Scratch-built card and styrene structures (based on real buildings around London Bridge)

[grahame]

A little bit of work on the front fascia. There's still the ground floor frontage to do and the window surrounds, sills and pediments to add. And then all the usual finishing - painting, glazing, roofing, and details like chimneys and drain pipes:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

I've been making and putting the windows surrounds on. I've simplified them somewhat as the apertures are larger than they ought to be (so that the printed Scenesetter windows will fit - hopefully it's not too obvious). However, it's pretty tedious cutting the strips and gluing them in place, but I've managed to get two rows done (while still remaining sane):

 

 

G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've finished off the window surrounds and added the short lengths of cornice to the flank walls. Apart from the ground floor that means the basic building structure for the model is now complete.

I've been looking at the buildings either side and their time periods. To the left/west of 29-33 Tooley Street is Denmark/Emblem (formerly Colonial) House which is still there and to the right/east was Dominion House - see here https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/dominion-house-shipping-offices-3745-tooley-street-southwark-london/posterid/RIBA58164.html This was still around in 1982, which is roughly the period of the layout, and has been replaced by the plastic panel clad modern Cottons Centre. I'm thinking along the lines of making Dominion House, rather than Cotton Centre (which is effectively joined to the station with a bridge over Tooley Street) and that will fill the space up to the Hays Galleria frontage (and include some compression).

That means just Denmark/Emblem House and Dominion House to make to complete the north side of Tooley Street for the layout (except west of St Olafs House where I need to do some research as currently that area is dominated by massive No1 London Bridge/Price Waterhouse complex and I'm not sure when it was built). But don't be fooled, there's still plenty of other buildings and urban structures that require making. And that Denmark/Emblem House building looks a real difficult challenge.
;-)

G



 

[grahame]

Here's a quick pic of where I am with the building model:

 

 

I've given the brickwork area a quick dusting of desert yellow. Now I'm considering the order for some painting which needs to be done next. Probably dark grey for the flat roof gutter areas before adding Redutex tiles to the pitched surfaces (although I'm not sure if the centre section is tiled), and then the white/light grey painted architectural features. After I'll seal that with matt varnish for later detail painting and weathering.

 

G

[grahame]

Painting the surrounds white/pale grey is a nightmare. Not only are they fiddly with lots of surfaces but, although the paint is well mixed and a good consistency, it either goes on lumpy or too thin and see through. That means I'm going to need to re-paint it all again with another coat to get a good consistent depth and coverage. I'm having a break now having not even got the first coat on. Think I'll make a pot of tea:

 

 

 

G

 

 

 

 

 

[carlw]

I've been making and putting the windows surrounds on. I've simplified them somewhat as the apertures are larger than they ought to be (so that the printed Scenesetter windows will fit - hopefully it's not too obvious). However, it's pretty tedious cutting the strips and gluing them in place, but I've managed to get two rows done (while still remaining sane):

 

DSC_5600.JPG

 

G.

Hi,

 

Do you not use a chopper to cut all those small sections quickly and consistant lengths.

 

I am really enjoying seeing all the updates you have been posting. I keep seeing techniques that you use and finding ways I can do things

 

Cheers

 

Carl

[grahame]

That's the white painting completed - not perfect but it'll have to do. After all painted buildings in real life aren't prefect. And I've divided up the ground floor in to separate sections ready for the frontage. Next is to consider and draw up some rough plans based on the 1982 photos for the fronts plus the nice, easy, straightforward job of adding the Redutex tiling:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

I've managed to knock up one of the frontages (although I'm not too sure about it):

 

 

G

 

 

[grahame]

I been thinking through how to attempt making Dominion House (37-45 Tooley Street). Currently all I have is the two RIBA pics as it was demolished, presumably in the late 80s/90s. A few quick internet searches have not come up with anything else.

 

It's an imposing building with the round corners which will probably be a little tricky to replicate. I need to compress it somewhat to fit the space available but from the two pics that should be doable. The big issue ATM is the roof. I've no idea of what it looks like and roofs are very important on building models especially N gauge ones. Obviously I could make something up but that means it might be completely wrong and I'd prefer to get it at least roughly correct.

 

It will be another low relief structure so the flank wall details are not important as they will be cut down and difficult to see from the veiwing position. Howevet, if anyone has any details or information I'd be most grateful.

 

G

[grahame]

Timing, or the period/era depicted, is such a tricky thing with making layouts. I've already got a few conflicting periods based on various buildings in the state that I've modelled them as things change so quickly and affect so many individual buildings and structures.

Generally I'm trying to go for the period 1980s/90s before the sweeping changes of the London Bridge City phase 2 'more' developments that saw many buildings demolished like Battlebridge House - which was only built in the mid 1960s - and the Duke of Clarence pub. And more recently, in this millennium, there has been the demolition of London Bridge House, Southwark Towers, Fielden House, the SER offices 'flat iron' building and various shops in Borough High Street that I have, or need to make. And, of course, there has been the complete remodelling of the station sweeping away much of the 1970s station remodelling and reconstruction. Plus I've made the Hay Galleria frontage as it was renovated in the late 1980s/90s as that work was started before Battlebridge House was torn down. It's certainly a living city.

And now I've found out that No1 London Bridge, the 13 and 10 storey pink granite clad tower blocks on the corner of London bridge and Tooley Street were completed in 1986 - possibly about when Dominion House was demolished. Do I include them as completed? Probably. But it's a difficult juggling act and no doubt there will be some who point out the conflicting discrepancies.

 

Sigh. Oh well, I'll push on and plug away at the project. Uncovering information is certainly fun.

 

G.
 

Edited May 8, 2018 by grahame

[grahame]

Do you not use a chopper to cut all those small sections quickly and consistant lengths.

I am really enjoying seeing all the updates you have been posting. I keep seeing techniques that you use and finding ways I can do things

 

Thanks.

 

I do have one of those chopper things but rarely use it. I find it quick and easy just to hold the strip up against a steel rule and cut off lengths moving/sliding the strip up with the knife blade to the same position as the previous.

 

G

[Jim Martin]

Is this any help? https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW018326 

 

What I take to be the building you're working on at the moment is at the extreme bottom-right of the frame. St Olaf's House is also visible, albeit partially obscured. If you create an account you can zoom in quite a long way and the image quality holds up pretty well.

 

This shot: https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW052933 shows the same area from a different angle.

 

Jim

[grahame]

Is this any help? https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW018326 

 

What I take to be the building you're working on at the moment is at the extreme bottom-right of the frame. St Olaf's House is also visible, albeit partially obscured. If you create an account you can zoom in quite a long way and the image quality holds up pretty well.

 

This shot: https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW052933 shows the same area from a different angle.

 

 

Yes. Thanks - I'd forgotten about that website. And didn't realise that as a member you could zoom in so far.

 

The pics certainly show the area in it's black and white, grubby, steam era glory. They show the station before it's 1970s re-building/re-modelling and even Boro Market before it was glazed over. There also lots of buildings that have been demolished and replaced even before the period I'm trying to model. Very interesting.

 

Both 29-33 and 35-45 (Dominion House) look to have flat roofs with just a few additions. The three pitched sections that are currently present on 29-33 (courtesy of modern aerial/satellite views) must have been added later - but when?  It's typical, as I mentioned earlier, just how fluid buildings are and rapidly and regularly change and evolve thought their life cycle until they get demolished and replaced. And just how difficult it is to nail down how they all looked in a particular era.

 

G 

[grahame]

I'm keen to get Dominion House designed and started, and hopefully the structural framework underway, before I get called back in to hospital (which presumably will be soon):

 

 

It fits between 29-33 and Hays Galleria frontage, but at 6 storeys tall is the same height as Hays. Also the Tooley Street frontage is fairly ornate with some of the stripy effect columns between windows (as seen on the Aston Webb building chimney stacks), an angled flag pole and those rounded corners. I've also needed to compress the frontage length, hopefully not at the expense of character. Fortunately it is the end of the building with it being longer in depth (although not the model as it is low relief). The paper cut outs (in the pic) show the full size results of that re-sizing. Also there should be a building between it and Hays but I'm going to need to leave that out as part of the necessary compression (otherwise both will be impossibly narrow and/or the layout impossibly over long).

 

G

[grahame]

I've been out to Weybridge for some food shopping and Addlestone for the model shop to stock up on modelling supplies. Now I'm back I've cut out the floors for Dominion House from mountboard:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I've put together the structure framework and added one curved corner side from wooden dowel. I had some plastic tube but the diameter was too small and the dowel I had seemed to be a more appropriate size. It will be covered with thin plasticard to tie in with the building. Fortunately there are no windows in the curved corners but they are distinctive features of the real building as can be seen in this pic ; https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/dominion-house-shipping-offices-3745-tooley-street-southwark-london-the-street-facade-seen-from-the-/posterid/RIBA58165.html

 

 

The pic makes it look like the edge is leaning outward but it's not (I've double checked all the measurements) and it only appears that way because of the camera lens and position. I'll take a pic square on later.

 

G

[grahame]

I've got the main structural framework effectively completed. And have cut the side wall panels to check fit:

 

 

It looks a bit like some part built furniture ATM but there's lots to do - not least cutting all the windows and adding the decorative architectural features plus wrapping the corner columns. Hopefully it will turn in to a miniature rendition of Dominion House.

 

G.

[grahame]

I've wrapped the corner towers, which was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Plasticard is difficult to bend in to a consistent curve over a length. I had to use the thinnest plain plasticard as the brick embossed plasticard was too thick and difficult to work with. The saving grace is that there will be various cornices that run along the front wall and around the corners to be added that will help disguise the imperfections. Anyway here's how the new stylish bedroom wardrobe is shaping up:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

Now that I've got the back of Dominion House broken, well at least the main structure sorted, I really ought to get back to some more finishing/detailing work on 29-33 Tooley Street. The marking and cutting out of the Dominion windows can wait. Besides I'm going out today to meet up with my siblings at a pub for drinks and lunch prior to my hospital stay. And that involves an hour's train journey - something to look forward to.

 

Perhaps, if I get a chance before leaving, I'll try and get the Redutex tiling on the building. That's a nice straightforward non-messey job and helps to make a building look like it's starting to become finished. I recommend the product.

 

G

[grahame]

And here we go - Redutex tiling fitted (and in the meantime I've had a bath, got ready for going out and phoned for a cab) although the ridge tiles are yet to be made and added:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

After an enjoyable day out yesterday it's back to Dominion House, and I've started to mark up and cut out the apertures for the main frontage:

 

 

My recommendations are ensure you have a sharp pencil and a fresh new blade in the knife. I tend to mark the horizontal lines along brick courses (assuming they are straight and square) and then measure and mark the vertical lines just at the top and bottom of the façade where the apertures are aligned in a column. Then, with the rule in position between the measured marks, draw the vertical lines by joining the horizontal lines where necessary - it saves measuring every aperture.

 

G

[grahame]

Modelling is not a competition so is not a race. Therefore, take your time, especially with cutting, otherwise you can slip, ruin the work or even cut yourself.

 

I've added brick plasticard to the return walls of the central section (that juts forward). This'll help it all match up when the wall panels are added. I've also now cut the basic apertures for the centre section. And, despite the compression, it is starting to look vaguely reminiscent of the real building although I've only got the two photos of it (and presumably few people will remember it) so I'm quite pleased with progress.

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I often check progress by putting the model together (not gluing the assemblies together but just resting them in place) and, if possible, in its setting. This help confirm that it is looking like it should and representative of the real thing (even if not a drop dead accurate replica) plus it checks the overall scale and fit is right:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

With all the apertures cut out of the three front wall panels I can start on the more enjoyable aspect of structure modelling in making and adding architectural details:

 

 

G

[grahame]

I've started to add the detail from the bottom upward:

 

 

G.