In addition to 21028 New York City (which I reviewed here a couple of weeks ago), LEGO has also just released 21027 Berlin and 21026 Venice as part of a trio of new city skyline sets.
In contrast to the $60 price tag for NYC, both Berlin and Venice retail for $29.99, and I’ll be reviewing these two smaller sets together today.
Read the full review after the jump!
Jimmy Fortel has built a beautiful microscale model of the Pantheon in Paris. The color scheme makes this look like part of the official LEGO Architecture series – and I’m sure this great little build wouldn’t be out of place in the line-up.
I really like the clean lines and deceptive simplicity of this creation, in particular the use of round 1×1 plates beneath the roof line, adding a nice touch of texture. The pillars at the main entrance are very good, and it took me a while to work out how they were built – the bottom of the pillars are round 1×1 bricks set into the model’s base. This is one of those models which surprises you with how long it can hold your attention, despite its small size.
Only a fool builds his house upon sand. Well, fools and very powerful wizards. This Guildhall sits atop a mountain of sand where the desert meets the ocean. For hundreds of years, the giant sand dune that serves as the foundation to the hall has been buffeted by violent waves. Though erosion would have toppled a non-magical structure long ago, the Guildhall still stands firm. So long as there is a wizard standing guard in one of the tower rooms and warding the hall from nature, the Wizards’ Guildhall shall never crumble into the water.
This is my humble attempt to squeeze in a last-minute entry to the Colossal Castle Contest. The competition is fierce this year with tons of outstanding entries and more than one builder gunning for the coveted Master Builder title. Shake a leg if you’re still scrambling to finish those masterpieces in time for the deadline because it’s tomorrow (December 31st) at 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time!
I’m not sure whether WhiteBrix is good at surfing, but he does know how to handle a surfboard – or, better to say, 19 of them at a time. Stacked together, these surfboards create a rather winsome skyscraper shape and, moreover, define each floor, which allows you to see the structure of the whole building clearly. And I especially like how that single-story section completes the complex – what a lovely architectural masterpiece!
Grantmasters is pushing the boundaries of microscale with this lovely set of Great War aeroplanes. My favorite part of microscale is how much can be evoked with just a handful of pieces, and here the Sopwith Camel and Fokker DR1 are instantly recognizable. The forced-perspective with the clouds and mountains in the background is easily overlooked, but also subtly adds a lot to the scene.
One of the most spectacular scenes in the trailers for The Force Awakens was seeing the Millennium Falcon flying into the engine of a crashed Star Destroyer, chased by TIE Fighters. Simon Pickard has recreated this iconic scene in LEGO, with the maw of the engine about to swallow the Falcon and its pursuing TIE Fighter. The chunk of tan desert landscape surrounding the grey engine complements the scene beautifully, with a bit of sand spilling into the engine.
(Don’t worry, dear readers, we won’t be posting any LEGO creations that reveal spoilers from Episode VII for a long time, and certainly not without warning, as we’ve done in reviews. But the trailers are fair game, and still a rich source for LEGO creations.)
I’ve traveled to New York City five times in the last two years for work, and it has quickly become one of my favorite cities in the world. I’ve spent most of my time indoors in museums, but I’ve also admired the city’s wonderful architecture — the pinnacle of human art and engineering. LEGO recently sent us a copy of the forthcoming LEGO Architecture set 21028 New York City.
SPOILER! There are a variety of very tall buildings in New York City. Oh, sorry, I’ve gotten so used to writing LEGO set reviews about The Force Awakens that it’s hard to break the habit.
Click through to read the full review!
With decades between the events in Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, it stands to reason that the Rebellion’s primary starfighter would be tweaked and upgraded. The X-wings in the Original Trilogy were model T-65s built by Incom Corporation. The sleeker, narrower X-wings of The Force Awakens — with scissoring S-foils — are apparently T-70 models. Peter C. has captured the sloping nose of the new X-wings with this microscale version, which uses various “illegal” techniques to achieve the shape, like the cockpit’s tile pressed across two levels of plates, helmet visors for engine cowlings, and a rubber band for the blue stripe.
Naturally, the X-wing has a Resistance pilot.
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 hype for Star Wars continues with CreativBricks and his adorable mini Mos Eisley Spaceport scene from A New Hope. The landspeeder at the Imperial checkpoint is recognizable with just a few pieces, and I love the way the vendor stand, in the back right corner of the scene, is built.
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.
This microscale spaceship by Emperor Lugdonious has a nice chunky retro feel to it. However, it was the composition of the photography which really caught my attention. The red and grey starship floats in the darkness of space, holding station above a distant blue planet as a shuttle craft prepares to dock.
The whole thing reminds me of classic sci-fi TV from the 70s and 80s – in a good way. The color choices are smart, and there’s a real sense of depth and scale. But overall I think it’s the tiny shuttle which makes the scene. I can’t help creating stories in my head when I look at it: Who’s on board the shuttle? Where did they come from? Where are they going?
There’s enough detail here to create a sense of reality, of activity both within and beyond the still image. For me, the prompting of these kinds of thoughts is the mark of a good model. I like this a lot.