Monthly Archives: April 2012

The Lost Temple

We may have missed our opportunity to blog this when Alex Sandek first posted it a few weeks ago, but this temple is too good to stay lost. The overhanging rocks and waterfall are a creative way of masking the vignette base, and the white temple atop the dark tan crags is beautiful in its seeming simplicity.

The Lost Temple

Conflict on the gray seas

Barney Main’s (SlyOwl) latest diorama convinced me that he has perfected the historical Lego genre. While the two ships are stand-alone marvels, the unique gray sea base brings it all together and creates a dynamic sense of action.

Nail their gizzards to the yardarm!

New LEGO Architecture Set: 21013 Big Ben [News]

Lego’s Architecture sets seem to be coming in rapid succession lately, with the Sydney Opera House announced just back in February. Now Lego has announced their latest set, 21013 Big Ben, giving some well-deserved microscale attention to a famous landmark previously only seen in the cartoonized world of Cars 2.

Big Ben Official photo for TBB

Big Ben, one of the UK’s most recognizable buildings and a global symbol of Victorian London and the Gothic Revival style, has been recreated as the latest set in the LEGO® Architecture series.

Big Ben, officially known as the Clock Tower, has stood at the north-eastern corner of the Palace of Westminster in London for more than 150 years. It was designed by the unlikely team of Classical architect Charles Barry and Gothic Revival pioneer Augustus Pugin and completed in 1859.

Big Ben is the fourteenth model in the LEGO Architecture range, which uses the LEGO brick to interpret the designs of iconic architecture around the world. It is the first model to be designed by Rok Zgalin Kobe from Slovenia who joins Adam Reed-Tucker as a LEGO architect.

“The most challenging in creating this model was representing the richness of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture in a scale usually more appropriate for modern or contemporary architecture of smooth surfaces and clean lines,” said Rok Zgalin Kobe.

Charles Barry won the competition to build the new Palace of Westminster in January 1836. His initial designs were without the clock tower that would become known as Big Ben. As his own style was more Classical than the increasingly popular Gothic Revival, Barry asked for assistance from Augustus Pugin, a leading light of the movement that left its indelible mark on the Victorian era around the world. The design of the interior of the palace and the clock tower are thought to be his work.

LEGO Architecture products features well-known buildings, and the work of important architects Aimed at inspiring future architects, engineers and designers as well as architecture fans around the world, the range contains a booklet featuring step-by-step building instructions that is prefaced by exclusive, archival history, information and photographs of each iconic building, its design origin, its architect and its architectural features.

The LEGO 21013 Big Ben is available for purchase from June 1 in LEGO brand retail stores, LEGOLAND Stores and online at http://shop.lego.com/. The product is designed for ages 12+ and includes a booklet with facts and history about Big Ben. Recommended retail price is $29.99 or €29.99.

For more information about LEGO Architecture visit http://architecture.lego.com/

Keep on Truckin’ with Ingmar Spijkhoven

Ingmar Spijkhoven’s (2LegoOrNot2Lego) Flickr photostream has a collection of trucks and more that are worth a moment of your attention if you have not come across the works of this talented builder.

An Amazing Contraption: Lego Ball Maze

Check out this phenomenal creation by Jason (True Dimensions). I love seeing real, working objects made with Lego, that function just as well as their traditional counterparts. Jason’s ball maze is fully working, and features an integrated, removable ball storage box, and interchangeable mazes in several different themes.

Ball Maze (Labyrinth) - additional mazes and details

The Thunderbird Bolts into Action

Jon Hall’s latest Sky-fi fighterplane is quite electrifying, employing a concept that’s rather brilliant and makes me wish I’d thought of it. Rigged with a pair of giant tesla coils, it can zap its targets at the speed of light. Beyond a terrific premise, though, Hall’s work is outstanding as always, with great shaping and coloring.

T-160 Thunderbird

Microscale World Trade Center Memorial

Spencer R. is known for his beautiful and accurate microscale architectural landmarks. His latest microscale World Trade Center Memorial makes an impression with the blue-tinted glass buildings that seem to reflect the sky.

The new World Trade Center

Captain Smog’s Bank Gets Robbed

Captain Smog, purveyor of much Steampunkery, is back with another delightful model. This time the Imperial Bank is being purloined by surly burglars driving a crazy mono-wheeled mechano-drill. They’d best keep their begoggled eyes peeled for the gilded-age Batman, though!

Bank: general view

Sydney Brick Show registration open

For fans of LEGO in Sydney and around Australia, the inaugaral Sydney Brick Show will happen in the Sydney Powerhouse Museum on June 2-3.

Sydney Brick Show, 2-3 June 2012

Registrations are now open to display and attend the Sydney Brick Show as an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO®)

SydBricks (A group of Sydney LEGO fans from SydLUG) and the Powerhouse Museum are proud to announce that the first Sydney Brick Show will be held at the museum on the weekend of 2-3 June 2012.

Adult fans are invited to register to display their creations and attend the show. For younger fans wishing to take part the Sydney Brick Show are running a competition where they can submit their creations to win one of 10 family passes and the opportunity to display the winning creation at the show. There will also be a number of interactive activities at the show for younger fans, so keep watch on sydneybrickshow.com.au.

As the show is situated in the Powerhouse Museum, AFOL’s are invited to recreate Museum exhibits in brick alongside the usual MOC creations. Information on exhibits from the museum can be found here. Be in quick to register as some exhibits have already been selected!

Registration to attend the Sydney Brick Show as an AFOL includes entry to the Powerhouse Museum for the duration of the show, Sydney Brick Show badge, show bag and discounted entry to the evening reception event hosted by SydBricks in support of Westmead Children’s Hospital, Sydney.

General tickets for the evening event are on sale now. The evening event will include exclusive entry to see the show without the crowds, a catered cocktail reception, guided talks of the displays, trade tables, charity auction in aid of Westmead Children’s Hospital, a talk from Australian LCP Ryan McNaught and a special presentation from LEGO’s Jim Foulds all the way from the USA.

For up-to-date information or for registration, visit sydneybrickshow.com.au.

This Dragon spits!

It would appear that Mobile Frame Zero has been inspiring LEGO mecha models published outside the usual channels. Heliodelic pointed me to MittenNinja’s gallery and his excellent micro mecha designed for the game. There’s some great designs there.

Starship Age of Light

The Age of Light Starship by ROOK has interesting visual details like the studded fins and neon “whiskers,” making you wonder what they’re used for. There’s also an array of support crafts for this SHIP.

Age of Light [Nose View Landing Mode]

The Munsters

Alex Jones (“Orion Pax”) usually builds stuff inspired by the 80s, but this time he’s gone back further in time to 1964 to bring The Munsters‘ mansion. This is all very excellent but don’t forget to check out the ‘rods.

Munster Mansion