Penobscot Building (1928): A LEGO® creation by Jim Garrett : MOCpages.com

by Jim Garrett

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Buildings of Detroit

Art Museum - The Detroit Institute of Arts

Brush Park Victorian

Colonial Department Store

David Stott Building

Detroit Public Library

Factory

Fisher Building (version 1)

Fisher Building (version 2)

Griswold Building

Penobscot Building (1905)

Penobscot Building (1928)

Penobscot Building (1928)

Minifig scale model of the 1928 Penobscot Building in Detroit, Michigan

39 votes. 4,718 visitors. 17 reviews.

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The Penobscot Building
In the late 1920s, the skyline of Detroit changed dramatically as dozens of skyscrapers and high-rises were erected. The city block on which the Penobscot Building was constructed already contained the original 13 story Penobscot Building of 1905 and the 23 story Penobscot Annex of 1913. In 1928 yet another Penobscot Building was put up and this time there were no half measures. Architect Wirt Rowland designed a modern 47 story art deco tower that in the year of its completion was the fifth tallest office building in the world and the tallest outside New York. Compared to some other art deco skyscrapers, the Penobscot has fewer details but it makes up for it by its height and the complex series of setbacks at the top. The Penobscot was the tallest building in Detroit from 1928 until 1977 when the Renaissance Center's 72 story Westin Hotel (now Marriot) was completed.

The Lego Model
My minifg scale model of the Penobscot Building has 41 floors compared to the 47 of the real building. It was very difficult to get the proportions exactly right so model's floor height it a little higher than it should be. To compensate, I reduced the number of floors by six. One feature of the real building that I did not include in the model is the slight angle of the front facade. The real buiding's north side is 16 windows across and the south side is 17 windows across; my version is 16 windows on all sides. I believe that this model is one of the tallest minifig scale Lego buildings (the buildings at the Legolands are "Miniland" scale so they do not count!).

Building Statistics:

Construction Start: September 1, 2006.

Construction End: June 12, 2007.

Current Status: Office buildiing - in use.

Height: Skyscraper.
- Roof: 9.5 feet (3 meters).
- Architectural Top: 9.5 feet (3 meters).
- Spire/Antenna: 11 feet (3.4 meters).

Foorplate: 68 x 70 studs.

Floors: 41.

Weight: (Estimated) 160 Lbs.

Portability: Building separates into 12 modules for transport to MichLTC shows.

Colors:
- Light blue gray - walls.
- Light gray - certain grooved bricks (there was not enough in light blue gray).
- Sand green - certain recessed spandrels.
- Dark blue gray - roof (including setback roofs), window sills.
- Tan - details on base of building.
- Gold - certain spandrels near base of building.
- Black - portions of front entrance way and the mast on building roof.
- White - section on side of building that faces the Ford Building.
- Trans-red - the globular light on top of the mast.

	A couple of minifig-eye views of the top of the building showing the numerous art deco setbacks that give it a cubistic style. These pictures were taken when I first test-assembled the building on my back patio; the building is too high to fully assemble inside my house.
	Pictures taken during construction. On the left is a detail of base of the building. On the right, the Lego tower crane "assists" construction. If anyone wonders if I have a "life", I certainly do. Most people watch TV; I build MOCs AND watch TV! Ha ha! I spent many an evening watching or at least listening to the Daily Show with John Stewart (and the Cobert Report) while adding another floor to the building.
	After rising vertically for 30 stories, the first of a series of set backs begin. Getting this part right was the most difficult part of the construction. In the spring of 2007, I had another potential problem; I had purchased almost the entire supply of 2x2x6 grooved light gray and light blue gray modified bricks on Bricklink and ended up barely scraping enough together to complete the project.
	I displayed my Penobscot Building to the public for the first time at the 2007 NMRA National Train Show which was held in Detroit, Michigan from July 27-29. When I finished assembling the building on the MichLTC train table the tip of the antenna was fully 14 feet above the floor of the Cobo Conference Center. The other tall building is my David Stott Building (previously my tallest).
	The real Penobscot is one block from the center of downtown Detroit. As you can see the proportions of my model is just a little narrower than the original. Some compression was necessary to I could fit the building sections into a van for transport!

Visitor reviews

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Logan Tindall

[ See my LEGO creations ]

April 14, 2008

OH MY GOD!!!!HOW LONG DID THAT TAKE?AND HOW MANY LEGOS DID THAT TAKE?,!!!OUT!!!

IM TOO STUNNED TO SAY MY NAME

March 27, 2008

woooooooooooooooow!!!!!!!! [does it have an interior]

Marcus Smith

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from USA)

February 21, 2008

This is awsome! The sheer scale of this building is mind blowing. Great work!

Steffen Kasteleiner

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from Germany)

February 21, 2008

Hey Jim, You do great work!!! This tower looks so amazing; I have seen the real one when I was in Detroit last year... I have a question, though: Would you be interested in creating a building that really fascinated me in Detroit - the old train station?? I would love to see it built by you, in a look of decay like the real one maybe?!? When we drove through the city coming from the direction of Dearborn, that really dark, creepy but capturing building just seemed to dominate the area... I loved it and would have been sooo interested in entering. I�d love to see it in Lego... Anyways, keep up the amazing work!!! Viele Gr��e aus Deutschland, Steffen

yo face

February 16, 2008

colbert report kicks daily show's *BEEP* anyway this is awesome dude

aaron

(from the SUN!!!)

December 28, 2007

call me crazy but the pic at the top of u and the building u remind me of will ferrell, great job!

Erdbeer Eisman

[ See my LEGO creations ]

December 9, 2007

Wow! how many pieces did you use?

Austin S

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from Trayus Academy)

September 29, 2007

That must've taken a ton of bricks. Excellent job!

Andrew Beaumont

(from Reford, MI)

September 22, 2007

Awesome! I love the Penobscot Building.

Tim Inman

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from Wouldn't you like to know.)

September 3, 2007

SLAM! That was my jaw hitting the floor! I wish I had the funds to build something like that! It's amazing! On average, what does it cost to build your creations?

(from Colombia)

September 3, 2007

Man, you're insanely great !

Matthew

(from Earth)

September 3, 2007

Flipping flounders!!!!!!!Thats twice the size of you!(no offence)

Andrew Jones

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from ........uh....I dunno......)

September 3, 2007

That looks like something you'd see at legoland!!!Are you a pro builder?

Lee Jones

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from The World - Currently Canada)

September 3, 2007

Another beautiful creation; however, if you are going to hire a model to stand next to your creation may I suggest one that is at least as pretty as your creation. But at least the one you have pictured does not distract from your tower ;-) Lee.

Craig .L

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from ...Transmission Interupted...)

September 3, 2007

You have a very expensive hobby...

Jay

(from California)

September 3, 2007

That is amazing! Wow.... I am speechless. I have only seen a few lego creations of that size. Its awsome!

menno boer

[ See my LEGO creations ]

(from netherlands)

September 3, 2007

wow jou are the man i mean look how hi it is :O