Bangkok Block

What better way to chill out after a visit to the climbing wall or gym, than a lovely meal in the Thai restaurant next door. Prefer take away? Not a problem, the delivery tuk-tuk can bring it to your door! 

This build is inspired by two of the things I like to do in my spare time - when I'm not playing Lego that is!

I love Thai food and hadn't come across a Thai restaurant MOC anywhere, so thought I should build one. I also hadn't seen a Lego climbing wall (though there's been a couple of good ones appear on Lego Ideas whilst I've been working on this one). 

The name Bangkok Block is a bit of a play on words - Bangkok is obviously the capital of Thailand, but Block has three relevant meanings: bloc is a climbing term, this build is a city block, and of course it's made of blocks in the form of Lego bricks.

The restaurant is decorated in traditional Thai style, with an elephant fountain, sitting Buddha, gong (hiding at the top of the stairs), ornate architecture and lots of gold. The bar is well stocked, with beer on tap, soft drinks in the fridge, wine on the shelf and cocktails available. There's a busy kitchen on the first floor, with chefs preparing traditional Thai food including Lego seafood, chicken, pork, eggs, carrots, pineapple, banana and soy sauce. One of my favourite features is the fully functional dumb waiter, in which the chefs can send food downstairs for the real waiter to collect in the restaurant below. The dumb waiter is operated by a Lego string reel on the top. The back wall of the restaurant opens out to allow easy access to both the top and the bottom of the dumb waiter at the same time for maximum playability.

The 2nd floor is an apartment, accessed from the restaurant kitchen, which spreads across both buildings via the attractive bridge which joins them. The open-plan living area has a well-presented kitchen, sofa, coffee table and TV unit. There's an ornamental Thai bust and umbrella stand in the corner (which I struggled to get into the 15-limit photos!) and a laundry cupboard/utility room with a full load in the washing machine. The bathroom and bedroom sit above the climbing wall and gym. The black, white and yellow theme from the kitchen continues into the bathroom with an eye-catching patterned tile floor and window blind. The bedroom features a smart wooden-frame bed and coordinated furniture. Take a look inside the wardrobe and you'll find a few outfits hung up ready for wearing!

The gym below is a mezzanine that overlooks the two-storey high climbing wall. It features an exercise bike, punch bag and weights area, all with a turquoise colour theme. There's also a locker for climbers and gym-goers alike to store their valuables. The main climbing wall opens out at the back, again for great playability.

On the ground floor there is also a challenging bouldering wall, chill out/viewing area and a couple of water coolers. The reception area sells helmets and climbing gear and hosts a cloakroom under the spiral staircase up to the gym.

The outside area includes al fresco dining, a delightful garden and a two-storey view into the climbing wall. The delivery tuk-tuk fits snugly into its parking space between the two buildings. 

I've had great fun building this, I hope you enjoy exploring it. Please show your support if you like it!