It might seem odd that Singapore’s first electric supercaris named after a flower, but there’s actually a design-related reason. The Vanda Dendrobium has doors and a rooftop that unfurl upwards and backwards in sync like an orchid in bloom, and dendrobium is a type of orchid. Gerald Cacas has managed to capture the Vanda Dendrobium in LEGO, despite its edgy design and complex shaping.
A large part of LEGO’s magic is the ability to build for yourself anything you can imagine. Every day here on The Brothers Brick, we feature builders’ amazing creations, and we take great joy in being able to show you these wonderful builds not only to explore and enjoy but also occasionally to build for yourself.
Creating instructions take an extra effort that is seldom appreciated. Here at TBB, we want to recognize not only the effort but also the outstanding design work of the Top 10 custom creation instructions that we’ve featured over the year. Even if you prefer to design your own creations, these excellent designs are still very much worth a look to inspire you and to enjoy.
If you still want to make a gingerbread house before the holiday season officially ends, Jonas Kramm has perhaps the smallest way to make one that’s still loaded with details. He’s created this minuscule candy home with some very clever parts usage. Red crowbars for candy canes, tooth pieces for the frosting piping, and just enough coloured studs to represent whatever kind of sweets you can imagine.
The latest addition to the range of modular sets, 10260 Downtown Diner, features some new and unique design elements not seen in earlier sets in the series. With the recently released designer video and the glimpse it gives to the designers behind the set, it’s pretty easy to see why. Mike Psiaki and Carl Merriam are two well known builders from the fan commmunity who now work as official LEGO designers, and it’s great to see their talents being put use on sets like the Downtown Diner.
While the video is full of fun moments and insights, one line from Mike probably resonates with all LEGO builders out there:
“Honestly it sounds it sounds silly to say, but I just get inspired by LEGO bricks. I start to look at things around me and I just think ‘oh man that you know the the 1×6 sloped brick inverted bow – it would be perfect to recreate the back of that bus.'”
10260 Downtown Diner will be available from LEGO Shop at Home starting on Jan. 1 for $169.99 USD. Add it to your wishlist now in their US store as well as their UK one.
Sometimes the old ones really are the best ones. Eggy Pop says this microscale LEGO castle was originally built back in 2009, but he’s now posted a cleaned-up photo of the creation. The low angle on this photography creates a misleading sense of scale in the image — this model looks much bigger than it really is. The white walls and dark blue roofs of the castle offer a lovely contrast to the surrounding sea. And the technique of placing coloured plates beneath the trans-blue tiles of the sea makes for some welcoming beaches.
If your minifigures need to stop for a coffee during their busy mini-day, they should look no further than this new coffee house, Kahunka Koffee. Built by Andrew Tate , this is a larger, grander interpretation of the retired, iconic modular set 10182 Cafe Corner. Andrew also built a subtle stone face into the main entrance on the corner in recognition of his favourite LEGO theme – Pirates, hence the name Kahuka Koffee. I always like when street scene details are added, in this case, a delivery truck as well as some relaxed coffee-drinkers enjoying the outside seating.
Andrew admits that he has only built a ground floor interior, but the brown and tan colour scheme perfectly reflects shades of coffee. Perhaps the flight of stairs hints to some further building work to be done on this model.
Bricks LA is Southern California’s premier LEGO convention, open to the public January 6-7. Builders from around the country will gather at the Pasadena Convention Center to showcase more than 13,000 square feet of amazing creations to eager LEGO fans of all ages. Vendors will be selling vintage LEGO sets, LEGO-themed jewelry, custom gifts, and more. Tickets are only $5, with kids under 5 free, and are available online.
Bricks LA also offers a special experience for adult LEGO fans, beginning January 5. Participants will enjoy LEGO-related games, panels, prizes, and more, as well as be able to display their custom creations for the public. For more information, click here.
The Brothers Brick is proud to be a sponsor of Bricks LA.
I’ve always been a fan of the classics. When you see something great in a familiar shape, you know it’s a build with a lot of heart put into it, like this AT-AT or All Terrain Armoured Transport by tastenmann77. Standing at 18 inches in height and 100 percent grey, it’s a menacing reminder of the strength of the Imperial forces.
While resembling a dog in shape (and often parodied as such in pop culture), these machines were actually inspired by an extinct genus of hornless rhinoceros. I can’t imagine what will the minds at Lucasfilm will think of next—gorilla-inspired walkers? I hope not!
As it begins to arrive, the January wave of LEGO Star Wars sets brings old familiar scenes as well as new ones. Along with numerous vehicles and locations from The Last Jedi, this wave also returns all the way back to 1977 with a new version of the Mos Eisley Cantina. Set 75205 Mos Eisley Cantina includes 378 pieces and comes with a sticker price of $39.99. It’s also the third LEGO version of the watering hole in the galaxy’s most wretched hive of scum and villainy, so we’ll see how it stacks up, both on its own and in comparison to previous versions.
The actual Liebherr LR11000 first went into operation on July 7, 2014. A mere 1,269 days later, Dawid Szmandra brings us a fully functioning LEGO build that’s not just ANY model, but one that’s at an astounding scale of 1:24, weighing in at 27 kg, uses 4 EV3 bricks, 9 motors, 7 light sensors and 1 touch sensor! The maximum height of this towering crane is 24 feet (7.5m)!
And lest you think it’s all for show, this crane has some serious lifting capacity.
For over a decade the Brothers Brick has been highlighting the best LEGO models, and 2017 has seen some excellent creations. To celebrate 12 months of great building, the Brothers Brick team has looked back over everything we’ve featured and pulled out the best LEGO creations of 2017.
Take a look at the fantastic models we’ve shortlisted, and stay tuned for the announcement of our LEGO Creation of the Year 2017 on New Year’s Eve! And don’t forget to check out the 2016 shortlist, and 2016 LEGO Creation of the Year to see what honourable company this year’s nominations enjoy.
This holiday season Lasse Deleuran is making sure everyone gets a Coke when his Coca Cola truck makes its way around town. The highlight of the model is the mosaic on the trailer, which is masterfully built with plates and bricks stacked both vertically and horizontally. Remarkably the truck is also powered with a SBrick and can be driven around with remote control. Frosty!
