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.

Waves are stacking up

LEGO Pirates have been sailing the seas for nearly 30 years. We’ve seen any number of impressive pirate vessel creations in that time, but only a handful where the sea itself has taken a starring role in the presentation of the model. Jerome Kloou‘s pirate ship is a good example of the genre — an attractive colour scheme, smart cloth sails, stacked barrels used for the masts, and an impressive array of minifigures making up the scurvy crew. But the main attraction here is surely the rolling swell of the sea — fashioned from innumerable stacks of transparent blue 1×1 round pieces. Whilst this must have been a nightmare to put together, the effect is undoubtedly worth it — providing a visually striking and dynamic base for the model.

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A fortified village with a seaside view

I imagine being a fisherman in the middle ages was a modest but good life–if you count out living out in the open, ready to be raided. Jako of Nerogue solves this problem for his fishermen with the fortifications around the village he built. This facilitates both a picturesque and also practical feeling about this whole diorama.

I love how the diorama really makes sense. The village is confined by the wooden walls, and nothing is left outside… Or maybe it was just all pillaged. Sadly there are not many pictures showing the fortification’s interior, but the outside is impressive enough on its own. The mixing of dark tan with exotic greens is very realistic and pleasant to look at, and the grass also hides some cleverly used clip pieces to simulate taller blades of grass. The whole diorama is brought together with a few splashes of brighter colours, like the regular green bushes and a bit of water in the back.

Beorn’s beautiful building built by bricks

A few years have passed from The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit hysteria that included an official LEGO theme, but many builders still find inspiration in Tolkien’s fantasy universe. Roanoke Handybuck is one of these builders and his latest creation is Beorn’s house. We can see the party of dwarves accompanied by the Grey Wizard and Bilbo Baggins meeting the master of the house.

The builder uses colours and their combinations to great advantage, especially mixing the dark tan and olive green, which seem to naturally fit together. Do not limit your attention only to the beautifully flowing roof, because the stonework of the house’s walls is quite impressive too, as is a plethora of details spread around the diorama.

The ruinous beauty of an earthquake captured in a huge LEGO diorama

At first glance, this ruined city may look a little like a classic post-apocalyptic zombie scenario (like the stunning scene from The Last of Us) but this build by Ralf Langer actually represents an apocalypse of a more realistic and consequentially more threatening type: a devastating earthquake. Admittedly though, the two are visually very similar, zombies and sci-fi gear aside.

The diorama is huge, but Ralf does not merely rely on size to impress. Instead, he makes textures and details so fine that they would make a tiny vignette worth drooling over, let alone a diorama with a surface that could fit a hundred such vignettes. The different angles at which many surfaces of the diorama are set give a very dynamic and organic feeling, and the builder has done it so well, it almost looks like it’s not LEGO. The colours used are perfect too, with various earth tones and realistic colours on the buildings.

Click to see some close-up pictures and a few techniques behind the builds!

Indiana Jones and the brick-built tank of brilliance

It’s one of the most famous action scenes in cinema — Indiana Jones taking on a fearsome tank, armed with little more than a rock. This unforgettable moment in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade is recreated brilliantly in LEGO by Joshua Brooks. The tank is wonderfully detailed, bedecked with equipment and cargo, and features nicely-sculpted gun sponsons. Also, don’t miss the added touch of brick-built clouds of dust kicked up at the rear of the tracks…

As Joshua puts it: “SPOILER ALERT — rock beats cannon”…

A beautiful killer

The Orca is the largest of the dolphin family, one of the planet’s top predators, and a majestic sight. Ken Ito has put together an excellent LEGO model of one of these amazing creatures breaching the surface. The model is nicely shaped, particularly those fins, and I like the restrained use of a custom sticker for the white facial marking. The upsurge of water around the orca’s flanks is well done, as is the spattering of white and trans-clear pieces — it creates a sense of movement, and of the rest of the creature’s bulk just beneath the surface. I’d love to have this oceanic treat on my desk at work.

Disaster at the Daily Bugle

This diorama of Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus or “Doc Ock” in battle by Thorsten Bonsch is quite stunning. The scene takes place smack in the middle of the famous fictional lobby of the Daily Bugle. What stands out is the amazing detail around the circular lobby, which in itself is quite impressive in a block-based world.

See more of this Amazing LEGO Spider-Man diorama

Hobbiton is more than just Bag End!

The excellent photography and advanced building techniques may be what drew my attention to this creation by Patrick B., but they are not the most interesting part to me. What is so unique about this creation is the accompanying description, crediting a handful of builders who inspired Patrick’s Sandyman’s Mill, either by building their own versions prior or as Patrick’s sources for some techniques used. It is normal for builders to both reuse previously discovered techniques and credit their sources, but I rarely see it like this particular example. It almost reads like a scientific publication!

Click to see and read more about the build!

A bridge beneath the tracks

There is so much about this little scene that stands out as awesome. Regularly featured here on TBB, excellent master builder Tim Schwalfenberg does it again with his River Crossing. He says, “You can’t really have a train without some sort of track to display it on,” so he built one. The textures and colours of the rocks and foliage are impeccable. The intricate detail that has gone into the iron framework of the span across the turbulent rapids is amazing, and the brilliant red engine leaps out from the subtle textures of the natural colours and contours on the cliff face.

Born to build on the bayou

In the U.S., Louisiana is sometimes known as “bayou country” thanks to its marshy, crocodile-laced swamps. Life on the bayou can be rough and tough, as Sebastian Bachórzewski shows us in one of his latest models. By mixing various earthy colors and greens, Sebastian captures the combination of muddy swampland with wild overgrowth. His rustic cabin shows signs of weathering within a harsh environment, and the way the bright green algae meets the dark and murky water is sublimely beautiful.

Gigantic LEGO diorama of Disney on Ice is over 16 square feet and has all your favorite characters

The tickets are nearly sold out to this amazing attraction, and all the minifigs want to go. Disney on Ice has come to LEGO City! This incredible diorama by Brick Knight not only contains the show itself, but also the venue and even the surrounding city blocks, all packed with such an astonishing level of detail and realism that I almost dread looking for parking already.

Click to see more, including the interior

A shipyard above all shipyards

When it comes to building LEGO maritime creations, one artist stands out as being a foremost authority. Arjan Oude Kotte has graced us with several of his masterpieces over the years. They include a Rotterham Harbor Tugboat, and a massive 1930’s Danish ship, among others. All his creations are packed with magnificent attention to detail and incredible personality. His latest build, Finnian’s shipyard, is another superb addition to his collection, and we love it! The colors and details are truly impressive.

Click to check out all the details packed into this shipyard