Not too long ago, I posted about Willa’s Witching World, my sorcery store MOC. I mentioned that the store sits on the bottom level of my city. The shop nestles into a corner between a road and a train tunnel. My plan was to build an entire city block above it. Well, I have started the upward process. In truth, I started it long ago with a LEGO® Store MOC. However, since then I moved, and I had to rearrange my city to fit a new space. Therefore, I recently tore apart my old LEGO® Store and started planning anew. My latest custom build follows on the idea of the shopping promenade that I started with the old LEGO® Store. However, I now have three shops in the space formerly occupied by one. This is the first look at my LEGO® and men’s wear stores.
Before anyone complains, I will throw this out there. No, that is not a LEGO® baseplate. I know, shame on me. I am a LEGO® Brand ambassador. The purists out there are gasping in horror. However, before you freak out, let me explain. The LEGO® Group does not make THIS baseplate. This plate is not baseplate thickness. It is the thickness of a regular plate, but it is baseplate sized. Additionally, it can interlock with studs on the bottom side. It is exactly what I need to start building city block above city block. Not only does it rest perfectly above Willa’s, it locks into place there. I do not need to waste a ridiculous number of smaller plates trying to build something structurally sound. Just one plate does the trick. If LEGO® made this type of plate, I would buy it from them. But, they do not. I reviewed a similar plate not too long ago. Click here to read about it.
I am giving my own twist to two LEGO® set designs in this custom project.
Now, back to the LEGO® and men’s wear stores (which are all real LEGO® bricks). So far, only the promenade level of both stores exists. I am keeping the same general look for the LEGO® Store. However, the arrangement of the interior will change. The old store featured a warehouse basement. I replaced that space with Willa’s. The warehouse was a neat idea, but I was never fully satisfied with how it turned out. Real estate is also precious in my city. Along with the warehouse went the truck parking space, giving me even more build space.
The exterior façade of the LEGO® Store keeps its inspiration from City Square (60097). I really like that design. However, since that set came out, other iterations of the LEGO® Store came out. We have seen 40305 as well as the Iconic VIP Set (40178). Both have elements I like. Therefore, the interior of my design is getting a complete overhaul. First, the shop floor is bigger. My old store had a break room in back with access to both the basement and the roof. That is gone. The shop takes up the whole floor. Perhaps a break room will come on one of the upper levels.
My city will have a LEGO® flagship store.
Yes, I said upper levels. I am designing this as a flagship store. The design currently calls for four floors. The City Square design was only one floor, but the building is easily adapted to house two. I will also adapt 40305 to sit on top of the first two floors. Consequently, the LEGO® Store will occupy a four-floor high rise. The store might only take up three floors with the top being the new break room.
Next door to the LEGO® Store, I am adapting 31105, the Townhouse Toy Store set from Creator 3-in-1. I acquired that set specifically because I wanted to adapt it for my shopping promenade. This seemed like a great opportunity. I also needed a narrow corner building. The Townhouse Toy Store is almost perfect. However, I am building it as a mirror image of the original design. The store will also no longer feature a toy shop. Instead, it will be a mom-and-pop men’s formal wear store.
The Townhouse Toy Store set is becoming a men’s formal wear shop.
The base level of the formal wear shop is the main storefront. I placed classic smiley face Minifigures in the windows wearing suits. The classic face makes a good mannequin compared to the modern animated facial expressions. The back wall features some folded shirts and bottles of cologne. I used the same spiral staircase design I employed in Willa’s for this shop. The LEGO® Store has regular staircase bricks, but here they took up too much space. The formal wear store is much smaller and needed more compact stairs. The design also allowed me to squeeze a small register underneath.
I really enjoy taking an existing LEGO® set and customizing it for my city. This LEGO® and men’s wear stores project has given me the chance to work with two sets and give them my own unique perspective. Let me know what you think of this first look in the comments below or on social media. I am feeling very inspired with this build. Consequently, it is currently progressing quickly. I think I will have another update ready soon, so stay tuned!
Until next time,
-Tom
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