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.

A heap of scrap, assembled to perfection

If you’ve never tried building with someone else’s LEGO collection, I highly recommend it. Everyone organizes their collection a little differently. As a result, you’ll often see strange parts being stored together and inspiration will strike. Or, more likely, you’ll be unable to locate some of your go-to “comfort” pieces and be forced to try something new. Also, it’s just plain fun to build alongside your friends!

I’m not sure if Nooroyd learned any new tricks when he built this scene with his friend Andreas’ LEGO collection, but the result is stunning! The ramshackle building feels very organic and the cluttered composition draws the eye in several directions at once without being completely overwhelming. I particularly love the use of fabric, string, and tubing.

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BRICK 2015 – London LEGO show roundup [News]

Last weekend saw thousands of LEGO fans descend upon London’s Docklands to visit BRICK 2015, the UK’s largest LEGO show, now in its second year. The Brothers Brick were there, and here’s a roundup of some of the coolest models we saw.

Builders from across the UK and Europe brought some amazing displays, including a number of models previously featured here. The enormous Hadrian’s Wall layout, the stunning recreation of Her Majesty’s Theatre, and Lasse Vestergard’s little gem History of the World. It was a genuine pleasure to see these all “in the brick”.

But onto other things, like the Brick Abyss from a trio of Swiss builders. A huge magical steampunk island archipelago with motorised elements, lighting, and smoke machines, the Abyss display was mobbed by kids and adults alike for the entire weekend…

More great models from the show after the jump

Hell, it’s about time!

We don’t want any of our readers to be distracted from completing the final Protoss chapter of StarCraft II, which was released last month. But as long as you’re here, have a look at this massive build by Tim Schwalfenberg, which was inspired by the StarCraft 2 trailer from 2009. It’s one of those dioramas that makes you stop scrolling the photostream and devote your whole lunch break to examining all the smart design features. The way Tim used regular yellow pieces to accentuate the robot arms deserves special attention. And check out this close-up of the marine as well.

The cracks are showing along Route 66

As you cruise past this old diner located somewhere along Route 66 in your souped-up hot rod, it is clear that all is not well. I don’t know what has led to the scene in this diorama by Austrian builder Sanel Lukovic, but it seems that the derelict diner was abandoned in a hurry; that’s never a good thing!

The details that highlight the sense of abandonment are my favourite part of this diorama. Intricate features abound, such as the diner stool that has been knocked over, the broken window with a view inside, the can of coke that has fallen out of the rubbish bin, the broken, exposed fluorescent light tubes and the graffiti on the wall.

At first I thought the cracked road was due to an earlier earthquake but that doesn’t explain the whole story. Sanel tells me that far more sinister reasons are probably to blame…

Big game on a small scale

Grantmasters was fortunate enough to capture this unique shot of some mighty and majestic symbols of African wildlife. By the waterside is a glorious lion. It’s an adult male, of course – you can tell by his luxuriant mane. And behind him is an African bush elephant. Just look at that powerful trunk! As you might know, they use their trunks to pluck at grass and leaves while feeding. And you may wonder what animal is under the flat-crown tree in the background? No doubt it’s a famous white rhinoceros. But don’t exepct them to be white – they are gray. And unlike black rhinos, they have only one horn.

I can’t wait for Grantmasters’ next photo safari! Who knows what other animals will get in the picture – will it be some South African giraffes or plain zebras?

The hopeless attempt of taking a winter bath

I’m not one hundred percent sure what is going in Simon Schweyer‘s most recent build. Heck, I’m not even twenty percent sure. But I do know, without question, that this scene is superb! The gradation of color on the frozen pond, the irregular SNOT (Studs Not on Top) base, the way the snow hangs on the rocks and tree, and whatever strange feats these minifigs may be attempting — all of it feels right.

Take your seats, folks – it’s time for a fairy tale!

The traditional fairy tales my parents read me and some of the old Basic LEGO sets are probably the biggest impressions of my childhood. And when these two things meet, it really touches my heart. As did this simple illustration of a traditional Russian fairy tale Emelya and the Pike by Dwalin Forkbeard. The story tells of an ordinary fellow named Emelya who was notorious for his indolence. Once he was lucky enough to catch a fairy pike who made all of his wishes come true. My favorite episode of this tale is Emelya riding his self-driving stove around his village. And here is the traditional stove exactly how I imagined it as a kid! Bricks with masonry profile work just perfectly for this kind of build, not to mention smart use of handcuffs as a shoulder yoke.

A treaty of epic proportions

One interesting thing about the LEGO castle theme is that the characters and factions always seem to be at odds with one another; fortifications and weapons come as second nature to the minifigs of the darker ages. So it quite refreshing to see this diorama from durazno_33, which features a whole bunch of castle minifigs from different factions getting together and celebrating without their swords drawn!

Clearly, this is no ordinary stuffy political treaty signing. It seems like an entire festival has sprung from this single event.

I really like how there are minifigs from almost every year and theme LEGO has created for their long-running castle set lines. Plus, those altBricks leaves give the scene a lively look that would certainly be lacking otherwise. Be sure to check out all the pictures in the builder’s Flickr album.

The Houses of Parliament debut at BRICK 2015 in London

The Palace of Westminster, known to most as the Houses of Parliament, has been built in 1:650 scale by Rocco Buttliere. The model is making its debut at BRICK 2015, which takes place at the London Excel, December 11th-13th.

Rocco Buttliere is a fourth-year student in the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology and his amazing 1:650 scale builds, depicting famous skyscrapers and landmarks, have been the main focus of attention. His collection includes models from eleven global cities including Chicago, New York City, Dubai, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, Shanghai, Dallas and of course, London.

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign all 43 of Rocco’s models are making their way to London and will be on display at BRICK 2015. You can find out more about Rocco and his models, including digital downloads of his work, on MOCpages.

Venetian architecture in a patchwork style

Root Canal by Lab Synth is a marvelous and thorough design down to the last detail. One can find such an architectural experiment chaotic, but I’d call it extravagant. In the description of his work Lab shared that he had started with that massive golden window, and I can clearly imagine how the whole diorama was growing section by section until such a bizzare interpretation of a Venetian canal was born.

Fancy a little hot sauce with your mushrooms?

This lava-tastic creation by Thorsten Bonsch is inspired by an online role-playing video game called The Elder Scrolls Online (“ESO”) and is the second ESO-inspired build we have showcased. The first was Thorsten’s mammoth 11,000-piece creation called The Dolmen.

The game landscape captured is called Stonefalls and is described by Thorsten as “…a mainly grey and barren region in Morrowind, dominated by giant mushrooms and streams of lava…“. I have not played the game, but Thorsten certainly captured my attention with those giant mushrooms and the beautifully depicted lava flow. The LEGO colour palate is utilised perfectly to show the ebbing heat of the lava flow. Note the minifigure standing centrally, helping to give a sense of scale to the gigantic fungi!

Hot stuff…

The greatest build since gingerbread

I swear I can feel a strong smell of ginger while I’m looking at the latest confectionery masterpiece by Koen. The key to success here is that this gingerbread cottage is actually the second version; the first one was baked and served a little more than a year ago. Compare both and you’ll easily notice how much the Friends sets have added to the official LEGO color palette just in this past year. Excuse me for now, I have to go and ask for the recipe.