We’ve been watching Christophe Pujaletplaa’s LEGO Microville grow for a while now. We featured it first in 2019, and then revisited progress about a year later. But Christophe wasn’t done, and it’s time to take a stroll through this tiny metropolis and see what’s happening today.
Ralf Langer is a master when it comes to making bulky LEGO creations. He also is very capable of making builds look very delicate and fragile. In this creation it is almost baffling to me that he manages to make this massive tower look light and airy. The hexagon shaped towers are created by sticking hot dogs into 1×1 round plates with holes. Ralf’s builds always look quite part intensive so my guess is that these two towers actually weigh quite a lot. Yet he still managed to make it look like they are just floating in mid air. The window in the middle part of the build looks quite interesting and Ralf himself is quite fond of it, so I hope he ventures further into that style of architecture because I am most curious what he’ll come up with.
There are a lot of important questions facing the world right now. One that keeps coming up in particular is “Who’s hungry?” Steven Stelter has a suggestion: Maybe you should head to Culver’s for a burger and shake combo. This brick-built beauty beacons you from the highway to delight in the realistic ductwork on the roof, the colorful brickwork, and the custom stickers that ensure you know just where you’ll be blowing that diet of yours.
You don’t need me to tell you that life can be a wild, wondrous, and sometimes convoluted journey. Daniel Cloward (AKA Dan the Fan), with the help of his friend Julian, has built what might be a LEGO homage to how wild and wonderous a journey his own life has become. I love the odd shapes, whimsical colors, and textures. I also very much enjoy the title of this article, not made up by me, but by Dan. Sometimes whatever happens next is not entirely controlled and maybe we have to just enjoy the journey for now. He tells us the confusing proportions and wacky details are a testament to what may be happening in his own world. We’re a fan of yours, Dan the Fan. You all can be too. Check out our Daniel Cloward archives to make it happen.
This three story LEGO home shows off a modern look and some solar panels in this build from Letranger Absurde. The walled estate sports a lovely tree amongst a garden, some of its leaves even offering shade to the pool. Greenery surrounds the house, showing a love of nature. There are a few balconies running up the side of the building, boasting some patio furniture and nice awnings with slates. The railing of the balconies offer some cool texturing in the form of those grey ingot pieces.
Personally, I like the yellow framed windows with their panes alternating in size. Looking over the whole build, there are many interesting textures going on like the tower’s windows, the frames of the solar panels, and the yellow brick and white stone of the encompassing walls. This is one of those builds you just want to look over every detail.
Normally I try and make up some silly commentary to go along with the builds we feature here. This, time, though, I’m going to let builder Christian Rau do the talking:
My 1:700 LEGO model of the Verkhovna Rada building (Будинок Верховної Ради) in Kyiv, Ukraine, the seat of the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada). Originally built in the 1930s in neo-classical style for the parliament of the Ukrainian SSR, it has been the meeting place for the parliament of the independent Ukrainian nation since 1991 and has borne its flag ever since. The photo shows the view from the south.
This and other models can be bought on LetsBuildUkraine.co. All profits (minus material and shipping costs) will be donated to front-line workers and organizations caring for Ukrainian children suffering from the ongoing war.
It’s a classy model, and tied to a good cause. Check out our recent feature on more ways the LEGO community has been getting involved.
Dream houses can come in all shapes and sizes and this LEGO house by Lysander Chau is particularly beautiful! This digital render, though not quite possible given current elements, is well designed and uses some great digital-only capabilities like much of the lighting inside and out. The wooden latticework on the outer walls gives great depth and ties in well with the front door and decking. Geometric house architecture has always been a favorite of mine and this does a great job bridging the gap between ultra-modern angles and everyday comforts. Lysander uses printed tiles from various sources including wooden planks, solar panels, and many more. Would you want to live in this house? Check out all of the images here including a full interior!
Independence Day has already passed here in the US but that doesn’t mean we can’t be smitten by Rocco Buttliere’s stunning new LEGO creation. Independence Hall played a crucial role in the founding of the United States, as its storied assembly rooms witnessed the signing of both the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787. I’m loving the trees and the impressive Colonial Georgian Architecture. Rocco’s signature on the handsome, well-appointed base is a nice touch indeed. While microscale, this smallish (for Rocco) creation doesn’t diminish the grand setting of Philadelphia’s old city center. That is this builder’s specialty, really; building absolutely grand things on a small scale. Please check out our Rocco Buttliere archives to see what I mean.
Building a house from LEGO can provide plenty of challenges, from aesthetic to structure. Builder Aukbricks went for both in this rendered microscale model of a canal house in Amsterdam, circa 1627. The crow-stepped gable high above the tree employs a plate stacking technique that’s repeated throughout the model to achieve an intricate pattern of stacked plates. Much like Hollywood sets, this facade is a well crafted fake propped up and properly decorated to trick the eye. Nonetheless, the resulting model employs some clever set decoration to sell the image. Stacked brown stud blasters create a textured trunk ripe with connection points for the branches above.
The builder provided a view into the structure of the building’s front. Taking out the sides and revealing the complicated means that everything is connected, Aukbricks shows us the tricks it takes to make some art. Though this building lacks a livable interior, it would still make a lovely addition to any tiny neighborhood. Honestly, I’d like to see more microscale cities with the number of trophy figures that we have out there at the moment. Then again, with interiors like this, it might just be a little more complicated to achieve than I’d assume.
At long last, builder Letranger Absurde has returned after an 18 month break from LEGO. And what better way to jump back onto the scene than with this beautiful Japanese store! Letranger adeptly uses textures here to emulate paneling on the wooden walls and tiled roofs. This helps to break up the mostly two-toned building, providing depth and character. Speaking of character, I love the pair of fences flanking the store. Without looking completely ramshackle, these dividers still add a hand-crafted feel to the setting. Lay on top of that other excellent details like the power pole in the background, the exquisite sign above the storefront, and the darling cart of produce in back, and I suddenly feel like going on a shopping spree.
And if Letranger Absurde is a new name for you, check out all their prior builds featured on TBB.
Bound within the limits of an old ring, this art nouveau inspired scene by Builder Ralf Langer is an improvised snapshot into a fantasy world. This master of scenery shows us yet again why he’s gained such a legendary status amongst the community. His style is instantly recognizable, especially if you’re familiar with his past works which feature such bright pink, finned trees as we see here, or intricate, almost gravity defying, buildings with life-like stonework. Wanting to work in some Jugendstil ornamentation, the Germanic parallel to Art Nouveau styles between 1895 and 1910, Ralf started with the windows and used thread with stud parts to create curvy and loopy decorations. After abandoning a handful of tower designs that looked like they came from a galaxy far, far away he settled one with a thin, wispy elegance. The fragility of both structures is only visual while the tree itself apparently needs a hidden Ninjago Spinner as a counterweight under the reflective surface of the pool. Another strong suit of Ralf’s is using the sheen of our favorite plastic playthings in a way that isn’t directly obvious. Here he forces our perspective of the flat sides of the sand green bricks he used in the pool so that we see the buildings and the trees reflected in its surface. Bits of blue and white are worked in to break up the monotony and he even adds some red and pink near the tree to help the reflection of the tree’s leaves.
While the greebly ring may be the remnants of his old Halo ring build, Ralf still proves his inventiveness with ornamental statues and sculptures at the base and tops of the two towers. As usual, his strong suit as a builder is making us all scratch our heads at how his work is even possible. I mean, he even tells us that the ring needs an extra frame to hold its structure until the whole thing has been built. That’s a level of dedication that few of us have the space to commit. Keep up the awesome work, Ralf.
There’s nothing better than a relaxing stroll through the alleys and streets of a quaint LEGO village, this one constructed by Y. Muto. Multiple levels of terraces attach to the different buildings perched above the tight courtyard below. Delightful roofing techniques in different colors give the different rooftops their own individual character. Each building’s window treatments seem to provide a place for window gardens or ivy. I especially love the different color tiles contrasting the white walls of the green-roofed building with the bay windows.
