There’s nothing like a massive LEGO diorama to prove that you’ve arrived as a LEGO builder. The LEGO dioramas we feature here span everything from realistic medieval castles to scenes from World War II, and more than a few post-apocalyptic wastelands.
Sometimes you don’t have to understand exactly what you’re looking at to appreciate how awesome it is, and how well-built it is. This LEGO creation by Bart De Dobbelaeris called the Glarburg Horror, and I think it fits into that category. Bart’s written a short story on this Lovecraftian monstrosity, but I’m afraid I’m still no closer to figuring it out. Nevertheless, I like the repetitious use of elements on the “creature” to create an unnerving texture. Meanwhile, the broken stone columns have an almost technological feeling, while the whole scene is subtly overgrown with sickly black shoots made mostly of connected droid arms.
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Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, Naboo is a planet that everyone agrees is beautiful. Inspired by its appearance in 2017’s Battlefront II videogame, Belgian LEGO Star Wars YouTuber Axidroid spent eight months building a Clone Wars battle scene in the streets of Theed. With 121 minifigures, with most of them being from the popular 501st Battlepack, there are also custom vehicles such as the Gunships, AAT tank, and AT-RT walker. While large Star Wars dioramas are not uncommon, the 140cm by 77cm size dwarfs the largest LEGO Star Wars set, the UCS Imperial Star Destroyer, which is 110cm by 66cm.
While the size of this build is impressive, the real kicker is at nighttime. Using Christmas LED lights inside the buildings and street lamps, Axidroid lights up the Theed plaza into a lovely atmospheric scene. The battle droids and clone troopers now look like they’re lined up for an evening festival, and bring the Mediterranean setting of Naboo even closer to home.
Axidroid even documented his 8-month long build process in a YouTube video series. In the finale below he shows off all the details in the expansive build.
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While the future sure looks bleak in cyberpunk LEGO builds, and the entire genre of cyberpunk in general, it still looks awesome. There are all the greebles a space-lover could imagine, atmospheric lighting, folks with strange hair; what more could you want? Sebastian Bachórzewski delivers a great example of this, using some third-party lighting elements in a brilliant way (yes, that pun was deliberate) to set the mood. And the posing of the minifigures is excellent, with the two of them in mid-leap, blasting away with their guns. It reminds me of a still from The Matrix, which makes sense, since that was also cyberpunk.
It looks even cooler cropped closer, filling the screen with all the LEGO awesomeness and revealing the cinematography behind the build. And while you’re here, you should look at our collection of LEGO Cyberpunk builds.
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In many parts of the world, if you’ve been following COVID safety protocols correctly, you may be itching to get out of the house right about now. Thankfully there is such a thing as contact-free check-in and this cottage may have the cure for what ails us. Is it called cabin fever when you want to leave the house to stay in a cabin? Whatever it’s called, Andrea Lattanzio’s stunning blue LEGO cottage is a sight for sore eyes. The round door and windows, the woodpile under the eave, and the weathered ramshackle texture make this a cottage I’d love to stay at for a weekend or even a month. The fall leaves, the skylights, the birdhouse, and even the mushrooms out front make for a picturesque vacation setting.
I can even forgive the skunk for paying a visit. They don’t spray when you treat them with respect and I’m willing to respect the skunk and all the other woodland creatures for a stay in this cottage. Andrea was The Brothers Brick Builder of the Year in 2019 for good reason. Check out our archives to see what else Andrea Lattanzio has been up to.
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If there’s one word that encapsulates Jeff Friesen‘s LEGO models more than any other for me, it’s “clean.” His builds always seem to have every single piece precisely where it ought to be. And his latest one looks like it’s from a picture book of the ideal Viking winter world (unlike hellish purgatory of Valheim that’s all the rage right now). This microscale creation doesn’t have any obviously new or even unusually innovative techniques, and yet it’s absolutely splendid from the snowcapped peaks to the tiny longships. The village spreading across the slopes with their tiny mounds of snow on top, and the two giant waterwheels give this settlement a fairytale aspect that I can’t get enough of.
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One of the main appeals of Star Wars is its homage to classic genres like serialised westerns, samurai movies, and Arthurian legends. The Mandalorian presents that very well, with the titular character being a rugged gunslinger with a heart of gold helping various people in each episode. Thomas Jenkins captures one instance during one of his visits to Tatooine where he helps defeat a massive Krayt Dragon. Presented in a simple way: the Dragon bursting out of the sand, and the Mandalorian escaping its jaws.
The Krayt Dragon is complex in its angles and techniques, but captures the organic shape of a reptilian head. The floating sand and rubble is a nice addition and conveys a sense of motion from the rising beast. But the way Thomas got the Mandalorian to float is just ingenious. Using skeleton and droid arms to create columns of smoke from the minifig that is firmly attached to the rest of the build. Just like that, these few elements capture a simple moment. In a way, it is quite minimalistic, with very little need for anything else.
See more amazing Star Wars themed builds by Thomas Jenkins here.
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Back when I was first exploring the world of online LEGO fandom, years ago now, one of the first places I landed was the Guilds of Historica, a medieval fantasy-based role building forum on Eurobricks. It was an eye-opening experience for me, then just a novice builder fairly fresh out of my dark ages, seeing all the incredible castles and villages that talented builders the world over had contributed. I quickly joined up and contributed my own creations, getting invaluable building and photography feedback along the way, and Mathijs Dubbeldam was one of those helpful folks giving me feedback and support. His latest build feels like a medieval piece of Ninjago City, with the blue water and grey walkway along with the tower and colorful buildings. The varied roofline and angled walkways give it a wonderfully organic feel, like a real city. Fancy a visit?
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After a hard day at work it’s nice to sit and…um…write and edit for Brothers Brick. Ok, maybe tonight is a no-go, but on my nights off, I ought to take the advice of LEGO builder Adrian Drake, clear my calendar and soak in a tub. He has presented a large-scale diorama of a lady relaxing in a bubble bath. The bubbles, the shape of the tub, the faucet, even the scenery out the window are all top notch. My favorite detail, however, is the diamond checker pattern on the floor. It’s not an easy feat when LEGO bricks prefer to be laid out at ninety degree intervals. While ladies are typically more fond of bubblebaths than men, I’d like to remind the fellas that you ought to treat yourself to a hot soak occasionally, even if you are a surly Sasquatch of a dude like me. Wine and candles may enhance the relaxing experience. But remember, always burn candles responsibly.
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Are you ready to be Spirited Away? Rylie Howerter is ready help to start the journey with this astounding recreation of the Red Gate. This is one of those builds that has you doing a triple take – but, yes, this all LEGO. Amazing photography adds great atmospheric depth of field , but the trees and other greenery in the foreground is what completely sells this neglected entrance to the unknown. There are even more detailed views at Ryan’s Instagram post, and I suggest you take a moment to explore those, too.
If you like your Miyazaki inspired builds a little more animated, then check out this great Soot Sprite from our archives. And here’s to hoping that we’ll see even more Studio Ghibli creations there soon!
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This month’s and this year’s first cover photo comes from Faber Mandragore. “Joe’s Scrapyard” is a fun little diorama, and as a fan of all the different types of LEGO wheels and tires, I’m very excited to hunt through to examine all the different tires.
I’ve said this before, but my favorite builds for cover photos are those that tell a story and let you dig in, creating a scene that’s playing out. Here, I imagine Joe uses parts from these old busted cars (especially love the variety and variation of destruction to each vehicle) to upgrade his yellow hot rod. I imagine he’ll find enough new parts over time to build a new car. Thanks for taking care of the scrapyard Joe, someone’s gotta find use for all these old vehicles.
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Free from light pollution and smog, this observation deck would be perfect for spotting a planetary conjunction. But there’s certainly a greater spectacle in this vibrant LEGO creation. The Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse by Pete Strege offers an incredible, up-close view of a spiraling galaxy. This Ferris-wheel-like galaxy is motorized, which is quite an engineering feat for its unique shape and scale. Its free-standing tail overarches the entire model, making this build an event of a lifetime.
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The LEGO Elves theme was retired not long ago, and sadly it never quite gained the popularity among adult fans that I think it deserved. Thankfully, though, there are a handful of builders who’ve been designing beautiful creations in the brightly colored world of Elves, and this gorgeous diorama by Stilly Bricks shows how delightful Elvendale can be. They built it a few years ago, but only recently got around to photographing it, which is understandable given that the massive village is over 5 feet long from end to end, and more than 2 feet deep.
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