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.

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.

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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.

A post-human paradise in LEGO

Engaging with LEGO bricks can be an act of play, a hobby, fandom, even an investment, but for some builders, LEGO bricks are an artistic medium just like clay or oil paints. Mihai Marius Mihu is one of those creators who uses the brick to explore big ideas, with motifs that carry over across works and even transcend mediums. After a long building hiatus, Mihai is back to LEGO with “The Garden of the Goddess,” a diorama in silhouette that serves as a culmination of years of exploring this post-human future.

The “ash giant” humanoid figure climbing the hill first appeared in Mihai’s underworld-inspired LEGO vignettes a decade ago, seemingly representing a husk of humanity. The goddess on the left, with her three black orbs, is featured in numerous drawings over recent years. The statue of a face on the right is my favorite element, both for the startlingly lifelike human profile, and the effective use of Technic bricks to convey the geological timescales at play. It’s fascinating to see how Mihai’s ideas translated from sketch into LEGO model.

Mihai’s work often touches on the mythological afterlife, encounters with the unknowable, and human transmutation. It feels in conversation with fiction from Dan Simmons, Jeff Vandermeer, Octavia Butler and Ridley Scott. Work like Mihai’s doesn’t need to be explained. I’m just grateful that the artist allows us to follow his journey over the years, whether in pencil, music, or in brick.

A slice of life in a cyberpunk city

We see a lot of cyberpunk cityscapes built from LEGO – and they’re all awesome. But Chi Hsin Wei (LEGO 7) has gone big with his vision of the future! There’s a lot going on, so let’s unpack it. You’ve got a rather dapper-looking figure in a suit, who is perhaps on his way to or from work. With those Buzz Lightyear-style wings he’s sure to get to his destination in a flash! And speaking of travelling quickly, there’s a wicked motorbike/dog/horse/speeder, er, thing on the road in the back. It makes use of a series of printed parts from 10330 McLaren MP4/4 & Ayrton Senna, which are perfect in this context. And how about those two adorable little robots on the stairs? One’s in a suit, and the other is… Wearing a traffic cone? Sure, who are we to judge. Perhaps that’s the fashion in the future!

There will be blood (and relaxation!)

We all need to unwind and blow off some steam sometimes. And if someone’s form of recreation involves bleeding a caged victim to make a nice little wading pool, who am I to judge? Mihał Ch‘s creepy vampire pleasure den imagines such a scenario in LEGO. The scene itself makes my stomach crawl a little, but I can distract myself from the visceral reminder of my own fragile mortality by checking out those cool building techniques. I love the way simple 1×2 bricks are stacked at slight angles to make the columns, and the trans-red antenna stands in for the steady drip-drip-drip of the victim’s blood into a viscous pool below. I hope that poor victim gets out soon, but it doesn’t look good.

A Star Wars palace fit for an evil emperor

The Emperor’s personal residence hasn’t appeared in any of the films (well, unless you count its prior incarnation as the Jedi Temple, according to current canon), but it still looms large in Star Wars lore. A little forced perspective helps it loom even larger in this great LEGO diorama by r_t_zan, where its appearance is inspired by its classic Legends description. The build concentrates its minifig-scale details up front and lets the eye drift toward the rear, where its forbidding spires reach for the stars. Other than a statue, we never see the Emperor himself, and the build is all the better for it—Palpatine’s air of mystery is preserved as we imagine which of those lofty spires might house his evil presence.

LEGO with an ego the size of the sun!

This LEGO build by Panuvara drips confidence from every stud! Panuvara has used so many great ideas that make this build shine, that there really is too much neat parts usage in this build to talk about. So, I’m going to rapid fire a bunch at you! Starting with the golden neck-and-head-dress; those chameleons are floating – not connected by studs, and did you know that micro-statue heads fit inside bar holders? I didn’t. There’s also plenty of Bionicle influence: the top of the Emissary’s head is the infected Hau Nuva, while its teeth are borrowed from one of the Piraka. There’s also a head under the Emissary’s right knee. The mottled colors of the Hau match perfectly with the pattern of the macaw used for the Emissary’s nose. Let’s move on the the Emissary’s seat. The rounded rectangular patches with grills are rubber band holders, the bricks holding the projectile triggers are bumper holders, and there’s plenty of minifigure legs and hips for you to spot. Finally I’ll point out that the face carved into the centre of the stonework uses a dinosaur cub and a clone trooper visor as parts of its nose. There’s more to see here the longer you stare at it. But be careful: while you’re looking at it, the Emissary is watching you!

A troubled bridge over troubled waters from Game of Thrones

Two LEGO warriors face off in the center of a rundown stone bridge in this LEGO model by Faëbricks and Brickscaalibur! This creation is based on the third season of Game of Thrones during the duel between Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. And what a bridge it is! Gus and Raphaël have gone for a maximalist greebling-style of brickwork, meaning there’s plenty of cobbled texture to the stonework. If you get the chance, you should try to zoom in and spot as many techniques in there as possible! The bridge arches get their curve due to the 1×2 grated slope, stacked vertically to create each support. Also, I want to complement the greenery along the top of the bridge. These plants are both show-authentic and provide contrasting color to the rest of the bridge. I hope Faëbricks and Brickscaalibur get the chance to work together to impress us again!

Planes, trains, and LEGO builds

If you love Italy and/or railway architecture, look no further than this lovely LEGO creation by Jean-Philippe Leroux! Leroux has captured the elegance of the Italian railway bridge, the Viaduct of San Bartolomeo, built in the late 1960s. Leroux has used stacked 2×2 jumper tiles to add the layered texture to all of the pillars, and notice how all the slopes at the base of the pillars are actually 2×3 slopes on their sides? That’s what allows Leroux to “embed” the arches in between the wider supports. Great work on that micro-scale plane too! I can’t imagine he’s used more than ten parts to build it! I’m also excited to see the multiple colors on the outside of the diorama representing the different geological layers; I’d say it really grounds the build!

Steer clear of these surly Sea Raiders

The right minifigs can elevate a build by making a scene come alive, suggesting a story much bigger than the LEGO model on display. The motley crew of pirates assembled by Bryckland have clearly seen their fair share of action, gaining infamy for their raids, but no shortage of glory too with close-calls and daring adventure too, I’d wager. Bryckland’s longship is a wonderful design, with a hull made of horns and rounded Technic elements, invoking ancient reed boats. Considering the sails are made from Hungarian Horntail wings, perhaps the hull is made of dragonbone or some other fantastical substance. The diorama is elevated by the patch of roiling blue sea. Where will this voyage end? Perhaps with a little pillaging at one of Bryckland’s past ports of call.

Arresting LEGO Medusa will rock your world

Medusa, she of the snake hair and stony gaze, remains one of the most captivating figures from Greek mythology. She even made an appearance back in Series 10 of the Collectible Minifigures line. Builder Kooky Bricks honors the hip and tragic monster with a diorama worthy of an Olympian. Here we see Medusa facing off with a would-be slayer in the ruined temple of Athena. At this larger scale, made from 14,619 parts, Kooky Brick is able to pack in incredible detail in both the figures and the setting. Medusa’s scaly body is achieved by overlapping rows of plate teeth, a great effect that feels both organic and a very solid snake form. As impressive as the figures are, it’s the temple itself that leaves us spellbound.

Gaze on for more mythic details!

It takes a lot of NERV to build LEGO mechs from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Nearly 30 years after its debut, Gainax’s groundbreaking anime Neon Genesis Evangelion continues to captivate an international audience with its radical take on the mech genre. Whereas most mecha convey the bulk of heavy army, the Evangelion units are sinewy bio-machines suggesting a fusion of man and demon. LEGO builder Marco de Bon is no stranger to mechs (as you can see in our archive), and last year he created perfect poseable models of EVA Units 00, 01, and 02. For his latest diorama series, Marco shows a talent for microscale cityscapes to match his mech building prowess. Prototype Unit-00 towers over a district dominated by sandy hues and disc shooter windows. The elevated brick-built highway is particularly effective.

Shinji’a iconic Unit-01 straddles a gorgeous mix of mini high-rises. Landing gear axles make for perfect rooftop satellite arrays, while shooters above the highway capture the sci-fi aesthetic of Tokyo-3.

If Marco’s diorama’s have you humming Cruel Angel Thesis and craving more EVAs and Angels, synchronize with our Evangelion archives.

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