Closer Look: BrickLink The Space Café by Rocknbricks31 & GNBricks1331!

The five sets that make up the tenth series of the BrickLink Designer Program were revealed yesterday, here’s a closer look at one of the them, The Space Café by Rocknbricks31 & GNBricks1331!

The primary goal for the creators was to create a fun and colorful set which could add something original to your City or just be displayed by itself. They both wanted to pay a tribute to the Atomic Age design of the 1960s in the United States, characterized by its angular, modern shapes inspired by spaceships. The initial idea was to combine this distinctive architecture with the retro atmosphere of arcades through a cohesive theme: space.

The idea was for the entire building to resemble a spaceship/space station, with the roof mimicking the wings of a ship while the windows are porthole-shaped. Decorative elements such as the rocket and the UFO complete the design and emphasize the retro feel of the project. The interior is no exception: the café has a kitchen, tables, an arcade and, most importantly an escape pod (restrooms).

The real challenge was creating a coherent design: each part, each detail had to be created as if it were an element of a ship or a space station (including the emergency pod-themed restroom ^^). A clean and understated design while maintaining that retro, pop, and colorful 90s feel.

The sign was a very interesting element to design, and really gives a pop to the whole thing. They also included and reused the surfboard element seen three times in the set. The choice of colors was also decisive in achieving this retro vibe; the combination of dark turquoise, light gray, and reddish orange was the perfect mix and brought a lot of fun to the overall design.

The building process took the duo about a week to complete. The set rests on a 48-stud x 32-stud base and is therefore easily integrated into a city. It contains many details such as arcade games, a kitchen, a planetarium, a 1950s car, bicycle parking, and much more. The roof can be opened to allow access to the interior.