Tag Archives: gothic

A gothic murder mystery awaits inside this glorious manor

As part of a challenge to create a hypothetical new LEGO theme, Geneva Durand opted to make something of a game out of it. The Detection theme’s flagship set is the Greenwold House, an 871-piece home full of classic crime novel fun. The front of the home offers tons of gorgeous detail – thanks in large part to an ample use of microphones and roller skates – while still keeping things at a scale suitable for a set on the shelves at Target.

Detection

The reverse side features six rooms, filled with clues for the Doctor and Detective (and the builder) to examine in hopes of separating fact from fiction and solving the crime. It’s a LEGO build experience and a murder mystery puzzle all rolled into one. Where I can preorder?

Intricate and mysterious LEGO cathedral

I am totally impressed by the architectural skills of Lego builder Hobo Sapien and his digital creation titled Cathedral of the Great Visage. This is a fictional cathedral but it’s actually a fairly accurate layout for an Early Gothic-era Cathedral. Who would have thought my art history would come in handy one day? So get ready: I am going to lay down some knowledge like a lintel on a post (sorry). First off, the silhouette of the building is pretty good. You have your giant rose window centered right above the front entrance. Beautiful! The buttresses are flying (as they should be). The designer used ingots and Microfigures in a clever way to recreate the archivolt over the main entrance. The peak at the top is a traditional-styled gable, but you don’t often see them filled with a wizard in handcuffs (though that is some cool creative license). 

Cathedral of the Great Visage

The interior is pretty neat too! Looking across the transept you have a nice view of the altar with the ambulatory wrapping around behind it. The Ionic—actually, I think they’re Corinthian—columns draw the eyes up to the vaulted ceilings. It is all lit by mysteriously glowing candles which provide this really mystical vibe. Man! LEGO bricks are cool.

Cathedral of the Great Visage

Rising from the ash and fog is this incredible collection of LEGO buildings

If you’re looking for a LEGO masterclass in weathered architecture, Ralf Langer is your guy. He’s created a plethora of beautifully detailed buildings, structures, and scenes. He also kindly shares tips on how to achieve the techniques on his social media. This exquisite group of conjoined buildings is his latest addition, and it doesn’t disappoint! With a gothic vibe, they transform from a crumbling base into a colorful block you might like to visit.

to the sky

Right now, Ralf doesn’t have many pictures available for this build. But as you can see, he uses a variety of cool techniques and color combos to achieve the vibe he’s looking for. These structures include great shaping tools, like hinges, hoses, arches, and even some minifigure posing handles. Even the sides less visible are stunning! There are loads of random tidbits that are worth a zoom-in, but one of my favorite part usages is the unique design created with mini copper Exo-Force legs. Gorgeous!

While you’re here, stick around for more of Ralf’s work. And if this isn’t your style, try out some other great architectural builds we’ve featured!

Microscale Gothic Revival on the Danube

Architecture and LEGO have gone together for a long time. From Modulex in the 1970s to the more recent LEGO Architecture series, the LEGO group has given us plenty of iconic buildings and skylines. This microscale model of the Hungarian Parliament Building, created by Chris Elliott as a gift for his mother, makes use of various elements to emulate the Gothic Revival style of the original. The spires and arches are achieved with bull horns, claws, and inverted fang plates, while cones and bars are used as towers. The ornate central dome’s features are creatively modeled using an eight-side modified hinge plate with fangs held by bar clips. The symmetrical front façade looks out from the eastern bank of the Danube, which Chris has captured with blue plates and clear tiles running the length of the model.

Hungarian Parliament Building | Országház

The north and south lawns frame the western side that houses the official main entrance. As on the other side, inverted fang and teeth plates are used to capture the curved details of the original building’s architecture. Grill bricks are partially recessed below the ground line, creating the effect of lancet windows of different sizes around the building.

Hungarian Parliament Building | Országház

I think it is quite touching and inspiring that Chris made this for his mother, an immigrant from Hungary to the United States before the iron curtain fell. I’m sure it was a gift that she cherishes. Feel free to check out some more incredible architecture-inspired builds we’ve covered in the past.

The heart wants what it wants

If you’re not that into this new LEGO creation by Corvus Auriac then here are some cute doggies for you. However, you know how some people have a tennis ball hanging in their garage that indicates that sweet spot to park your car? Well, in my household that aforementioned tennis ball is a severed doll’s head because, as it turns out, I’m one of those people. So, you can come to the logical conclusion that I’d be way into this. And if you’re even just a bit like me (you know who you are!) you’re probably way into it too. Corvus calls it Heart Artifact. This builder tends to like things on the creepy side, which is just the thing to make my dark heart go pitter-patter. If you’re like me you should still also check out the cute doggies though because even dark and brooding weirdos love puppies.

The play at Chapel Street

As I might have mentioned before, I am a sucker for using the old castle minifigures in creations using intriguing LEGO building techniques. Something about the mix of classic and modern just feels right to me. Atahlus latest build ticks all the boxes for me. Both buildings are filled with details. I love how the gothic building on the right is symmetrical for the most part, but some of the details are not. The offset between the woodwork and the yellow wall on the left is also quite nicely done. The base on which the houses are built is oddly shaped, which to me, always is a plus. Even the minifigures in the creation are not just there to fill the space; they tell a story (quite literally in this case).

Chapel