Welcome back fight fans, to Sin City Nevada for another bare-knuckle edition of Friday Night Fights! They say real estate is all about location, location, location, but tonight’s bout is all about which place is prettier. Let’s go to the tale of the tape: In the red corner, full of marvelous marble greebles valgarise and his Magic House: 
In the blue corner, with some awesome arches Patrick Bosman recreated this building straight from Rotterdam: 
As usual, constant reader, you are tasked with deciding the outcome of this pugilistic endeavor by way of comment. On the last edition of Friday Night Fights, the combat of cranes, MAKS proved that size doesn’t matter when you can pack on the details – and won handily 8-2 against liftingbricks.
My vote is for Magic House. I like the colors and the texturing slightly better.
Magic House. I like the more ornate design.
Man, these Friday Night fights are very tough. Both builds are beautifully done, with great architecture work. But since I can only pick one, I am going to have to go with Rotterdam. The amazing techniques in it really appealed to me. I love all the half-brick offsets, and the arches are fantastic! I liked the Magic House architecture better, but Rotterdam had better techniques to me. Another fantastic Friday Night Fight!
~Matthew~
Definitely giving it to Patrick Bosman for making a house that looks like a house and not a doll’s house.
Bosmann
It was tough.. both lose points for missing the light post.
I have to go with Amsterdamn. I just like the style of house better, and the fact he had a few different images showing other angles won me over! Both are beautiful designs however!
Rotterdam! Very unique design. Although the magic house features nice architectural elements, Rotterdam looks like the more complex build and more unique IMO. Both look great though!
Damn guys, you’ve been picking really good bouts these last two weeks. It was close for me with the Cranes and I find myself struggling with this one to.
I gotta hand it to Valgarise with the use of the Technic rim as part of the architecture. That swayed me over to his side until I clicked on Patrick’s picture. Seeing as how he recreated an actual building from a location I think I have to hand it to him. The trade offs of working with simply working with a concept like “Build a building in the style of ____” is one thing. While some of the creative load is removed when recreating something that actually exists, it shifts all that load over to execution. You can’t just use such and such parts because they look pretty or cool to you, you’re stuck with what creates the right effect for the piece you’re trying to replicate. This is something I find immensely harder to do, I’ve only ever done it twice in my own MOCing(Big Daddy-Bioshock and Minecraft Skeleton). So for these reasons I’m casting my vote to Patrick.
If its any consolation Val, your MOC looks like it could but right up against the Parisian Restaurant. I get the feeling you were inspired by that set and its French(?) Architecture. I visually like yours more and I think some of the techniques, like the use of the technic rim in there is really innovative. This is definitely a bout where I can’t not compliment both contestants. If Patric hadn’t gone to the trouble of building a real structure, my vote would have been yours. I think your MOC is more simple technique wise, but texturally is more interesting to view and study. There’s lots more greebles and cool things to inspect I feel.
Congratulations to the both of you on a FNF feature. *claps*
To Dave:
Please I think it would be interesting if you could visit Valgarise’s gallery. You would not only appreciate this is a remake of his original magic house but also the insides. Whoever checks dates they will be able to see that both the magic house and the restaurant “Maca & James” were built quite before the Lego(r) set. About “inspiration” maybe its the other way round…
It is right that Patricks work is harder because he had to follow the reality rules. Maybe it was a mistake to bring to fight two houses that can’t be compared. For me it would have been more fair if both were real or unreal. Same conditions.
Being two chefsd’oevres I like both. Anyway Valgarise’s magic house has some special light, details and grebble that makes me prefer it.
Another tough decision. Both builds look great use some nice techniques, but in the end, the fact that the Rotterdam building looks more like something I’d actually see on the street and because of the great authentic-looking techniques used on its second-story arched window, it gets my vote.
I really like the NPU, the color scheme, and the overall detail in valgarise’s Magic House. The Rotterdam building has some nice details, but the architecture style and the color scheme isn’t my favorite.
My pick would be Patrick’s building. A very refined build :)
Architecture! Finally something I can critique with a background. Rotterdam has a nice organic feel to it but the background is a little distracting. I can overlook that but in this day and age you have to be careful exposing your studs. The roofs could have been a touch more finished. I appreciate the use of gratuitous 1×1 and 1×2 plates to mimic a brickwork pattern. Maybe it’s the use if red instead of dark red though. It makes me think someone painted the bricks. The stone detailing is very nice though.
The Magic House suffers from some studdedness under the dark red (thank you) arches and especially on the steps (shameful there). It might have been better suited using the 1×2 plates for better subtle wall texturing. And the small wheels used as greeblies on the second floor are not aligned. But I can’t overlook the classic dragon stickers (are those custom?) framing the display window and the borderline gaudy details, especially the quoins on the corners. Gaudy is good in this case.
I’m sure my decision is based partly on lighting and camera angle but the Magic House draws my eye a little more. Perhaps it’s because it is reminiscent of the Parisian restaurant that we’re still fawning over. If I had it my way I’d give 2 votes to Amsterdam and 3 votes to Magic.
I dunno, the Magic House seems kind of unfinished. Patrick Bosman’s house just looks more complete and finished. Bosman gets my vote!
Considering I work in Rotterdam, Patrick gets this. This house looks very familiar (in fact, I know exactly where it is).
Actually, even if I didn’t know it so well, he’d still have the better build. The Magic House looks unfinished. The details on the front look way too busy.
The use of minifig Matoro’s head on the Magic House is something I have never seen before. Insane.
Bosman.
They’re both excellent and have some fantastic details. But, Rotterdam is most to my liking of these two.
Patrick for sure.
It’s a toss-up for techniques, but the Magic House is beautiful, so Valgarise takes it. Rotterdam just isn’t that appealing as a whole.