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.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is bursting with colour

Koen Zwanenburg has built this incredible recreation of the iconic Russian cathedral. The dark orange with hints of teal are the most prominent colours in the structure, however, it is the spires that really draw in the eye. Each has its own unique colour scheme and design from jagged blocky shapes to smooth flowing textures. Koen has found inventive ways to represent the swirling patterns of the spires as green minifigure arms are even used in one of the peaks.

Round the back of the display, horned tendrils portray more of the complex designs of the spires. After looking at the building for some time, the structure shares some similarities with gingerbread houses, mainly thanks to the white trim and vibrant colours used in this creation.

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TBB Cover Photo for February 2022: Architecture legacy of Taiwan

Lights, bricks, action! This month’s social media cover photo is Zio Chao‘s massive and detailed build of an ornate mansion. The Residence for the Governor-General of Taiwan is a central government building in Zio’s hometown of Taipei, Taiwan, built in a European architecture style at the start of the 20th century.

read on to see this magnificent building all lit up

We need to talk about this conversation pit.

Andrew Tate has a way with rendering mid-century style in LEGO form. His latest creation is centered around one of my favorite trends of the era – the conversation pit. A conversation pit was a recessed area in the middle of a room that featured built-in seating, designed to encourage socializing. It provided a sort of indoor “around the campfire” vibe. Once upon a time, it was the ultimate cocktail party setting. And this Paradisa Estates floorplan maximizes that party atmosphere with an open kitchen space nearby. Andrew’s done a brilliant job at capturing the style of the era, from the earthy color palette to textural details like the alternating slopes above the built-in entertainment center. So, pour me a Tom Collins and crank up the Jim Croce, because I’m ready to party.

The office building that looks like an office copier

LEGO builder Milan Sekiz tells us that this is their first attempt at Brutalist architecture. I’ve seen plenty of Brutalist architecture in person, plus I’ve taken a few architecture courses in college so I know a bit about the subject but let’s consult Google as to what they say about it. Brutalism is generally characterized by its rough, unfinished surfaces (check!), unusual shapes,(check!) heavy-looking materials,(check!) straight lines,(check!) and small windows (yes!). It seems by all accounts, Milan has achieved Brutalism. I like the very orderly gardens flanking the building and the vines creeping up the middle of it are a nice touch. It adds a bit of warm nature to this otherwise cold and imposing structure. I can’t help thinking that it looks a bit like an office copier, or better yet, someone’s inbox that is chock full of…Brutalism. OK, I’ll admit that I probably should have thought that analogy through. But do you have a better one?

While you’re thinking that over, go ahead and check out the other stuff Milan Sekiz has built and while you’re at it take a look at our Architecture archives including some very neat Brutalist designs.

Locked up in Tower #7

Continuing his series of architecture inspired designs, builder F@bz adds this futuristic tower. Suitable for a scene from a superhero movie, the multiple levels are created with the clever use of Minifigure handcuff pieces. Layered on top of each other and overlapping between levels around the structure, the cuffs are nestled as close together as they can. This repetition leads to a satisfying result, especially when contrasted with the colorful, picturesque landscape of the base. The well-manicured hedges and trees line either side of a pink and gold road leading right up to the ground floor of the tower.

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LEGO Architecture 21057 Singapore Skyline [Review]

The official LEGO Architecture series since its launch in 2008 with a total of at least 54 sets continues to delight us after over a decade. The latest showcase is the continuation of the skyline series and a revisit to representing the Republic of Singapore with an expanded view of the city since the release of the Marina Bay Sands landmark building showcase. The set was built by Senior Designer Rok Zgalin Kobe and features prominent locations in Singapore from the iconic Marina Bay Sands, OCBC Centre, One Raffles Place, Lau Pa Sat, Gardens by the Bay, Boat Quay and The Fullerton Hotel. With a landmass area of only 710 Km2 (270 sq. miles) and one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Singapore hosts and a wide variety of unique architectures that reflect a spectrum of modern and century-old buildings. The LEGO Architecture 21057 Singapore skyline set comes with 827 pieces and will be available on January 1st 2022 for US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews. Continue reading →

Harry’s Pottery shop accident

Someone just had to make a LEGO pottery shop called Harry’s Pottery. It just had to be done! It somehow surprised me it took this long, but it is here! And it looks lovely. This building by Maxim Baybakov features a lot of grey walls. Thanks to the architectural details added the walls do not look dull at all. This LEGO building reminds me of some of the stores in older European cities that have glass façades with elaborate wooden frames. From the first floor up, the building style changes and the house from that floor up looks completely different.

Making round bay windows to accommodate the corner round window part looks like it was quite the challenge, and I would love a breakdown of that part of the build — it is either made with interesting building techniques, or it is full of cleverly used parts and the build is actually quite simple. Speaking of cleverly used pieces, the quarter round tile for roof shingles works perfectly. What really makes this build special is the little humoristic scene in front of the window. Although the minifigure in question might disagree with me on that.

LEGO reveals 21057 Singapore as latest Architecture Skyline set [News]

Today LEGO has revealed that the latest set in the long-running Skyline series of Architecture sets will be 21057 Singapore. The 827-piece microscale model will feature some of the city-state’s most prominent landmarks, including the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, which also got its own standalone Architecture set back in 2013. Other locations in the skyline include the Lau Pa Sat market, One Raffles Place and OCBC skyscrapers, the posh Fullerton Hotel, the historic Boat Quay, and the distinctive and beautiful Gardens by the Bay nature park full of towering artificial trees covered in lush vegetation. The set will retail for US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99 and will be available starting Jan. 1.

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Tokyo’s Nakagin Capsule Tower in LEGO – a real-life cyberpunk building

Recreating Japanese architect Keisha Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo’s Shimbashi neighborhood, Stefan Formentano has created a LEGO version of this iconic structure. While the capsules are similar in design, Stefan has added unique details to the individual living spaces, such as clothes hanging out to dry and signs of aging on the exterior. The lettering at the top of the tower is excellently portrayed and barely even looks like LEGO. At the bottom of the tower there appears to be a shady deal going on while peculiar characters roam the street. The stacked construction of the building is also oddly reminiscent of the LEGO House in Billund. This model is perfectly suited for a cyberpunk display while suggesting congested living conditions for the inhabitants of a futuristic city.

A mini copy of the giant model of a nano iron crystal

The latest landmark build by Ben Vijle is a peculiar LEGO creation. You see, it’s a 1:600 copy of the world-famous Atomium located in Brussels, Belgium. And while the Atomium itself is an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, Ben’s model is roughly 275 million times larger than an actual crystal. I bet this is the biggest LEGO iron molecule you’ve ever seen!

And it’s not just remarkable for its scale; it is also full of brilliant building techniques. The whole venue is an excellent example of how to decorate and present a LEGO architecture creation. Obviously, Ben had tons of fun devising all the various trees along the alley, and I’m applauding the genius use of minifigure hair brushed in green. It’s such a neat build, and I wish we got something similar one day as an official LEGO set.

Tudor-style buildings with plumbing

I am quite a fan of old cities. Old cities offer a little bit of everything. They have skyscrapers and office buildings but often also Tudor-style buildings reminding us of simpler times. These Tudor-style buildings are often located near the city square or the city centre or what used to be the centre of the city. Quite often these buildings had to be modernised at a given point because they didn’t have central heating and electricity in the period they were built. Sometimes these features are added very respectfully, and it is not noticeable from the outside that these features were added on in a later stage.

Sometimes, however, these features are just slapped on the building with complete disregard of how it looks. Although I prefer the first option, I’ve grown fond of the second one too. Either way, it reminds us of our past and it shows how our demands for housing changed over the years. This build by Pieter Dennison is a perfect example of a building having to evolve in order to meet the inhabitants wishes. Pieter made a lovey Tudor-style house, complete with a stone staircase leading up to the building. Bars and slope tiles have been used to create some lovely details and even windows. Dark tan and olive-green work together wonderfully for the plaster. It looks like the building has passed the test of time. The addition of rain pipes however takes it from a medieval theme right to something more now. It gives the house a bit of a steampunk-ish vibe that we all love.

Rising from the ash and fog is this incredible collection of LEGO buildings

If you’re looking for a LEGO masterclass in weathered architecture, Ralf Langer is your guy. He’s created a plethora of beautifully detailed buildings, structures, and scenes. He also kindly shares tips on how to achieve the techniques on his social media. This exquisite group of conjoined buildings is his latest addition, and it doesn’t disappoint! With a gothic vibe, they transform from a crumbling base into a colorful block you might like to visit.

Right now, Ralf doesn’t have many pictures available for this build. But as you can see, he uses a variety of cool techniques and color combos to achieve the vibe he’s looking for. These structures include great shaping tools, like hinges, hoses, arches, and even some minifigure posing handles. Even the sides less visible are stunning! There are loads of random tidbits that are worth a zoom-in, but one of my favorite part usages is the unique design created with mini copper Exo-Force legs. Gorgeous!

While you’re here, stick around for more of Ralf’s work. And if this isn’t your style, try out some other great architectural builds we’ve featured!