise, if you don't, have you ever thought of applying at some of the job opportunities at jobs@Lego, like head of modular buildings series...:-)

Thanks for sharing, I never had the hole story!

Cheers from switzerland