It’s not exactly Legoland — but, well, you could call it…Legovillage.
Village Preservation has announced the sale of its Greenwich Village Building Set, a buildable model comprised of 449 genuine LEGO® bricks. The set features a collection of architecturally and culturally significant places in Greenwich Village — from Village Cigars and the Stonewall Inn to Jefferson Market Library and the quaint streets surrounding Washington Square Park.
Designed by Peacham, a creative agency committed to “making history fun and cool,” the Greenwich Village Building Set captures in miniature one of the world’s most storied and enchanting neighborhoods, renowned for its unique character and lively spirit. Full proceeds from the sale of each set benefit Village Preservation (formerly Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation), the nonprofit dedicated to preserving the architectural heritage and cultural history of Greenwich Village, the East Village and Noho.
“Greenwich Village is known and beloved throughout the world for its charming architecture, quirky streets and rich history,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation. “Whether you’re a lifelong resident, occasional visitor or one of many who feels an affinity for this legendary neighborhood, you can now have a piece of the Village in your own home. The Greenwich Village Building Set captures so much of this neighborhood’s centuries-long history and delightful landmarks, and you get the joy of watching it come to life under your own hand. The set will not only captivate and engage a whole new audience of Greenwich Village lovers, but it will also support efforts to document and protect that irreplaceable and one-of-its-kind history.”
The design of the Greenwich Village Building Set celebrates the neighborhood’s rich diversity of architectural styles, ranging from the classical to the vernacular: the dramatic gables of Jefferson Market Library, the imposing facades of Washington Square North and the modest carriage houses of MacDougal Alley.
The set emphasizes the neighborhood’s human scale and walkability, and it follows a loosely defined geography that spans from Seventh Avenue South to University Place. Rendered in miniature, from left to right, are Village Cigars, the Christopher Street I.R.T. subway station, Hess Triangle (the defiant slab of sidewalk outside the cigar shop), the Stonewall Inn, Jefferson Market Library, MacDougal Alley, Washington Square Park, Washington Square Arch and the Greek Revival rowhouses of Washington Square North.
Although it might be fun to wing it and see if you can put it together on the fly, each set comes with a 92-page booklet that contains step-by-step building instructions and historical information about the places depicted.
“Our goal is simple: We aim to make historic preservation fun, cool and accessible, especially for younger audiences,” said Christopher J. Devine, founder and creative director of Peacham. “We hope the Greenwich Village Building Set inspires the next generation of architects, activists, historians and preservationists.”
The Greenwich Village Building Set also incorporates some of the neighborhood’s most iconic signage, including Village Cigars and The Stonewall Inn.
“Village Cigars has long been known for its quirky signage — an assemblage of handmade letters characterized by rounded serifs and dramatic swashes,” Devine noted of the famed font. “Close inspection reveals that these letters vary in height, width, weight and axis, sometimes within a single word.”
To faithfully capture the idiosyncrasies of these letterforms, Devine enlisted type designer Tré Seals of Vocal Type Company. Seals recreated the legendary signage, in all its eccentricities. His lettering is based on the horizontal sign from the building’s Seventh Avenue South facade, and perfectly reproduces the nuances of the original.
The miniature Stonewall Inn sign uses a font called Marsha, also designed by Seals. First released in 2020, Marsha is inspired by the lettering on the vertical sign that once hung outside Stonewall. The font is named after legendary Village L.G.B.T.Q.+ activist and Stonewall Uprising veteran Marsha P. Johnson.
“Although the Stonewall sign was removed in 1989, it was an important part of the streetscape for many decades,” Village Preservation’s Berman said, “and we’re delighted to give it a new life, albeit at a very small scale.”
The Greenwich Village Building Set will be available for purchase starting Thurs., June 20, at 10 a.m. The retail price is $199. The initial production run is limited to 250 sets. Additional sets may be produced as demand dictates. Full proceeds from the sale of each set benefit Village Preservation. To purchase, visit shop.villagepreservation.org.
The Greenwich Village Building Set was designed by Peacham, and is produced and distributed by Village Preservation. The set is made of genuine LEGO® bricks, which were sourced and packaged by Life In Pieces Brick Shop. The LEGO® Group was not involved in the design, packaging or sale of this set, nor does the LEGO® Group sponsor this product.
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