Electrifying Miniature Cityscapes Created From Old Computer Parts

What do you do with your old computer parts? If you like to mess around with your hardware, you probably have a drawer full of old circuit boards, springs, screws and other doodads from the guts of your old computers. The stunning tables you see below are created with recycled (or reused) old computer parts that once were completely useless. Artist Ben Yates builds these gorgeous, miniature cityscapes. He describes them as “sprawling cities lit with fairy lights.”

As you see below, there’s a whole world inside each one of these tables. It’s another world within our world, and it’s almost hard to believe this was a created from things that most people would just toss out. He uses tiny model railway people to create the visual stories, and when they are all lit up like this, they truly look magical. He calls these Electri-Cities, and each one is encased in a clear, functional coffee table.

Sometimes he’ll even add more to the scene than just the old computer parts. For example, in one picture below, you can see he added a working digital photo frame. Obviously there is also a complex lighting system inside each table. According to Ben’s website, “If there’s something you want the city to do (play music, show pictures, run a train set, check your email), the possibility is there.”

I haven’t quite figured out if he sells these or if he just makes them for fun, but if you want to find out, you can contact him through his profile at WonderHowTo. I’ve always dreamed of having a geeky Christmas tree design that could shine brightly all year long in my house. If that is something you’ve thought about too, this might be a creative option for us. I’ve surely got enough old computer parts and colored Christmas lights lying around to make something like this (although I have a feeling mine would look much…um…different. LOL).