This year, 2024, marks the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, and builder “2mpaired” has created this Mos Espa pod race scene from the 1999 film The Phantom Menace to commemorate the occasion. The scene, with sand and rock formations spilling over the edges of the diorama base, brings the motion and excitement of the pod race to life. The pod racer builds for Anakin and Sebulba, the scene’s main characters, are among the best minifigure-scale models I have seen. If you’re not impressed, take a look at LEGO’s microscale model “75380: Mos Espa Podrace Diorama” to fully appreciate the detail in both landscape, minimal yet telling, and the racers themselves.
Tag Archives: Dioramas
This jade dragon won’t leave you feeling jaded
If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for in LEGO creations of mystical worlds, it’s floating rocks. And had Mihał Ch (AKA BardJaskier) just shown us this serene scene of floating rocks and waterfalls, that would have scratched that particular itch. But he’s gone one further and thrown in another favourite of mine in the shape of a majestic jade dragon! I must confess that I first thought it was a Pokemon called Rayquaza – and in my defense, I think it does bear a passing resemblance. But its presence does lead to some questions; primarily, what is that mysterious figure at the top doing? Although he has a sword in hand, it all seems quite peaceful here, at least for now. Has he come to seek the dragon’s guidance, or challenge it? Or has he just stumbled across it by (mis)fortune?
Luminous and ominous; the Numinous Isle!
When LEGO builders collaborate, great things are bound to happen. Micah Beideman, Eli Willsea, and Grant Davis have gotten together to build the mystical breakwater called the Numinous Isle. Let’s talk gold! At the very top of this build, you’ll find a few gold 4×4 wedges. Those pearl gold pieces were only available in two sets from 2013. Behind the gold sais and interlocked gold bar clips is the grand dome of the build. That dome is one half of the Star Wars planet Bespin from a set released in 2012. Take a look further down at that grey arch. Did you know that macaroni pieces fit into a large arch so neatly? I sure didn’t! Even lower down, there’s a pair of fins from an A-Wing masquerading as part of a wall. Check out that fountain too. It looks like the ingots fit just perfectly into that specific wheel. All of that beautiful building only takes us to the shoreline. What other secrets are hidden beneath the waves?
Swashbuckling and derring-do aplenty in this LEGO adventure
It’s been a rough day for the merchant Steve. He’s just onshore to make a buck or two; unfortunately, he arrived at this idyllic Caribbean harbor town just in time for it to fall victim to enemy attack. Now he must join forces with the pirates of Captain Redbeard if he wants to get out before things get really rough. That’s the tale told in LEGO by Nicholas Goodman in this thrilling scene called “Escape from the Imperial Trading Post.” The thing is, I probably didn’t need to give you all that backstory. The build itself tells the story wonderfully, with a scene that feels ripped from a blockbuster movie: the pairs of combatants locked in desperate combat, the whitecapped waves crashing against the rocks, the palm trees swaying in the breeze. The cliffs have a natural, rugged look to them, and the fort’s whitewashed walls have just the right amount of weathering. Let’s hope Steve makes it to his ship okay; those cliffs look a little dicey.
Dungeons deep and caverns old
When I first saw Eli Willsea‘s epic LEGO diorama “Into Dungeon Depths,” it took my breath away. The epic vertical scale, the mix of colors and form, and the aura of foreboding make this one of the most striking works from one of our favorite builders. The cross section of the burrowing wyrm skeleton is the star attraction; the way its snaking body weaves around stones and intersects with the geometric stairs must have been an incredible building challenge, but the results are magical. Eli does impressive work with the lighting as well, both through the color gradation of bricks as the stairs descend, and through an ominous red glow coming from the dungeon floor. What will the three minifig adventurers find at the end of their descent, I wonder…?
“Into Dungeon Depths” is Eli’s entry into the Stairway Stories category of the Summer Joust contest. See why we loved his previous entry too.
A herbalist’s homey haven
“In a mystical chamber adorned with an array of glass jars, bubbling potions, ancient scrolls, tomes, and exotic flora, the air is thick with the scent of arcane knowledge and potent enchantments.” So begins Syrdarian‘s description of their spellbinding LEGO herbalist’s workspace. Everything you need to cast a spell or heal a malady is right here in piles and stacks, from the crystals on the floor to the jars on the shelves and the cut flowers on the worktable. Boxes and baskets of berries and flowers sit next to the staircase, while tomes of arcane lore rest where they can be readily perused.
The herbalist’s hobbies clearly range beyond plant lore, judging by the lute carefully placed against the wall and the pie and sweets tucked away on a shelf. Joining the herbalist are three different frogs, a rubber ducky, and a hungry mouse. The plates and brick elements in the wall (along with wands for the spindly table legs) give the dwelling a lived-in, ramshackle appearance. And lastly, we can’t fail to remark upon the clever way the windowpanes are formed—minifig hands in several colors.
Oh the Hu-manatee
This excellent LEGO build by Legonerdphotos! steals and borrows pieces from a powerful array of Bionicle heroes and villains! Its head is made from the all-mighty Mask of Life, while its shoulders and tail fins are made from the head-pieces of the great Bohrok-Kal. The little bundle of seaweed the manatee is carrying is a hairpiece from a single minifigure from the Hidden Side line. Speaking of vegetation, the grass at the front to either side of the scene comes from spines of the Barraki lord Ehlek. Further back, the tall fronds are from this year’s Dreamzzz Cat-Owl and the vast field in the middle is made from Gresh’s shoulder guards. All-in-all Legonerdphotos has put together a lovely diorama that shows it’s better down where it’s wetter; take it from manat-me!
Dragonfly in the sky, you can go twice as high!
If you’re an elf in need of transit options, you should check out this LEGO build by Ted Andes! Do you ever have one of those projects where its entire reason for being is just a tiny part of the whole? This huge Dragonfly Outpost diorama was built by Ted as a display to show off the dragonfly craft in the top left corner! Let’s take a look at some details! the gold water pump to the right of the main pillar has a faucet made from an inverted genie’s lamp. All of those lovely wings used on the bug-thopter and the roof of the main area are from a single ant-man set from 2015. Those safety rails on the upper deck are actually a relatively common tube (though it does seem like the elves could use a few more of them!) An up-and-coming part is the leaf used for some of the bird’s tails. Since its introduction in 2023, it’s been used in a variety of sets and colors and I expect we’ll see more of it in the future! And speaking of those birds, I wonder if they make good omelets too?
Rock Raiders return in epic Onyxx Expedition Diorama
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Rock Raiders, a theme that for many adult fans of LEGO is always worth celebrating thanks to the evocative subterranean setting, cool colors (teal!), and wonderful vehicle designs. LegoMathijs still carries a torch for the theme and his latest project takes us deep beneath the planet Onyxx with a truly massive celebration of the Rock Raiders theme.
LegoMathijs’ diorama is pure, high-grade nostalgia, incorporating many elements unique to the Rock Raiders theme and working mostly with parts and techniques of the late ’90s, minus the BURPs (big ugly rock parts). With dozens of minifigures, an array of vehicles, and a motherload of crystals, the scene shows the promise on the package of Rock Raiders sets writ large.
Drill down with us for a closer look!
LEGO Caravanserai offers a treasure trove of techniques in tan
“Unwanted Company at the Caravanserai,” the latest diorama from Kit Nugent, is the rare LEGO build that is truly immersive, transporting the observer into a brick-built world. The craftsmanship is stunning. Working mostly with tan elements, Kit orchestrates every seam and shadow in service to the medieval Islamic architectural style. The interior facades are dense with detail, especially the screens made from over 200 densely-arranged candles, and the Modulex bricks that circle the lower walls. The inner brick-work, revealed in the cut-away, is just as ornate, featuring a complex jigsawing of System bricks with a smattering of smaller Modulex. The glimpse of a nearby domed building under a blue sky seals the sense of immersion.
The architecture alone makes this a build to celebrate, but Kit is just as deliberate with the story told through minifigures and accessories. He captures a frozen moment as travelers in the caravanserai trade look and reach for weapons as a shadowy figure enters. No doubt blood will soon be spilt on that lovely mosaic floor. Let’s just hope the goat is spared.
Batman gets the drop on Joker’s goons in LEGO Arkham Asylum
There are plenty of candidates for “best version of Batman,” many of which will soon have their own LEGO BrickHeadz design, but a strong case can be made for the star of Batman: Arkham Asylum video game as the GOAT of Batmen. The game makes Batman a predator who uses the environment to stalk and take out goons, but more than that, the design trains the player to see the world through Batman’s eyes. Tom Studs captures the game’s DNA in LEGO with a vignette set in the Arkham Medical Facility. The industrial vibes are spot on thanks to a mix of printed tiles, tubing, and brick-built machinery. Most importantly, the scene has everything Batman needs to take down the Joker’s henchmen, like floor grates to sneak through, power boxes to disable with a batarang, and of course, a well-placed gargoyle on which to perch. All that’s missing is a Riddler Trophy.
Long have I desired to look upon this tiny LOTR diorama
In a film full of striking imagery, there’s one scene that nevertheless manages to capture the gravity, grandeur, and beauty of Middle-earth all on its own. I’m talking about the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring when the eponymous Fellowship takes the Anduin river past the towering Argonath, colossal statues that mark the ancient borders of Gondor. MorlornEmpire‘s fabulous microscale LEGO Argonath captures the moment in miniature. The (tiny) giant statues themselves are instantly recognizable, their outstretched arms captured with rounded tiles and plates, but it’s the tinier things (like the overturned 1×1 plate-with-tooth elements for boats or the lighter-blue SNOT plates for the boats’ wakes) that really make this build worthy of the great kings of old.