Tag Archives: Microscale

Some say “Go big or go home!” but it takes real talent to compress something down to just a few studs and still keep it recognizable. Of course, many of the micro models we feature here aren’t so small after all, whether it’s a vast cityscape or starship.

A LEGO monochrome microscale city

When I set out to build a white LEGO castle on a tall rocky cliff, I intended to make it medieval in style, inspired by illustrations of the Eyrie from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. But as the build progressed, and the structures took shape in brick, in my imagination, it began to take on a futuristic vibe. So, I decided to double down on that, removing many of the rounded elements I had started with. Adding stacks of smooth, square and rectangular levels, and increasing the number of individual structures left me with a sci-fi city.

Overall, I am quite happy with the finished product, with the many white structures contrasting the dark sand landscape, with the blend of old and modern architecture.

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The a-peel-ing nature of Fortnite microscale

Last year, I was absolutely enamored with LEGO Fortnite 77072 Peely Bone, to such a degree that it was one of my favorite sets of 2024. So, of course I’ve gone ga-ga for this excellent microscale recreation by builder Water Snap! There’s so many great parts putting in work here, whether in the exposed skeleton half, the Peely Pick, or but I especially adore the use of the LEGO banana part for Peely’s peeled skin along the side of his head.

ABrickDreamer dazzles with this sparkling microscale Cullen House

Davide Sacramati (aka ABrickDreamer) is a wiz at shrinking big LEGO sets into microscale versions (see his itty bitty Viking Village, Avengers Tower, and Rivendell). Davide’s latest project shrinks 221354 Twilight: The Cullen House onto an 8×16 footprint without losing any of the modern architecture charm. The middle floor in dark orange includes some clever problem-solving, like the legal-ish technique of wedging tiles between studs for the pillars on the right. In a video break-down Davide opens up the build and shares insights, like when to use SNOT building and how certain choices were made to accomodate gaps in his parts collection.

While Davide doesn’t need a reason to shrink sets, this model coincides with the LEGO Micro Build Tournament sponosred by Toys N Bricks that runs through April 1, 2025. Feel inspired? Shrink a set yourself and maybe you can win a copy of Tudor Corner!

Miniature LEGO castle on the water

I’ve been a fan of microscale LEGO master Jeff Friesen for many years and have created more than a few microscale builds inspired by his work. I recently made a series of castle builds on a 10×10 base, each using a limited color palette. This is one of my favorites from that series, using bright yellow/orange elements for the roofs. The series of waterfalls gives the castle a bit of character and is also heavily influenced by Jeff’s many waterway-filled builds. One of my favorite modified bricks to use in castle builds is the 1×2 brick with a vertical gap, which makes great tower windows.

How to use forced perspective in space [Building Techniques]

Builder Jan Woźnica has a strong reputation in the world of LEGO space builds. Case in point, you may remember LEGO Ideas 21340 Tales of the Space Age, a set soon to retire from the slate of available sets on the LEGO site. While this isn’t as minimalist as those great pieces of art, this take on a Martian space elevator is stellar, featuring some forced perspective that’s out of this world!

“Invaders from the very far north, my King!”

Extraterrestrials have generally been projected as quite the “grabby” culture, be it in film, literature, or LEGO. With a reputation for taking things, via tractor beams and all kinds of abduction tech, they’re no doubt to blame for my missing socks and car keys. Just look at them trying to make off with a microscale castle in this vignette by Zapalski! The details in this creation are superb. I appreciate the small field made of grill plates, and the large chunk of rock exposed by the flying saucer lifting the castle. And what a tractor beam it’s using, using a Ninjago Spinjitzu piece to great green glowing effect!

Reflecting on Year of the Snake with Medusa

Okay, so maybe the ancient Greeks didn’t celebrate the Lunar New Year, but they certainly loved the Zodiac, and when it comes to snakes, who better to usher in the new year than everyone’s favorite gorgon, Medusa? James Zhan recreates this monster of myth with her writhing hair of snakes in LEGO as the figurehead of an ornate mirror, fusing whimsy and functionality. Perhaps it’s a warning not to get lost in your own reflection (or just a sly wink to Medusa’s fate in Clash of the Titans). James rounds out this beautiful and functional model with a microscale version of Olympus above and a Greek city below.

As a bonus, James created an alternate profile for Medusa with an open eye that can be swapped in should you dare to meet her gaze. The spikey vine works brilliantly in both orientations as Medusa’s eye lashes.

How to give your microscale architecture a leg up [Building Technique]

Sometimes a “sketch” of a bigger LEGO project can turn into stunning work in its own right. That’s certainly the case with Roanoke Handybuck‘s towering pirate village, where using stilts in place of terrain creates negative space that heightens the fantastical architecture of arches and overhangs, accentuating the surreal beauty. Maybe the results can inspire you to find a hidden masterpiece in your own unfinsihed LEGO projects.

Do go chasing waterfalls with Jeff Works

Jeff Friesen has been delighting LEGO fans with his microscale cityscapes for years, maintaining a clean isometric look that looks rendered but is very much real bricks. For his first build of 2025, Jeff erects a gilded city of waterfalls and aqueducts that could have been pulled straight from the beautiful Monument Valley mobile games. Like all of Jeff’s cityscapes, it’s an immersive experience that rewards peeking around every arch as you imagine life in this fantastic place.

If you’re curious about Jeff’s process and inspirations, our interview with the prolific builder is a great place to start.

Nothing but praise for this LEGO church

Capturing the spirit of the subject, conveying detail at scale, and cleverly using parts are the holy trinity of a LEGO microscale builder’s goals. Builder Christian Rau scores the trifecta with this remarkably faithful LEGO model of the Jesuit Church in Lucerne, Switzerland. While the actual church took over a decade to construct, Christian finished much quicker, using parts from across many decades of LEGO history – notably the 1x1x2 windows introduced in 1956, and the versatile 1×2 inverted arch which are less than three years old. Offset building techniques throughout the model are especially effective in illuminating the towers’ shapely onion-tops (which are also square in real life!) and spot-on color choices harken the building’s characteristic façade.

The building I work in started life as a Romanesque Revival style church, and I frequently imagine modeling it in LEGO. Perhaps I will take a page or two from the book of Christian’s techniques…

Bricking the micro-waves

Sometimes it’s the tiniest LEGO builds that stop you in your tracks. That was definitely the case with this vignette of two pixie-sized ships fleeing a wave of mutilation from builder Louis of Nutwood. Take a moment to appreciate Louis’ brilliant ship design, with croissant sails and frog bows. The gradient of water, from inky black to white sea foam, as well as the irregularly shaped base, add to the drama.

Tiny train stations hold a big place in my heart!

BetaNotus has been working hard to put together a lovely series of microscale LEGO train stations from along the Philadelphia main line. While the real life train moves through space, Notus’ builds bounce backwards and forwards through time to show off Philly’s architecture through the ages. Our first image spans almost 150 years of railroading history. Wynnewood and Bryn Mawr date back to the 1870s, while Merion and Haverford are dated to the 2000s (although Merion was actually built in 1918). Due to the micro-scale nature of these models, Notus has built with admirable delicacy. All the roofs of these stations are only a plate or two thick. The grand staircases up to Bryn and Wynnewood are built of half-plate-offsets

See some more micro-goodness here!