Russell Industrial Center, Detroit, LEGO Model
This LEGO model depicts a typical Albert Kahn designed reinforced concrete factory building that in circa 1910 began replacing the old mill style factory buildings such as the Ford Piquette Avenue factory.
This model is a portion of one of the seven buildings of the Russell Industrial Center. This complex was commissioned by the J W Murray Mfg. Co. in 1915. Albert Kahn's firm designed the buildings that make up the 2.2 million square feet site. It was completed in 1925 at which time the company was reorganized as the Murray Body Corporation. Before the Great Depression curtailed sales this company was the third largest supplier of car bodies to the automobile industry. After some years of disuse the now renamed Russell Industrial Center is home to an arts community/marketplace. The building has been modified over the years with some of the large windows being replaced by concrete blocks.
The LEGO model is 30" L x 30" W; it represents part of one building located in the northwest corner of the complex. The model contains many, many 1x2 dark red and red-brown plates for the bricks. Each of the large windows contains either 67 or 81 trans-clear elements. Light gray (old) is used to simulate the exposed reinforced concrete. The building has a semi-complete interior with floors but since I have not found any photos of the interior, there is no details as of yet.
The real building extends much farther than is depicted on the model; the rest of the building (nine more window bays) is identical to the section on the left under the sign. The sign is all LEGO; it was made possible by some recent LEGO sets called DOTS.
Russell Industrial Center, Detroit, LEGO Model
This LEGO model depicts a typical Albert Kahn designed reinforced concrete factory building that in circa 1910 began replacing the old mill style factory buildings such as the Ford Piquette Avenue factory.
This model is a portion of one of the seven buildings of the Russell Industrial Center. This complex was commissioned by the J W Murray Mfg. Co. in 1915. Albert Kahn's firm designed the buildings that make up the 2.2 million square feet site. It was completed in 1925 at which time the company was reorganized as the Murray Body Corporation. Before the Great Depression curtailed sales this company was the third largest supplier of car bodies to the automobile industry. After some years of disuse the now renamed Russell Industrial Center is home to an arts community/marketplace. The building has been modified over the years with some of the large windows being replaced by concrete blocks.
The LEGO model is 30" L x 30" W; it represents part of one building located in the northwest corner of the complex. The model contains many, many 1x2 dark red and red-brown plates for the bricks. Each of the large windows contains either 67 or 81 trans-clear elements. Light gray (old) is used to simulate the exposed reinforced concrete. The building has a semi-complete interior with floors but since I have not found any photos of the interior, there is no details as of yet.
The real building extends much farther than is depicted on the model; the rest of the building (nine more window bays) is identical to the section on the left under the sign. The sign is all LEGO; it was made possible by some recent LEGO sets called DOTS.