A few months ago, I acquired the Creator Corner Deli (31050) on sale at the LEGO Store (click here to read my review of the set). Anticipating that I would not be satisfied with the hinged design of the building, I actually bought two of them with the plan that I would make the building modular. Much like with my last modification project (the Bike Shop & Café, click here to read about it), I had originally intended to preserve much of the original design. However, as fate would have it, my local LEGO Store stocked their Pick-A-Brick wall with light blue 1×1 and 1×2 bricks that matched those in the original Corner Deli. So, the project began to grow. I am super excited about the final product. The overall appearance did not stay very true to the original design, but I did preserve the original color scheme and much of the detailing that I liked in the original set.
Looking at the building, you can still see the original brown ground floor and light blue upper story colors from the original. I also really like the awning over the Deli window in the original, so that remained in my modified version. The fire hydrant was a really nice touch, so I kept that as well.
The sandwich sign was probably my favorite detail in the original set, so I included two of them in my own design. The first appears over the main door. Above the sandwich I placed the gargoyle Minifigure from Series 14. I have been waiting to place that guy somewhere in my city, and he just fit perfectly in the space above the sandwich. The other sandwich sign went above the takeout window. This window will open into a park that I am in the process of designing.
I expanded the Deli itself by including a check-out/dining counter, a soda machine, and the sandwich preparation area. I included refrigerated display cases for meat and drinks. The original grill is tucked away in the back corner, and I made an expanded counter attached to it for making sandwiches with a Subway-style bin for toppings. The chef is the Minifig from Fun in the Park – City People Pack. I also added a booth for dine-ins. The exterior dining space will be added into the park I am designing. Finally, no restaurant would be complete without a bathroom.
One of the mini-builds I created for this set was a dumpster out back. This little dumpster actually took me a fair amount of time to design and get just right. In the image below you can see Deli employee from the original set taking out the trash.
The upper floors are accessed using a staircase that goes up from the sidewalk, sort of reminiscent of the one from the Pet Shop (10218). It only occurred to me afterwards that I did not make this building wheelchair accessible for my one disabled LEGO city denizen from Fun in the Park. I made the staircase appear as if it enters into a different building, but in reality, that grey “building” only houses the stairs leading to the upper two floors. You can see the window detailing from the original Corner Deli was used on the second floor. You probably also noticed it in the picture above of the back of the building. I mimicked that design around the doorway leading to the stairs. The Minifigure is one that I created in the LEGO Store.
On the second floor, you will find an eye clinic. I decided not to make residences this time around, and went for office space instead. The eye clinic was designed with my wife in mind. She is currently working on her Ph.D. studying macular degeneration. So, I decided that the LEGO version of my wife should have a clinic to work in. I did my best to simulate eye exam equipment and an Optical Coherence Tomographer Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (OCT/SLO). My wife doesn’t actually use the eye exam equipment in her research, but I thought it would be fun to build and that it would make the clinic more recognizable as an eye clinic. The OCT/SLO is something my wife uses, and I did my best to try an capture something reminiscent of it. The wifey said it was good enough… There is also a receptionist’s desk and a waiting area with a water cooler.
Going up to the third floor brings you to a photographer’s studio. There are some lights set up, and a camera on a tripod. I included a desk with a laptop for editing photos, and you can see the lamp from the original Corner Deli’s apartment on the table, and the chair is the design from that set as well. There is another table next to the photo shoot area with an extra camera hanging off the end, another lens, and a coffee machine for long shoots. Beside the door is a make-up/hair station for the models. Finally, there is a door leading out of the office onto a little balcony that will overlook the street in my city.
The roof is accessed by a ladder that goes up through a skylight. The skylight was made using the original Corner Deli design. A second such skylight can be found over the photographer’s studio. The roof actually comes off in two pieces since the grey side-building is not as tall as the Deli building itself. A couple of steps lead up from the side-building to the main building’s roof.
I like to incorporate things that I love into my LEGO city, and I happen to be a Coca-Cola addict. Generally speaking, I am pretty healthy in my food choices and I track my calories and macronutrients pretty closely. But, a can of Coke is often my daily guilty pleasure. I tell myself that I don’t smoke, do drugs, or drink any alcohol, so this one addiction is not so bad. But, I digress. I wanted another billboard in my city to add a little to the skyline. I have the one on top of the Grand Emporium (10211), but again, I wanted something that represented me. Writing “Coca-Cola” would have made the sign way too big. It also took me a few nights to just get “Coke” right. But, I am pleased with the end product. If you take a look at the roof’s edge, you will notice some detailing that I once again preserved from the original set.
I would love to know what you think of my little project. It has been a long time coming. Feel free to comment, and please subscribe to my blog here and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Until next time,
-Tom
Love it.