Tag Archives: Dioramas

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.

Those who defy the feathered serpent

It seems strange that given how well-received LEGO creations of Mesoamerican architecture are, they are relatively rarely seen in the online LEGO building community, as if they were lost in a jungle. Hidden somewhere deep in the jungles of Flickr, an ancient temple built by Aaron Newman has been discovered, caught in the middle of a human sacrifice, which has angered Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent himself!

The temple serves as scenery for an engaging story hinted at by the builder in the photo’s description. The deity is beautifully sculpted and positioned, giving a convincing impression of graceful motion in the air. I love all the details across the temple, but the altar at the top is definetely the best part. A bit of greenery spilling around the temple and the excellent minifig action complete the scene, greatly aided by the very fitting and expressive background.

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Alright stop, Warhammer time

The Warhammer fantasy universe offers tricky inspiration for LEGO builders. When a fandom is founded on detailed models and painted miniatures, the thought of replicating those creations in another medium can be intimidating, and there’s also the question of how to make it interestingly different. Dwalin Forkbeard pulls this trick off admirably, with this LEGO diorama of Karak Kadrin, the mountain fortress home of a band of fearsome Dwarven warriors. The impressive stone face above the gate might grab all the initial attention, but don’t miss all the texture and the gold details in the construction — nice touches which prevent the walls becoming an unbroken mass of dark grey.

Aside from the looming fortress and the mountain, this creation impresses with the detailed activity and smart landscaping in front of the gate. I particularly liked this band of warriors heading out into the wintery wilderness past the statue…

Fort Knowhere, a cozy spot to live out the end of civilization

Who doesn’t love a good post-apocalyptic scene? This outpost by Sebastian Bachórzewski has pretty much anything a gang of war-hardened survivors could want or need to hunker down and weather the storm. Personally, this fenced compound reminded me of the Road Warrior, with its eclectic mix of barriers, ramshackle buildings, and broken vehicles. One of my favorite features is the use of so many minifig hands to top the fence.

This alternate view shows off some more great details.

A life told in bricks, one step at a time

Talented LEGO artist Dave Kaleta has been producing large dioramas at “Miniland” scale for several years, illustrating key moments of his life, from his first date, wedding, and pregnancy announcement with his wife to the first months with a new baby. Dave has updated his series with another first — a flashback to the first steps of the toddler we first met still in his crib two years ago.

Titled “One Small Step,” the scene is full of life and detail, including realistic details like the electric heater plugged in to the wall next to the fireplace. But it’s the people and animals who truly bring this scene alive — mom lets go of the baby as dad waits for him across the room, with a cat and dog in the background cheering the little guy on.

A look inside a Viking longhouse

Cut-away LEGO builds are sometimes difficult to do, and tough to make look right. Giving the illusion of a sneak peak into a building takes clever skill when also trying to maintain structural stability. But Carter Witz is one of those builders who has that talent. His Viking longhouse he built for the Summer Joust 2018 contest is sure to be a favorite!

Real-life Viking longhouses were made using some combination of timber, stone, or peat bricks, and had thatched or turf roofs. They were also lined with bench-like platforms for sitting and sleeping, and occupants did everything in these structures. Privacy sure must have been scarce! Carter’s LEGO version comes complete with the customary central hearth where the family both cooked and did iron-work. I love all the little details, but one of my favorite parts is the cloaks hanging on the “clothesline”.

Traversing the mountain, in search of medicine

Dr. Hisoto and his trusty pal, Jun, are on their way up the mountain. Amongst the cherry blossoms, they are searching for the herbs the doctor needs to make medicine. This lovely build is the work of Jme Wheeler. We have featured Jme’s builds several times, and they are all packed with character and detail. This is a wonderful addition to his repertoire.

Read on to see additional angles of this unique build

Massive collaborative LEGO project shows Vikings invading a Spanish village

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.

Check out more details

A cottage lies deep in the forest

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.

A dark, dingy, dangerous future awaits

Often LEGO Space models depict a bright and shiny future. Even when humanity might be threatened by aliens, or blasting ourselves to bits in starfighter duels, our brick-built future is usually one of primary colours and gleaming surfaces. Andreas Lenander offers us a very different vision with his latest creation — a dark and gritty scene of spacemen hard at work. The twin mechs are nicely done, particularly those fearsome-looking cutting claws, but it’s the presentation of the models — the lighting and surrounding clutter in the corridor — which elevates this beyond the usual LEGO sci-fi diorama.

The bear and the maiden fair: incredible LEGO diorama from Game of Thrones

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

Confronted with an enemy from outer space

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

Incredible, fully lit LEGO Batman Wayne Manor with huge Batcave underneath stands over 6 feet tall [Exclusive]

We’ve always known that Batman has it pretty sweet, with a huge mansion sitting atop a cave for all his toys. But this jaw-dropping creation by Brent Waller shows us the full extent of Batman’s lair, from the gorgeous gothic architecture of the Wayne Manor to the dark depths of the Batcave. Brent has given TBB an exclusive early look at all the details of this incredible creation, so let’s check it out.

Click to see more pictures and a video of the Manor and Batcave