Book Nook Workshop

Build #144 by D.J. Gibson

Quick Summary

Category	Rating
Design	9/10
Build Experience	6/10
Instructions	7/10
Lighting	9/10
Build Quality	7/10
Difficulty	4/5
Build Time	Approximately 6 Hours
Overall Rating	8/10

Pros

• Exceptional finished display piece
• Impressive depth and layered construction
• Beautiful stained glass effects
• Effective lighting system
• Integrated front doors act as dust covers
• High-quality printed MDF, acrylic and plexiglass components

Cons

• Loose-fitting parts throughout the first half of the build
• Multiple areas require glue where it should not be necessary
• Rear wall installation is unnecessarily difficult
• Lighting wires can interfere with assembly
• Some instruction steps would benefit from enlarged diagrams
• One base component required modification to fit correctly

MiniCity Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal Review

The MiniCity Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is one of four kits in MiniCity’s new architectural series. The kit is constructed from printed MDF, printed cardstock, printed plexiglass and printed acrylic components.

The instruction manual is presented in full colour and is generally easy to follow, although several stages would benefit from zoomed-in illustrations to improve clarity. A welcome addition is the QR code included within the manual, allowing builders to download a digital version for easier reference.

While the completed model is spectacular, the road to completion is not always smooth.

First Impressions

I will begin by saying the first half of this build is safely the most frustrating build I have experienced with a MiniCity kit.

The pieces were almost all entirely too loose and required glue where none should have been needed. The pieces are all easily removed from their boards, with the plexiglass pieces requiring more force due to their thickness.

For a manufacturer that typically delivers excellent fit and engineering, this was an unexpected start.

Base and Rear Wall Assembly

The beginning of the build focuses on the base before quickly moving onto the rear wall.

The rear wall contains an LED light strip that is glued directly onto acrylic pieces rather than utilising the self-adhesive backing provided on the strip itself. Whether this decision was influenced by the coloured acrylic is unclear, although the brightness of the LEDs suggests this would likely make little difference.

Once the lighting is installed, the real challenge begins.

The rear wall must be attached while simultaneously managing:

• Loose support columns already installed on the base
• Multiple lighting wires
• Two wires routed beneath the rear wall
• A tab-and-slot connection that is too loose to support the wall properly

The intended installation method appears to require sliding the rear wall between previously installed columns. Unfortunately, because those columns are already loose, they frequently fall out during assembly.

Build Challenge

Between the columns, loose connections and lighting wires, these steps took more than an hour to complete and still required revisiting later in the build.

Columns and Arched Ceiling

Once the rear wall is secured, construction moves onto the remaining columns and the impressive arched ceiling.

The columns are built from a combination of MDF, cardstock and plexiglass components.

Unfortunately, many of these assemblies also required additional glue to prevent them from collapsing during handling.

Thankfully, the ceiling pieces restore confidence in the build quality.

Unlike many of the earlier sections, the ceiling components fit securely and begin to provide meaningful structural stability to the model.

Builder’s Note

The front two columns will protrude from the front of the build until the front cover frame is installed. This is caused by the curved ceiling section pushing the columns outward.

Side Wall Installation

The turning point of the build arrives during installation of the side walls.

This is where the kit finally starts to feel secure as the side walls begin locking sections into place and provide the proper tension between tabs and slots that builders normally expect from MiniCity.

Unfortunately, one issue remained.

A component installed during the base construction protruded too far on the right side, preventing proper installation of the exterior wall. After revisiting the earlier stages and confirming the assembly was correct, the only solution was to carefully trim the offending piece.

Once corrected, the wall fitted correctly and added substantial rigidity to the structure.

Lighting System

The lighting system consists of:

• Four LED bulbs
• One LED light strip
• Touch control panel

Two orange LEDs and the main light strip are installed during the first half of the build.

The remaining two LEDs are installed later once the side walls are in place.

Lighting Difficulty

The most challenging aspect of the lighting installation involves the two orange LEDs located in the base. Their wires frequently become trapped between the plexiglass layers in the base and rear wall sections, preventing the components from sitting flush against one another.

Careful wire management is essential throughout the build.

Roof and Front Frame Assembly

Once the final two LEDs and touch control panel have been installed, construction moves onto the roof section.

The front frame is then added, finally bringing the entire structure together.

This step also resolves the earlier issue with the front columns, allowing the frame to pull everything into its correct position while simultaneously securing the arched ceiling.

At this stage, the Basilica finally begins to reveal its impressive architectural design.

Stained Glass Doors

The final stage involves constructing the front doors.

Each door consists of:

• Two printed MDF frame pieces
• Three stained-glass acrylic inserts

Once assembled, the doors are mounted to the front frame and secured using a simple flip-lock mechanism at the base.

An added bonus is that these doors also serve as the kit’s dust protection when closed.

Finished Appearance

Despite the frustrations encountered throughout the first half of the build, the completed model is undeniably impressive.

The layered construction creates remarkable depth throughout the interior, while the vaulted ceiling and carefully positioned lighting showcase the intricate architectural details.

The stained-glass windows on both the front and side walls are particularly effective when illuminated, helping recreate the iconic appearance of Montreal’s famous basilica.

Display Impact

Once complete, this kit is quite a sight to behold with the depth of layers, the arched ceiling and lighting showing off the interior designs as well as the stained glass features on the front and sides of the kit.

Final Verdict

The MiniCity Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal delivers a spectacular finished display piece that successfully captures the grandeur of one of Canada’s most famous landmarks.

However, the journey to completion is considerably more challenging than many previous MiniCity kits. Loose-fitting components, difficult rear wall installation and frequent reliance on glue create a level of frustration that many builders may not expect.

Fortunately, persistence is rewarded with one of the most visually impressive architectural kits currently available from MiniCity.

Overall Rating: 8/10

A beautiful and highly detailed architectural model that produces stunning results, but demands patience and perseverance to overcome a frustrating first half of the build.