The abstract Lego tower block

Next to the Esso service station, this tower block is my other favourite Lego building. It also represents the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of style. If the Esso station is a realistic representation of such a building, the tower block is very much an abstract, imaginative impression (very much in keeping with other things from ideas books of the time, where ships, cars, trains and animals were still pretty abstract indeed).

Lego saw no problem in mixing the styles, or indeed the difference in scale, as is illustrated in their Idea Book of 1960. Normally I'm a nitpicker about such things, but in this case I'm just enjoying the nostalgia.

As far as I know, there are no step-by-step instructions for this tower block, only an illustration of the completed building in the same Idea Book.

However, I once had a glued-together display model of it in my hands, which is also about as official as one can get. It sat on a table at a swapmeet with a good dozen or so other display models, including the Esso service station. I could only afford one, so I bought the Esso station, also for its special parts. 

This was in pre-smartphone days, so no chance of taking a picture. I did however sketch out the construction of the tower block, so I could build one one day. And that allows me to present a step by step here.

The first three steps are for the ground floor:

Floors on higher levels consist of these two layers (repeat as often as you like):

And then top it off with these two layers for the roof:

These photographs should also help in counting the bricks for a parts list or shopping list. As you can see, I've added number bricks at ground level.