Factory: A LEGO® creation by Jim Garrett : MOCpages.com

Factory

Rate it

Add a comment

Zoom in

Albert Kahn style early 20th century factory.

About this creation

This is a typical reinforced concrete factory of the type pioneered by architect Albert Kahn (1869-1942). Albert and his brother Julius who had developed a new system of reinforced concrete construction revolutionized the factory design at the beginning of the 20th century. Prior to that most industrial buildings had been based on the brick and timber New England style mill. Henry Ford was a major customer of Albert Kahn's architectural practice. Ford's Highland Park Model T plant, designed by Kahn, was the first auto plant in the world to produce 250,000 cars per year. Later during World War II, Kahn and his company which had grown to include 450 architects and engineers, built the massive tank and aircraft factories (some over 1/2 mile long) which turned Detroit into the Arsenal of Democracy. Today many of these buildings remain but have been adapted for other uses or have been abandonded.

My Lego model shows the basic design elements of a standard Albert Kahn design. The gray Lego represents the reinforced concrete. The small dark red plates represent the brick infill up to the window sill. The many-paned windows are built of 1x2 trans-clear brick placed edge on. The "ACME" name represents the many generic industrial businesses that occupied the smaller versions of these once ubiquitous factories. The building measures 60 x 32 studs and is three stories high. This design can be expanded at any time that more Lego bricks become available.

Enlarge image

The start of another day at ACME industries.

Enlarge image

About half the light bulbs in the ACME sign have burned out and have never been replaced.

Enlarge image

Albert Kahn designed factories that for the time were clean, well lit, and had large open internal spaces for optimum efficiency of production. This design was also fire-proof, a major advance over the New England style mill building which used massive timbers for its structure.

Enlarge image

A view from the air.

Enlarge image

A box car awaits loading of products to be shipped to long time customer W.E. Coyote.

Enlarge image

A view that shows the windows glinting in the "sunlight". The windows were the most expensive part of the building.

Comments

Add a comment

I like it

Tony Lin

August 18, 2011

Great job! I like it. Is there anything inside it?

I like it

James Anthony

October 22, 2009

Amazing man i love it and i really love how you did the parking lot !

John Bridges

August 29, 2009

ACME!!

John Bridges

August 29, 2009

ACME!!

I like it

Connor Hayward

August 28, 2009

I could never pull off the acme sign!!!I have a lego city in my room with a lego table that my dad built for me, but i'm twelve.

I like it

Willis Reifsnyder

August 25, 2008

Neat work, everything about it is so detailed! Nice job landing today's MOCOTD!

I like it

Caleb 'Cutlass Crocodile' Blanchet

August 25, 2008

HAPPY MOTD!

I like it

Sebeus Iniwum

August 25, 2008

nicely done, I love how you did the letters and those windows are great, good job, luckely this became motd, otherwise I probably wouldn't seen this

I like it

Raptor Fett

August 25, 2008

congrats on MOC the day...but why might i ask is there a snake under the sign?!?!?

I like it

Topsy Cret

August 25, 2008

Ah our beloved factories of sameness. Skillfully done, sir! The way the sign is mounted and whatnot really manages to give it the factory feel. Good day