Posts by David Alexander Smith

Niffler hits the jackpot

We’ve hunted out our own treasure in the form of DOGOD Brick Design’s charming niffler build. Superbly modelled, with a selection of curved elements used to represent its furry belly and a snout shaped from modified hinge plates, it captures the mischievous spirit of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them creature. The fun doesn’t stop there, with Newt Scamander’s case doubling as display stand. An upturned ring box with its ice skate element clasp adds further detail to the scene.

Could this niffler be bigger on the inside? Click through to find out!

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A shadow on two wheels: Harley-Davidson Street Glide

It’s dark, it’s elegant and it’s a Harley, and I suspect builder Bricksonwheels has the same love for the Street Glide as I do. To quote TBB’s own Ralph Savelsberg: “If Batman had a Harley, this is what it would look like.”

Built immaculately in perfect 1:10 scale, this model is an engineering delight, showcasing both the bike’s sleek lines and twin cam engine. As Bricksonwheels notes, whilst it’s fun to build chrome clad Harleys, there is something just as exciting to be found in this beautiful black bike: it’s like building a silhouette on wheels.

A memory of the future

The shining white utopian future — so popular with the science fiction writers and illustrators of the 1960s — may well have gone out of fashion, but this hasn’t stopped builder Klaus exploring the theme. Built in microscale, his series of architectural models of a future metropolis use predominately standard bricks, similar to those found in 21050 Studio set, in smart repetitive sequences. The bustling administration complex adds stacked mudguard elements to build its towers, whilst a cigarillo shaped blimp circles overhead.

See more of these monochromatic cities of the future

A breath of crisp mountain air

This enchanting mountain hut by Ayrlego proves that you don’t need to build big to build beautifully. Envisioned as an idyllic retreat where medieval townsfolk might bring their goats to graze, it uses a number of simple but effective techniques to capture a delightful homely quality. Revelling in the joy of studded textures, wonky plates adorn its façade bringing a rural feel to the building. This effect is cleverly accentuated where the studded elements meet occasional modified plates. Completing the look, the grass roof uses exposed studs, as well as plant and curved elements in a complimentary arrangement, to craft a charming mossy appearance.

A bridge back to 19th century China

Taking us back to Qing Dynasty China, ElviN has built a historically accurate version of the iconic Double Dragon Bridge. The diorama is packed with the comings and goings of day-to-day life: there’s a peasant fishing in the Nanpan River; a platoon of soldiers marshals a criminal across the bridge; whilst at the other end a farmer waits to herd his cattle over to the other side.

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Oh, oobee doo, I wanna build like you: LEGO Jungle Book

Referencing the 2016 Disney live action version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Junglebook, Jellyeater leads the viewer’s eye into the action in his model through a distinctive stretched vertical design. In the foreground Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther are tussling energetically with the great ape King Loui’s minions.

However, the real joy in this build is found when you follow the rocky path of Bandar-log back up the steps to the rear relief. From out of the gateway, framed by lovely detailed ruins formed from of all things handcuff elements, pokes the mighty face of King Loui himself, green eyes glowing. It’s the perfect capture of a great cinematic moment!

London launch of the new Harry Potter 71043 Hogwarts Castle [News]

Early this morning, Leicester Square witnessed the biggest gathering of Harry Potter fans since the final film premier was held there in 2011. Fans of LEGO and J. K. Rowling’s famous wizard were out in force, excitedly queuing outside the store, some camping out overnight for the highly anticipated 71043 Hogwarts Castle set, which is now available.

At over 6,000 pieces, 71043 Hogwarts Castle is the second-largest LEGO set released by the company to date. Packed full of amazing architectural detail and showcasing almost every important scene from the series, it certainly lives up to its billing. Earlier today we posted a full review of the Hogwarts Castle LEGO set that covers every nook and cranny of the impressive build.

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Relive the battle of Sokovia from The Avengers: Age of Ultron in this huge collaborative display

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has given us some epic spectacles in recent years, with the battle of Sokovia from The Avengers: Age of Ultron being one of the biggest. Inevitably it would take a team of super-talented builders to replicate the movie’s centre piece in LEGO form; step forward SaltyLUG who amazingly have achieved just this.

Displayed at Brickfair Virginia, this sprawling scene captures the key scenes from the battle in a single diorama. Amongst the exquisitely built streets mayhem’s breaking out everywhere. Look closely at the front of the church and you’ll find Thor, Vision and Iron Man confronting Ultron. Elsewhere Utron’s army causes havoc amongst the general populace. Inside the Novi Grad church the rest of the Avengers prevent further sentries from reaching and deactivating the repulsors keeping the chunk of Sokovia afloat.

There are many more details and several Easter eggs to find if you look close enough. The group have also recorded the development of the project on NS Brick Designs’ blog.

Sukia the samurai finds the perfect balance between elegance and simplicity

Two or three carefully selected elements are all it takes to create something truly elegant from LEGO and ItouN’s samurai girl Suika makes this a case in point. Combining inverted wedge and red ball joint elements to create flared britches is inspired building at its best. It’s a trend that continues throughout, from the clip plates that double as braided hair through to the pointed red boots; everything here works towards a coherent aesthetic vision. Simplicity in this instance is the very essence of beauty.

Return to an alternate Paris in 1889 with this sprawling steampunk scene

Like all great cities, Castor Troy’s steampunk Paris continues to grow. Previously we’ve featured Casotor’s models of the Colonial Office and the Louvre, both of which feature in the layout. This time around we’ve been treated to a new row of buildings running alongside Notre Dame.

Each contains the kind of beautiful architectural details we’ve come to expect, from the Egyptian Art Deco building with its innovative use of ornamental fencing for doors and gold claw elements to represent two opposing sphinxes, to the new maritime office with its wall mounted ship’s wheel. Let’s hope that Castor’s passion for development continues to see new wonders being added to this splendid city.

A modern take on the classic space super-rover

The Gorgone maintenance and rescue rig, built by Spacerunner, captures the essence of the Classic Space super-rover whilst resolutely remaining a serious contemporary creation. What I love about this model is its understanding of the ethos of its archetypes, notably the M:Tron Mega Core Magnatizer, without any slavish adherence to colour schemes or piece selection.

Instead, it borrows key elements such as the trans-blue windscreen, alongside masterfully built play features such as the rear-deployed mini-rover and mobile claw arm. The result, a well-crafted model that manages to ignite that special spacey nostalgia.

Giving birth to an idea

There is a dark yet beautiful quality to Reven New’s creation that reminds me of the Swiss artist H. R. Giger’s best work. Playing with the cold interconnection between the human body and technology, the sculpture counterpoints an emaciated body, built from an oddball assortment of LEGO pieces, with the new life of its title. The minifigure baby is no longer grown within the womb, instead created in a birthing tank hooked up to its mother’s brain. Photographed dramatically under a lurid green light, we are left in no doubt as to the unnatural process taking place. As Reven notes in his own description: “No more emotions… Only thoughts, only purpose.”