Last Man Standing

Ragge Runarson's Business Building by LegoJalex

Ramshackle Road - (BTT) Letting go is hard to do. It seems like only yesterday that everything was shiny and new, from the bright-eyed optimism of the upstart business owner to the exterior of the buildings he and his team inhabited. Perhaps a board got loose here and a crack appeared there, but those were to be worn as badges of pride, proof of a hard day's work. Then one day you look out your window and find the rest of the world has moved on without you. Torn between the memory of what was and the reality of what is can be bittersweet to say the least, but surely having a few extra badges is better than having none at all.

Not Quite Dead

If the old adage “absence makes the heart grow fonder” really is true, then Brick Town Talk’s fondness level is at an all-time high, so at least there’s that.

Clearly that isn't the reality, but this extended hiatus has certainly made me miss this little site, and what could be better timing to stage yet another comeback than with the leak of the next modular, the Detective’s Office, due out early next year (thanks to Eurobricks for the pic below).

Detective's Office courtesy Eurobricks

This past year and a half have seen a fair amount of changes in the world of Lego blogs, with the death of a few of my favorites (goodbye Classic-Town) and the creation of some new ones (hello Modulars by Kristal). Still, I don’t think that there really is another site quite like this one, celebrating all the wonderful Lego architecture out there regardless of scale or style, so it’s worth keeping around, at least in my opinion.

For now, expect the usual reporting from me with a few minor tweaks here and there to margins and removing some dead wood. Don’t expect these every day, but definitely more than once every 18 months. Going forward, I am thinking about other features that would make the site more interesting to both the audience and the author so this isn’t just a series of images you’ve already seen on flickr. If there is anything you would like to see, feel free to email me (and if you have emailed in these last months, I am slowly getting through them).

As for my own Lego creations, those also took a year off. I am happy to say that I am slowly getting back in the MOC game, starting with the completion of my jewelry store, pizzeria, and bike shop (lovingly inspired by the official Bike Shop and Café set). Expect to see it soon in the Rockefeller Center Lego Store, and look forward to some new modulars in 2015.

Jewelry Store, Pizzeria, and Bricklyn Bike by Jonathan Grzywacz

Miami Nice

Courtesy Colony Hotel by Daniel Siskind

Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida - (BTT) Few places in the world are so intrinsically linked to an architectural style as Miami Beach is to Art Deco. Cruising down Ocean Drive is an experience the exists no where else on earth, and among the pastel-colored Streamline Moderne hotels that line the street, the Colony stands especially iconic. Built in 1939, the hotel and the neighborhood weren't always as glamorous as they are today - in a bit of irony, it was thanks in part to shows like Miami Vice and movies like Scarface depicting the rather seedy state of the area in the 1980's that helped renew interest in South Beach and assuring landmark status for gems like this.

Hermit Habitats

Courtesy Cliffside Monastery by Paul Vermeesch

Chastity Cliff - (BTT) It's one thing to want to get away from it all and find a nice little place to yourself by the sea to unwind as a vacation - it's another thing to make it your life. Further from society but closer to his creator, this lonely monk has just the sounds of the ocean below to keep him company. Fortunately, he also has a humble abode that might be small in footprint but is big on details. The clean, white stucco walls give a nice contrast to the surrounding landscape and provides the perfect blank backdrop for a lifetime of meditation.

Seaside Stay

Courtesy Hotel Creators by OliveSeon

Ocean Drive - (BTT) While we have done our fair share of covering the very best in hospitality over the year, I dare say this might be the most opulent let, if only for the site alone. Perched just feet away from the ocean, the Hotel Creators dwarfs the buildings around it, including the adjacent lighthouse. Thankfully it does its guests a great service is being beautiful in addition to big - a grand entry sets the stage at the ground floor, while the rest of the building's massing is playfully broken up with a series of setbacks, towers, and balconies.

Microscale Monday 02-18-2013

Courtesy mini LEGO house by ninbendo

Tinytown - (BTT) After a some recent (and stunning) examples of modern single-family residences, it's nice to return to a more traditional little slice of suburbia. This one-story charmer might be small in footprint, but is large on details - especially nice are the gardens and bay window overlooking the driveway. For this happy couple and their dog, it might not make the cover of the next issue of Mansions Monthly, but it is home.

Microscale Monday 02-11-2013

Courtesy Basilika by moctown

Abbey Road - (BTT) Religion is a touchy subject, as proven with the announcement that the Pope decided he's had enough of wearing pointy hats and riding around in Tupperware cars. Still, regardless of your own personal relationship with the higher power of your choice, it's hard to deny that some of the most important architecture is divinely inspired. This basilica, beautifully topped with striking blue roofs, exemplifies this point as well as any structure.

C'est Magnifique

Courtesy Avenue Saint-Jacques by snaillad 

Paris, France - (BTT) When you close your eyes and imagine Paris, likely the second thing to come into frame after the Eiffel Tower are the broad avenues lined with classical buildings such as the stunning example above - shops and restaurants on the bottom to encourage an active streetscape, apartments above to keep the buildings active at all hours of the day. While never becoming the household name that Gustave Eiffel has, at least not internationally, Georges-Eugène Haussmann deserves just as much credit for giving the City of Light its iconic look. Conveniently located right at the entrance of a Metro station, this building is more that just a pretty facade. Go inside you will find a lot going on - restaurants and cafes, dentist offices, and apartments that are the height of luxury.

Geometric Gem

Courtesy Schröder House by TechnicNick 

Utrecht, The Netherlands - (BTT) We seem to be on a bit of a modernist kick at the moment, and for good reason - not everything needs moldings to be a masterpiece. The Schröder House, designed by Dutch architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld and completed in 1924, proves this to be true. Quite possibly the best architectural expression of Neoplasticism (De Stijl to the locals) ever created, the Schröder House is made up of a series of intersecting planes with key elements highlighted in primary colors. Inside the building is almost completely open with a virtually wall-free interior - quite radical at the time, when the concept of loft apartments were still decades away from being trendy.

Scandinavian Simplicity

Courtesy Villa Whiteout by birgburg

Scandinavia - (BTT) Looking just as good now as when it was first built back in the 1930s, this modern dwelling is newly renovated and ready for the next eight decades. The pure white facades punctuated by black trim on the windows and doors is a classic look for the era, but a bit of brickwork helps bring a little color and contrast to the composition. On the ground floor in a beautifully open plan is a living room wonderfully detailed with ample seating and a cow skin rug in addition to a kitchen sure to please any aspiring chefs in the family. Head up the spiral stairs to the upper level to find the master bedroom, complete with a walk in closet and private terrace.