Tag Archives: Architecture

LEGO provides the perfect medium for recreating the buildings and landmarks of the world — LEGO has even released a line of official LEGO Architecture sets. Check out our coverage of the official sets, and don’t miss all the gorgeous architectural models created by LEGO fans from around the world.

The LEGO Architectural Gem of a Castle with Three Towers

Titled simply “Castle with Three Towers,” this LEGO creation by builder Azurekingfisher is yet another stunning piece of art. The structure is predominantly colored in white and navy blue, creating a captivating contrast that immediately catches the eye. Upon closer inspection, intricate details emerge, such as stained-glass windows, water elements, and ornate building features. Each element reveals itself gradually as you spend more time studying or admiring the images. In the past, this builder has crafted intricate creations incorporating plant elements. Here, we notice a subtle integration of those elements as well. Check out the use of the use of the round plate element with clock printing, first introduced in 2016 with the release of 71040 Disney Castle.

Castle with Three Towers

 

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A tiny LEGO home to evoke cozy feelings

What makes a house a home? Mostly the people living in it, I’d argue. But if the house is too small to actually fit people inside it, outstanding architecture – like that found in Geneva Durand’s microscale LEGO home – will suffice. I’m particularly drawn to the use of various flat bricks in dark orange, dark red, and two shades of brown to evoke the rougher brickwork at the front of the house. I’m a little concerned about those dogs though; I estimate they may be over 6 feet tall. They’re liable to eat you out of house and home!

House

Mining for iron – and amazing detail

LEGO builder Jaka Kupina is no slouch when it comes to creating stunning architectural detail. Take this Foenwor Mine, for instance. The brick textures and snowy rooftops are a sight to behold. Not only that but it has a neat story to go with it. In Jaka’s own words; “In Mitgardia, deep in the Heavenly Mountains dwarves are mining. Very brave men who spend most of their time deep under a dangerous mountain. The mines are rich in iron ore and attract blacksmiths from distant lands. Their mined ore makes the best iron from which they make powerfull weapons for fearless warriors and strong pickaxes for hardworking miners. A real treasure of Mitgardia.” I never considered a career in ore mining but if I can call this intricate structure my workplace, I may reconsider. But alas, for once in my life, I just may be too tall for the job.

Foenwor Mine

An enthralling exercise in eccentric edifice excellence

There are many fantastic LEGO architects out there – just look through our archives. But if you like your structures a little more unconventional, then there are few better at that than Pan Noda. What I love the most about their buildings isn’t their odd designs, fascinating as they are. It’s how they deploy repeating motifs and detailed textures to create something as visually interesting up close as it is as a whole! In this instance, that involves the undersides of 1×1 clips, alternating horizontal and vertical portions of the wall, and a whole lotta cheese slopes. That extends beyond the building and into the base as well, which replicates the hexagonal shape of the tower. Finally, the climbing trees and vines add the perfect splash of colour to break things up even further!

Silence Portal

900 years to wear down a temple, 7 days to build it out of LEGO

The proficiency of LEGO builders never ceases to amaze me. Timothy Shortell (AKA Classical Bricks) tells a story of coming across a photo of the Ta Prohm temple in Cambodia. A week goes by, and boom – we get this amazing model at the end of it. That’s no time at all! Just the careful positioning of the roof tiles for that jungle-weathered temple look must have taken a good while. In fact, all the weathering is very well judged, and the tree roots winding their way down to the ground – very nicely done. It’s almost unfair how quickly this was all achieved. When I build for a week, I’m lucky if I’ve even got a half-finished model at the end of it, let alone one as good as this!

Ta Prohm Temple

This LEGO temple to the Minotaur is no bull

While this Minoan temple may seem simple at first glance, there is quite a lot going on in this scene by BrickiboT. Inspired by the architecture of archaeological sites like the Minoan palace at Knossos on Crete, the angled pattern along the roof is made from carefully arranged sideways plates and brackets. A small noodle bowl acts as the perfect accent. The plates and rounded plates in two colors, along with a variety of textured bricks gives the front of the temple a weathered look.

Rogue Odyssey-Minoan Temple

The rocky landscape, dotted with plants and vines is a good blend of straight and curved slopes, and even the small beach is filled with details, like the group of hermit crabs, and the head of an elephant disguised as a rock. The angled sides of the small boat are attached with handlebars fit into the undersides of rounded plates with holes. Well done!

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Ukraine’s United24 charity launches custom LEGO kits to raise funds for rebuilding Ukrainian infrastructure [News]

In the wake of Russia’s invasion last year, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched United24 as the official platform for fundraising efforts to support Ukraine. With a holistic approach, the charity provides funds across medical aid, reconstruction, de-mining, defense, and more, with a variety of projects and global ambassadors, including actors like Mark Hamill and astronaut Scott Kelly. Today, United24 launched a new initiative with custom kits designed by talented LEGO builders from around the world — Maksym Mityakin from Ukraine, Artur Samkov from Poland, and Yevgen Tonyev from the United States. By donating $24 (USD) on the United24 website, you’re entered in a raffle to win one of a very limited number of custom LEGO kits, with the resulting funds from this initiative going to rebuild housing in Ukraine destroyed or damaged by Russian military action during the war.

The first wave of custom LEGO kits includes three iconic landmarks from all across the country — the Mother Ukraine statue in Kyiv (above, designed by Maksym), the Swallow’s Nest castle in Crimea (by Artur, below), and the Old Water Tower in Mariupol (by Yevgen).

See all of the LEGO designs featuring Ukrainian landmarks and learn more

Take a country break in this art-nouveau villa

So you’ve been into town, you’ve visited the LEGO bank that Eero Okkonen built, and now you feel like you need a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. Luckily, Eero has you sorted for accommodation there too! Why not head down to Villa Mauski for a short stay? It’s just as art-nouveau, but with all the peace and quiet the Nordic forests do so well. You don’t even need to chop wood for the fire, the wood shelter is already full of 1×4 arch pieces for that!

Villa Mauski

Round the back, you’ve got a slice of forest to call your own in case you do need more wood. But those trees are so pretty, it would seema waste to chop them down! There are a lot of good uses of the so-called macaroni tube here. As in Eero’s previous architectural build, they’re used as a motif on the villa’s archway, but they’re also in the smoke and in the trees. You know, maybe just a short stay is not long enough to spend in Villa Mauski!

Villa Mauski

This Blueberry Container House may contain awesomeness

Sarah Beyer’s title for this new LEGO creation; Blueberry Container House enticed me enough to research it just a bit further. Once I did, I was treated to some breathtaking spaces both inside and out. Sarah tells us that this recycled home is primarily made of two shipping containers connected by a spiral staircase. While it’s safe to assume she’s a bit of an architectural dynamo, this is her first attempt at a container home. The solar cells indicate that this home is energy efficient. The structure’s oddly stacked juxtaposition makes for some exciting areas; particularly the nestled walled sitting area among the trees and the angular deck beside the top floor.

Blueberry Container House MOC VII

Discover more inside and out!

A brick-built lesson in Finnish architecture

You probably know Finland for a few things: sauna, northern lights, rally drivers, and Eero Okkonen. What you might not know is its propensity for excellent art nouveau architecture. And what better way to show that than with Eero’s fantastic, and enormous, model dubbed the Tampereen Pankki! Eero might be better known for his character models, but he’s clearly a dab hand at LEGO architecture too. This doesn’t depict a specific building, rather it’s an amalgamation of a few different bank buildings in Eero’s hometown of Tampere (hence Tampereen Pankki = Bank of Tampere). See, you’re even learning some Finnish thanks to this build!

Tampereen Pankki

Click to see inside!

A(nother) vertical LEGO architectural marvel

Recently, we find ourselves writing a lot about Pan Noda‘s LEGO houses. Why? Well, just look at them! The latest edifice to be built is this “Shrine of the Underworld”. If you’re gonna live somewhere as wacky as this, might as well give it a cool name, right? This strikes me as being what high-rise living might have been like in Eastern Asia before skyscrapers took over. Like many of Pan’s buildings, it makes use of a lot of vertical space, and like all of them, has a really unique character. The wall technique is particularly eye-catching here. Presumably making use of the fact two plates isn’t quite equal to one brick in width, it means you get some great weathering on the walls while retaining an authentic wooden-plank look.

Shrine of the Underworld

Aqueducts among the haze and the heavens

Not for the first time, I’m completely enchanted and a bit awestruck by a LEGO creation by Eli Willsea. There’s a lot of great textures and build techniques represented in the piece called The Aqueduct. I’m particularly loving the weary adventurer and his dog in the foreground. Would it be uncouth on a LEGO website to cite that I love something about this composition that isn’t even LEGO? The background presentation that Eli created for this piece; the misty, hazy hills and mountains are a brilliant touch. The color matching with the aqueducts gives the entire thing a sort of breathtaking quality. It was inspired by a piece by artist Guy Warley of the same name. I love it when the LEGO and art worlds meld in sort of a tranquil harmony. Please do yourself the favor and check out our Eli Willsea archives. You won’t be disappointed.

The Aqueduct