Modified Modulars

[Vincent Kessels]

SwissBrick, I did actually use more than was in the sets. Because the left section is bigger I had to use some of my own brown bricks to complete it all. I had plenty since I pulled apart my 2 Log Cabins. The front steps also come from spare parts as did some of the windows and a couple plates for the floors - there wasn't enough.

The Log Cabin is a great source of red brown bricks.

Vincent, I have a couple of 48x48 buildings and sometimes the best way to fit them in is a 16 wide road plate, so I cut one in half. Sometimes a layout just works better with a half plate, especially when using buildings larger than 32x32 and requiring driveways.

I'm left with a 32x16 corner with my layout as it stands now, so will have to work out the best way to utilise my two blue buildings for that section, probably a wider building, I will post photos once its finished.

I didn't see that in the pictures initially, but it easy to spot. So how did you cut them in such a way that the result is straight and does not have a sharpe edge with cutting marks?

I am just wondering what I could do with the leftover road crossings if I cut them.

[Xyver]

So how did you cut them in such a way that the result is straight and does not have a sharpe edge with cutting marks?

I am just wondering what I could do with the leftover road crossings if I cut them.

Vincent, I made a 32 wide piece using 1x plates stacked three high with tiles on top, then attached this at the 16th stud. Then used a stanley knife (razor blade) to cut along the edge, giving me a cut at the exact half way mark. After a few passes of the knife you can just snap the baseplate in two. It doesn't give a rounded corner along the cut but you could always use some sand paper if its too sharp I guess. This wouldn't work with a crossing though as their are no studs in the middle to attach anything to, but I'm sure you could make something up to work using larger plates.

I'm just putting the finishing touches on my blue Pet Shop building, photos will be up soon so keep watching.

[Xyver]

The Pet Shop is done, nothing too fancy on this one, just a 16x32 corner building, I basically just turned the building sideways and extended it. I also took out the back doors/windows as it will be flush against the GE. I did add some angled windows into the roof to provide extra light into the top floor, not sure that really necessary though with the huge skylight, but anyway I think it looks good.

And a view of all my modified modulars together, this will most likely be their final position.

Plus an overview of my the business district of my city.

I have a building to make next to the hotel and another at the top of the street. There will also be a rail crossing where the road plates are stacked and a subway station under the front.

[Vincent Kessels]

Thanks for the info, Xyver.

The Pet Shop corner looks good. However, I would change the sand blue pillars between the windows. Bij rotating every other 1x2 brick you get the same slotted structure as on the corners.

[SwissBrick]

Hi Xyver,

great addition with the blue 32_16 building! And thanks for your answer and tipp with the Log Cabin pieces, I have one and have seen it still is in some shops here for a good price.

I am not an advanced builder, so take it as it is, an unexperimented advice, I agree with Vincent's comment, and actually I would get rid of the blue pillars on the first floor and leave the entire window frame in beige.

Again, very inspiring!!! Thanks a lot for the update!

[Chocolatecake]

Wauw!

I have just one set of the petshopmodularset, but what you have done with both buildings are amazing, by making corners out of both buildings.

[r_history_lego0]

wow

[Xyver]

Finally finished my MOD of the new Palace Cinema. I bought two sets and have increased the size of the building to 32x32. Apart from the odd plate for the floors, it is made only from pieces from the two sets (not including the extra wall on the cinema level).

It has fitted nicely into the spare spot I had on my layout, and I've set the footpath onto the standard road plates, 16 wide is just too much for a footpath I feel.

I only added one extra window down the left side (haven't put the poster stickers on yet) and added an extra ticket booth to the right.

I've left the bottom floor bare for now, people don't see inside for displays, and I'm not good on the finer details. The top is standard also. I did change the cinema level though, using four rows instead of two and putting a wall up for the cinema and a separate projection booth.

and a wider shot of the city

[Kristel]

Looks very impressive with the extension!

[Redhead1982]

Extended Palace Cinema looks great. The Pet Shop buildings are probably the only ones that don't profit from an extension, yet the larger one (Cinema and Emporium) look impressive in slightly bigger size.

[Missing Brick]

Looks good. With all that internal space you could certainly make a great sloped auditorium over 2 floors. I'm thinking 100 seats+.

PS. I think it would look better if the 2 centre poster windows move one stud towards each other to get a regular spacing (or else add a central pillar to justify the gap).

[Xyver]

Looks good. With all that internal space you could certainly make a great sloped auditorium over 2 floors. I'm thinking 100 seats+.

PS. I think it would look better if the 2 centre poster windows move one stud towards each other to get a regular spacing (or else add a central pillar to justify the gap).

Yeah, that was my original intention, I may look at remodelling once I've finished my town layout. As this will be on display at numerous shows this year, the public won't see inside anyway. If I do put something good inside, I'll cut out the side wall so people can see in. That's at the front of the display anyway so would look good. Maybe something to plan for next year, still have to finish my subway station and hotel.

[Brick0graphy]

WOW! Very impressive! Im also intrigued by your table!

[Xyver]

WOW! Very impressive! Im also intrigued by your table!

A few friends and I are putting together a train layout for the upcoming model train shows in the area, so we built a table that is 20x6 32x32 baseplates. We then built a raised section that is 6x4.5 (4 feet I think, just the lengths of wood) on which I have built my city and a subway station underneath. The subway isn't finished yet, hence no photos, but you can see the grey baseplates underneath and the dark bley of the platform. Once the platform is finished, I'll post some photos of it and how I've done the curved tunnels.

I can post some photos of the table if you'd like, apart from my section, the rest only has a train track running around the outside, there is another raised section though, I can't wait to see it all filled up.

[MasterRyzon]

How did you make the Emporium so BIG?

[Xyver]

How did you make the Emporium so BIG?

It was easy, I bought two of them, and built it on a 48x48 baseplate, so extended it 8 studs each side. You can follow the standard instructions for the most part.

I actually had a single one built, so when I bought the second one, I moved it onto the bigger baseplate and extended it, that saved me from having to build everything again.

[edmau5]

That's what I call grand! That inverse Pet Shop is a stroke of genius

[CardinalBricks]

You've modified the outside of the emporium perfectly. Now what about the inside? That department store is a deserted wasteland...

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Can you post pictures of your interiors? I love what you're doing.

Of the hospital I mean!

[Xyver]

You've modified the outside of the emporium perfectly. Now what about the inside? That department store is a deserted wasteland...

Can you post pictures of your interiors? I love what you're doing.

Of the hospital I mean!

Sorry everyone, but I do not do interiors. My buildings go into a layout, so nobody sees inside them anyway. The cinema has an expanded interior as I added extra seats and an internal wall. But this is only because it is at the front of my display and I've put clear panels on the outside wall so that people can see inside. Another member of my LUG also has some LEDs that he instals in it for me for lighting.

My hospital did originally have tiled floors, a couple of operating theatres (ok, it was just a couple of small empty rooms) and a stairwell at the back, but I ripped all this out a couple of weeks ago because I needed the tiles for another project and you can't see them from outside anyway. As it turns out, I never photographed my hospital by itself so I don't have any photos to show what it did originally look like inside.

My personal favourite part of the hospital is the double sliding doors on the side ambulance entry that retract into the walls, it's just a shame no one ever gets to see them due to its position on my layout.

[B Rick]

Nice modding on all of your buildings! The inside corner brown building is particular interesting. Keep going!

Hope someday you do do some interior work. Its vey satisfying. For yourself. Eventhough you aren't going to see it often... ;)

[3BrickFriends]

I love it when people adapt the modular sets. They are awesome buildings out of the box, but making them bigger is just cool.

[Xyver]

Nice modding on all of your buildings! The inside corner brown building is particular interesting. Keep going!

Hope someday you do do some interior work. Its vey satisfying. For yourself. Eventhough you aren't going to see it often... ;)

I am now finding it necessary to put interiors in some of my buildings. I have made my Pet Shop 32 wide, and with the increased frontage, and the amount of light now getting inside, you can see that it is empty inside and has a green baseplate which takes some of the charm away from it. My latest build (currently WIP) is mainly windows, so I will have to produce some form of interior to make it look better.

Either that, or I need to convince LEGO to produce a mirrored window, so that you can't see inside. This would be particularly helpful considering a lot of current office buildings are mainly mirrored glass exteriors.

I guess I better find some interior decorating skills.

[3BrickFriends]

Either that, or I need to convince LEGO to produce a mirrored window, so that you can't see inside. This would be particularly helpful considering a lot of current office buildings are mainly mirrored glass exteriors.

You could put some black bricks behind the windows to give a mirrored effect from outside and mask that there isn't an interior.

[Naptown11]

Does your Palace Cinema have 2 screens or one? In the one photo it looks like there is another room to the right if you're facing the projector. My next project is combining 2 sets to make one large MODlike yours on the outside but I'm going to make stadium seating possibly with a balcony. I was very happy to read that 2 sets was enough to make a full square, not having a bare back corner like Cafe Corner. Your town overall looks amazing, I look forward to seeing the subway when it's installed.