As we head onwards into the new year, let’s wrap up the highlights of 2020. This year, the world entered lockdown and many LEGO builders found time on their hands to create. Here at The Brothers Brick, we’ve witnessed the wildest dioramas, passion projects, and engineering feats finally come to fruition. Now it’s time to look back at the custom creations that were most popular with you, our readers, throughout this past year.
In addition to this retrospective, don’t forget to check out the Top 10 most popular LEGO set reviews and The Brothers Brick’s final selections for the 2020 Builder of the Year and 2020 Creation of the Year. And without further delay, let’s begin with number 10 and work our way to the most popular LEGO model of 2020.
#10 | Heavenly Strike by Nick Trotta
Starting off at number ten, we have a spaceship unlike any other with its flawless geometry and perfected color scheme. Featuring a myriad of mind-bending techniques with SNOT (Studs Not On Top) pieces, gear racks, and all sorts of odd angle parts, this ship is an absolute show-stopper.
#9 | Fire Gorgon by Andrew Steele
From sci-fi to mythical, this literal beast of a build measures up to 1.4 m (4.6 ft). Andrew’s Fire Gorgon is awfully terrifying and at the same time awe-inspiring.
#8 | Kobelco SK210HLC Excavator by Maciej Szymański
From beast to beauty, we’re revisiting this stunning teal 1:13 scale Kobelco SK210HLC Excavator. Maciej’s Technic creation is also fully operational, balancing both functionality and aesthetics at the perfect scale for a Scala doll. It features ten motors, eight pumps, LED lights, and custom-made pneumatic cylinders to power a working excavator arm that can extend up to a length of 101 cm (3.3 ft) and a height of 75 cm (nearly 2.5 ft).
#7 | Final Fantasy VII Recreations by Kevin Wanner
On to number seven we have a blast to the past with a series of Final Fantasy VII vignettes, based off the original 1997 version of the game. We all loved the nostalgia in Kevin’s series, especially this scene featuring a colorful chocobo and carriage.
#6 | Technic Pendulum Clock by Dillon Sharlet
This Technic pendulum clock ran accurately for over a year and this June after it started to stop unexpectedly, Dillon took it apart to investigate its wear. We got a closer look into its incredible engineering and use of an escapement mechanism, adapted to accommodate LEGO part and design restraints.
#5 | Air Force One by Jack Carleson
Next up for number five we have an incredibly classy plane. The Air Force One, also known as the VC-25A, is a modified version of the Boeing 747 airliner used as the US President’s personal aircraft. No details are lost in this minifig-scale plane; it’s complete with a full interior with the President’s statesroom and meeting room, operating theatre, and even an escape pod.
#4 | SPQR – Imperial Rome by Rocco Buttliere
Counting down to number four, we’re looking at this huge microscale diorama of the Eternal City, Rome that has every classicist drooling over. There’s a mini Circus Maximus and Colosseum, as well as several aqueducts, bathhouses, and temples built into this expansive architectural diorama.
#3 | Scale It Up! by Inthert
From microscale to macroscale, coming in third is just a pile of parts, at first glance. But looking closer, you’ll realize that this is an upscaled pile of parts, cleverly disguised as common 1×2 bricks, minifigure legs and accessories you might find in your LEGO collection.
#2 | LEGO Tensegrity Models by JK Brickworks, hachiroku24, Rollon Smith, David Roberts, Richard Jones, captainsmog, and Jeff Freisen
Coming in second is a collection of tensegrity models from multiple builders. This mind-boggling structural principle has proven to be inspirational for a menagerie of builds we’ve featured, including a modified Yellow Castle, tightrope-walking Sensei Wu, and The Upside Down from Stranger Things.
#1 | Halo UNSC Heavy Frigate Katara by Steve Witt
Finally, our most popular featured creation is this astounding 7-foot recreation of a Paris-class UNSC heavy frigate from the Halo video game. Dubbed the Katara, the greebly mass is comprised of approximately 25,000 bricks. We also got an exclusive interview with Steve to learn more about his inspiration and process throughout the five years he’s spent designing and building the Katara.
And that wraps up our Top 10 Creations of 2020! What were your favorite builds of this past year?