In the early 2010s, while most people were watching LOST, I was engrossed in the mysteries of a different show: Fringe. It ran for five seasons before its unjust cancellation, but not before it proved itself to be one of the most thoughtful, creative, and well-written sci-fi shows on air. With that preface to anyone who missed out on Fringe‘s initial run, ledamu12‘s detailed LEGO recreation of Walter Bishop’s lab is a welcome blast from the past.
No one sets a LEGO scene quite like Victor van den Berg! I mean, check out the old-school laboratory he’s brewed up! Each flask and beaker are carefully placed on the table, drawers overflowing with ingredients, and a wall of shelves loaded with tinctures and concentrates adorn this gorgeous room. Brown arches and pillars carve paths through the dark tan bricks, above a floor tiled to complement the multicolored bottled spread throughout the lab. Add all that to the lived-in touches of the workspace like the armchair in the corner or the cord of wood in a crate next to the wrought iron fireplace, and the space radiates a homey charm.
But nothing adds warmth to this workspace like Victor’s excellent use of light. From the fireplace, the hanging lanterns, and especially the windows to the rear of the space, light illuminates the build in an uneven and realistic manner. But the focal point has got to be the sunlight pouring in through the skylight. It highlights all the detailed instruments and vials on the central table, best viewed in the photo below. As someone who’s put in a couple of years standing at the lab bench and read a few too many books on the history of science, the equipment here is spot-on for that of the age. Nothing like determining the index of refraction the old-fashioned way!
Every LEGO creation tells a story. Sometimes it’s a fairytale with dragons and princesses, and sometimes it’s a more harsh story involving weapons and armed forces. As for the latest brick-built scene by Peter Stella, I guess the story is as clear as it can be. Obviously, the tactical team breaks through the window to take a better look at the laboratory’s fantastic interior design. They must be rushing towards the back-lit sections on the walls, which create a perfectly ominous atmosphere. And I won’t blame them if they decide to steal the design for their own headquarters. But my favorite elements are UFO helmets, but I wonder what happened to the aliens..?
If you feel a longing for vibrant colors, piece, and quite, try spending a day at Anthony Wilson‘s underwater lab. Built for fundamental marine research, this facility looks like a proper resort: huge windows, glass tunnels, and out-of-this-world species diversity right in front of you. I bet this place was engineered by those escaping anything happening above the water. It took me at least a couple of minutes to spot all the different fish captured in this build. I must admit, now I feel a lot calmer and happier.
Soil contamination can spell disaster when you are growing crops to feed hungry colonists, and it looks like trouble may be growing in this dimly lit laboratory. But the more I look at this lovely scene by Jon Blackford, I find myself wondering, is the lavender-colored plant with the tentacle the anomaly? Or are they supposed to look like that, and it’s the rest of the plants in this bed that are wrong.
One of my favorite features of this scene, aside from the lighting, which really sets the mood, is the rear wall of the lab, with pipes to deliver water, or whatever it is that these plants need to thrive, and the drains along the base, for easy clean-up. And don’t miss the subtle detail of the cheese slopes along the lower edge of the scene.
This scene was built by Eli Willsea (also known as ForlornEmpire) for a recent brick challenge. Brick competitions usually consist of using a seed piece of which various builders have to find clever ways to use it in their creations. The seed piece for this build is the Silver Goblet. See if you can spot how they were used in the theme.
What’s great about this build is not only the level of detail it took to pull off this futuristic lab scene, but Eli took the time to share with The Brothers Brick an exclusive in-depth behind the scenes video on how it was built. He shares the thought process and analysis you won’t be able to grasp by just looking at a static photo. If you have aspirations towards doing a scene like this or even just want to enjoy hearing what goes on in a builders brainwave when constructing a complex scene, this is for you.
Did you enjoy the video? Would you like to share your creative build process with the world? We are always looking for interesting builds and videos to feature and discuss. Feel free let us know, and you could be the star of the next video!
There has been a wave of custom modular LEGO buildings featured here on The Brothers Brick recently, such as the excellent Guild Hall by O Wingård. But to find a modular building with so much character, and full interior details as well was just too much to pass up. This inventor/mad scientist lab by Filip Olin has a ton of great details, so let’s jump in!
One of my favorite exterior details is the use of skeleton legs — in both black, for the railing, and tan for architectural accents on the wall. No workshop would be complete without pipes, and this model features a number of black and grey pipeworks, including one with sludge pouring on the landscaped ground level.
See more detailed pics after the jump
