This tiny castle by -soccerkid6 was built as a prize for a castle building contest but stands on its own merits as a great microscale model. Many different red elements make great roofs, and I love the ice-cream cones inverted under that long hall. The rockwork is also interesting, with lots of techniques normally found on much larger builds, such as the uneven base and sideways bricks.
And in case you are wondering what it looks like from the back–I know I was.
When it comes to building a great microscale castle, there is something beautiful in the simple choices, color, angled walls, round or square towers, a bridge. This lovely castle scene by Henjin_Quilones has many of these simple choices that add up to an enchanting build.
One of my favorite features is the use of inverted 2×2 round bricks, with windows at the top made with the gaps on the underside of the bricks and plates. A few well-placed gears are another nice detail. The grooved bricks used as stairs was a surprising feature. I also really love the smooth walls topped with slopes, and the very few windows placed very thoughtfully.
Besides the castle itself, there are other areas of the scene worth noticing, like the small village and docks, the watchtower on the far side of the bridge, and the detailed landscaping.
Group LEGO building projects are a great way to create something much more impressive than what an individual builder might accomplish, and this recent collaboration between a group of builders called The Brickstons and several friends from the LEGO club ALE is a great example. Considering that there were 14 builders involved, the scene is very well designed, with carefully laid out building standards and many unifying design elements helping everything fit together. This isn’t their first experience with large displays though, and we highlighted their 1930s Harlem display last month.
The diorama portrays a Viking raid on the coast of Spain in approximately the year 859, a real historic event. The villa shown here isn’t any specific port, but rather an amalgamation of what a typical village in the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba would have looked like at the time.
See all the amazing details in the images below.
Builder Perterz doesn’t give a backstory for this weathered cottage surrounded by nature, but it makes me think of Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods with its lonely and slightly exaggerated look. The wide-ranging color palette encompasses pretty much every earth tone in LEGO’s catalog, and the multitude of flowers make the setting teem with life.
While none of the major techniques on display here are new, Perterz employs them excellently, from the highly textured roof to the tall tree made with olive green cheese slopes. I particularly love the detailed wooden door, with black minifigure hands as iron bands.
The dragon is a common fantasy trope, but they’re hard to tire of because they come in so many wonderful varieties. This dragon, by Henjin_Quilones, is named Kijani the Earth Dragon. With a sand green color scheme similar to the Ninjago Green Ninja Mech Dragon, this beast has a totally different look. It even uses that set’s sculpted snout piece, but moves the eyes forward a bit, giving it a cute, stubby face befitting a dragon used to nosing about the earth.
Henjin says the dragon is fully articulated, from the toes to the wings. The double base is also a great effect here, with a big of earthy terrain and a more polished-looking smooth black rectangle beneath.
It took me a moment to recall a round printed LEGO piece that Sheo. used for the whirl in the centre of this portal in his latest creation. And then it hit me — it’s a very nice use of dinosaur tails and small claws! The final result is a wonderful example of negative space done right with LEGO pieces. And now it’s not the minifigure in front of the portal, but the builder who is the true wizard.
The devil’s in the details of this remarkable LEGO creation by Barthezz Brick. Pulled straight from season three of Game of Thrones, this ramshackle pile of stones is Harrenhal, the cursed fortress that was once the largest castle in all of Westeros. Barthezz captured the eerie atmosphere of this ruin through the use of crumbling, mossy stonework, dilapidated wooden structures, and a muted color palette. The overall effect is magnificent.
Barthezz used approximately 20,000 bricks to recreate the scene where Brienne of Tarth is forced to fight a bear using only a fake wooden sword. Look closely and you’ll find countless wonderful details, like realistic trees and vines, House Bolton banners (featuring the flayed man), and even a mud-spattered Jamie Lannister (with his severed hand tied around his neck).
This LEGO Harrenhal looks great from all angles and the custom minifigures (complete with adorable, tiny fur capes) really bring this scene to life. Check out all the great details for yourself below.
See more pictures of this incredible castle
It’s always fun when we find builds that come with a little bit of a story. This scene, “Alliance Against the Invader,” by Jon Stead, is one of those builds. According to Jon, the year is 1178 and a medieval kingdom has been rocked by an object falling from the sky. A flaming saucer smashes into the forest and the alien invader it contains is ready to kill. Now it’s time for warring factions to come together to fight the beast and save the kingdom!
Click to see more of this war of worlds
A long time ago, in this galaxy far, far away, you won’t find lightsabers and droids, but you’ll certainly spot princesses and knights. Built by Koen, this precariously perched castle has a wonderfully Disney-like aesthetic with some clever techniques mixed in, if you take some time to study it. Note, for instance, the second-tallest turret, which has windows made of pulley wheels and Technic pins.
Personally, I’d like to think this is where the Little Prince lives after he grows up.
The TBB cover photo for June 2018 is Sandyman’s Mill by Patrick B. Now visiting our social media pages will make you want to be a hobbit and live in The Shire!
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One of the things that can really set a castle apart are the little architectural details — window frames, a well-crafted wall, bridges, and parapets. This stunning creation by Fraser Ratzlaff has all this and more. At a glance, it might seem like this castle in the clouds has to be microscale, but make no mistake, this minifig-scale castle is nine feet tall! One of the most impressive things about this castle is the support, made entirely of official LEGO bricks.
See more details after the jump
Spanning the river Cher in the Loire Valley, Château de Chenonceau is one of the most charming castles of France. Built in the early 1500s the place have seen many owners. Today it belongs to the Menier family, who are famous for their signature chocolates. Last year we got acquainted with the chocolate box château thanks to a wonderful microscale model by Isaac Snyder. And now it’s Aaron Newman turn to wow us with an off the charts model of the castle. Full of the tiniest elements the building is much larger than one might think; the final model measures more than 12″ (31cm) tall, 17″ (44cm) deep, and 40″ (102cm) wide!
