Cyber City book nook kit with neon LED lights

A street in neon

Look into the Cyber City nook and you see a narrow alley between tall buildings, stacked with signs, pipes, stairs and walkways. Blue and colored LEDs light the windows and the street below, so the scene glows from inside once the room goes dark. The outer case is black with a printed cover, so it reads like a book spine on the shelf.

Size

It measures about 3.9 in wide, 5.9 in deep and 7.4 in tall (10 x 15 x 18.7 cm). The narrow width is the point: it fills the gap between books on a standard shelf. Measure the clear height of your shelf, and allow a little room behind for the battery switch.

The build

This one rewards patience. The kit comes as pre-cut wood sheets, printed paper parts, an LED set and an illustrated guide. You press out the pieces, glue them together in layers and add the many small signs and details that give the street its depth. Plan on about 9 hours over a few evenings; it is a good second or third kit rather than a first.

Work in good light, keep fine tweezers and a toothpick for the glue, and dry-fit each layer before you glue it. The deepest layers go in first, so take your time there: they are hard to reach once the front is on. Stop at any natural point and carry on another evening.

The light

The LED strip comes pre-wired with a small switch and runs on 3 button-cell batteries, not included. No soldering is needed. The lights are what make this kit: cool blue along the street, warmer color in the windows, and deep shadows in between.

Who it suits

Fans of science fiction and neon cityscapes, gamers, and anyone who wants a book nook that looks nothing like a cozy cottage. It is striking on a dark shelf, in a game room or on a desk next to a monitor.

Display tips

It looks best at eye level with the room lights low. On a white shelf, the black case frames the scene like a window. Leave a gap of a book or two on each side so the light spills onto the spines next to it.