Tag Archives: DUPLO

Medieval bathhouse is a clean build indeed

LEGO models from Eli Willsea feature clean lines and smooth surfaces where studs have been all but scrubbed away, which makes a medieval hammam (public bathhouse) the ideal subject for his immaculate building style. I love the variety of arches stacked and nested the give the build an airiness, complemented by the bits of greenery around the scene. Of course this wouldn’t be a ForlornEmpire build without some mind-blowing parts usage. DUPLO brooms are a truly unexpected part that fit so naturally into the scene. Droid arms and binoculars link so neatly into the arches, it’s hard to believe LEGO didn’t design them for just that purpose.  The greatest trick in the scene has to be the water effect, made from upside down transparent baseplates, creating the perfect bubbly surface.

A Day at the Hammam

From City of Lanterns to Shibuya Scramble

Inspired by his time in Shibuya, the latest modular from LEGO Masters Sweden finalist Olle Moquist captures the shuffle of old and new that one feels walking the busy backstreets of modern Tokyo. Olle picked an unusual seed part for the Lotus Hotel, beige DUPLO cushions, which give the building a distinctive stud-free texture. I’m also really struck by how perfectly the vintage Homemaker theme‘s maxifigure works as a Buddha with his compassionate long earlobes. While this city center is grounded in a more realistic setting, the modular wouldn’t look out of place next to Ninjago City, and after a busy day of shopping or a stay at the Lotus Hotel, visitors to this LEGO neighborhood can presumably take the tram to Monkie Kid’s City of Lanterns.

City Center

LEGO House 40505 LEGO Building Systems – A historical triple threat of bricks [Review]

Today in Billund, Denmark, the LEGO House has announced the next set in their exclusive limited series, available for purchase only at the LEGO store on-site. LEGO House 40505 LEGO Building Systems is 1,211 pieces celebrating the LEGO system of play with representations of its three pillars: Duplo, System, and Technic. And while we could go on with our usual statistical analysis of the new set, as we have done for past sets in this series, The Brothers Brick was provided a copy of the set for review and an opportunity to talk with one of the set’s designers: LEGO House Master Builder Stuart Harris. So instead, we’ll get to talk more about this set announcement as we build it below. And for those headed to the LEGO House in search of this set, it’ll be available in their exclusive LEGO store only starting March 1st for a price of 699 DKK (around $100 USD | $140 CAD | £80 GBP | €94 EUR) and a limit of 3 per household.

Read up on this LEGO House exclusive below!

LEGO teams up with Hasbro to bring Peppa Pig to LEGOLAND parks and Duplo sets [News]

LEGO has been no stranger to brand tie-ins of late, and they have added another popular TV character to their line-up. The Danish company is teaming up with Hasbro Entertainment to produce DUPLO sets featuring Peppa Pig and her friends. Peppa has been a mainstay of children’s TV for 20 years as of 2024, and the collaboration will see sets released in the Duplo line aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers. Merlin Entertainment, custodian of the LEGOLAND parks, is also being brought into the fold. In LEGO’s hometown of Billund, the LEGOLAND park will get its own Duplo Peppa Pig play area. Meanwhile, LEGOLAND Deustchland in Gunzburg, Germany, will get a new neighbour in the form of a Peppa Pig-dedicated theme park. More details on the sets are slated to come later on this year.

What do you make of this news? Have a read of the press release below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

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This LEGO DUPLO car hides a spectacular secret.

If you don’t already know, LEGO System and DUPLO parts are compatible, and can be combined in several ways. But I think this model by Jonathan Elliott has combined them in a way that is pretty interesting. Taking the outer shell of this cute and compact car, Jonathan has built an interior from LEGO system parts, using some clever techniques, like attaching the front and back windscreens sideways. Everything fits together perfectly, from the side mirrors to the angled grills along the bumper.

Pimp My Ride, Duplo Edition

In order to really appreciate the work that wen into building the car, check out these interior details.

DUPLO 30327 My First Duck polybag – A change of pace for the overwhelmed builder in you  [Review]

There’s no denying that LEGO can be a challenging hobby. Things have come a long way from the simple range of parts in the 1960’s – it seems every new set contains at least one new mold or color variation. Building techniques have expanded; you can’t open an instruction manual without being getting your fingers covered in SNOT. Then giant sets like the Icons 10307 Eiffel Tower empty your plastic-brick budget in seconds. It can all get to be a bit much. That’s why today we’re going to take a little bit of a breather. We’ll turn back the calendar to 2019 and visit a simple, inexpensive, and soothing model that makes the world a happier place. Yes, it’s time for us to retro-review DUPLO 30327 My First Duck polybag. 

QUACK Click to read the full hands-on review QUACK

The planet Duplovia processes water so you don’t have to

What’s happening on the planet Duplovia? According to Wami Delthorn they process water there. It’s fun to just (ahem) soak in all the details. It has enough Classic Space LEGO goodness and playability to quench the thirst of any diehard fan. I’m particularly loving the communications tower, spaceship landing pad and the space train that traverses the entire build. The LED lights are also a neat touch. With all this expensive and important science-y space stuff I hope they utilize this water processing plant for something useful, intelligent and practical; like fueling the galaxy’s largest and most epic Slip ‘N Slide!

Planet Duplovia Water Processing Facility

Crouching motorcycle, hidden dragon

Joey Klusnick doesn’t let old DUPLO pieces take up space in his collection with no purpose. Instead of getting rid of them, he mixes DUPLO stuff with a modern best-selling theme, like Ninjago. The result is hilarious: now, it’s Lloyd’s newest vehicle/weapon. It might have no claws, teeth or wings, but it’s extremely swooshable. Just look at these wheels!

Duplo Motorcycle

A spaceship build that lifts our spirits.

Can’t you just hear the engines in action when you look at this build by OA KD? This unconventional quadruped cargo ship is a seriously cool take on the Classic Space theme. The exhaust coming out of the four landing pods definitely elevates this build to a new level, but we also have to give bonus points for the wonderfully integrated Duplo windscreen that looks right at home with the regular system bricks.

Aaaand liftoff!

DUPLO dots for days

This LEGO creation by R 194 for me really hits the nostalgia soft spot. The DUPLO I played with was handed down to me by friends of my parents whose kids were a bit older. So the 1994 cat head was part of my DUPLO collection. To me it is such an iconic DUPLO part. It’s from a time where the diversity of bricks was really limited. Including this vintage DUPLO beauty in a LEGO creation looks stunning. It is not the only DUPLO part that gets included. We can spot a roof spire, a red panda head and either Dots or DUPLO cupcake cups. We are looking at a motley crew of musicians and they are all cute as a button. The best thing about this creation is how R 194 created a third big animal head using regular LEGO bricks and it is amazing to see how good it matches the DUPLO heads.

Animal music corps

A happy little brick-blending robot

This smiling mixer by Filbrick blends big LEGO bricks down into little ones with delight! The robot just wants to help you build by offering a variety of brick sizes. The happy little appliance possesses wonderful rounded edges and arm joints, which make the red bricks stand out with their hard edges. The curvature in the top of the processor lid is made possible by hinge plates. The bricks inside the blending swirl are suspended using transparent pieces for that added kinetic feel. Of course, the LEGO fun doesn’t end there! The backsplash, plug and outlet, and the kitchen utensils are all brick-built, giving the whole scene a fun, playful atmosphere. The inclusion of a DUPLO brick is a nice touch–always good to see other LEGO products make appearances with the more widely known lines.

mixer 2/3

DUPLO kayaks get a crafty undersea upgrade.

One of my favorite things is seeing pieces from LEGO’s younger brands, like DUPLO and Fabuland, incorporated into regular LEGO system builds. The latest build by Joey Klusnick seamlessly blends two DUPLO kayaks into this sleek, shark-shaped submarine. The sideways kayaks perfectly match the curve of the two windscreens used to create the driver’s compartment. And the engine details built into the kayak seats help tie in the medium azure triangular girders, which give the submarine an effective research vessel vibe.

Duplo Kayak Sub

And we have to award bonus points for the complicated lift-arm that keeps the minifigure pilot seated between the regular and inverted windscreens.

Duplo Kayak Sub