New Hashima, the sprawling cyberpunk LEGO fan collaboration, is known for its towering buildings, but thanks to builders like Gerrit, the futuristic city is home to some impressive vehicles as well. The Aerox C-1 Heavy V8 Twin Engine ICS is a powerful flying tug that can move hover barges around New Hashima with ease. I love the blend of futuristic tech and mundane utility in models like this, but what I love most about Gerrit’s creation is the colors! Purples, azure, and bright yellow orange all contrast nicely with the dark grey utility. Those anime engines and the purple tower evoking a tug’s steam pipe give the vessel an eye-catching profile.
Tag Archives: New Hashima
LEGO cyberpunk creation towers above everything – including its creator!
Few collaborative LEGO builds can surely claim to have the reach that the New Hashima project has had. It’s seen offshoots pop up all over the world, and builders are still adding to it almost two years after it started. Blake Foster is the latest to construct another cyberpunk edifice – and quite a sizable one, at that! Blake tells us that Hashimacorp Tower took almost 18 months to complete, including a 20-hour (!) long building session. That’s commitment! And I think it warrants a closer look, don’t you?
Come and take a tour of this terrific tower!
Ben Brickson dreams of electronic greebles
One of the most exciting attractions at LEGO conventions over the past two years is the massive Cyberpunk collaboration of New Hashima. An array of builders contribute cubes or toppers to the modular megacity that keeps growing and evolving. Ben Brickson is one such collaborator and he recently shared a wonderfully detailed gallery of his residential Hex Home Block. Capsule homes slot into a honeycomb grid of girders like a high-rise hive.
Jack in and see Ben’s block up close
Barging across a cyberpunk river in style
Such is the size and scope of the cyberpunk New Hashima collaborative project, we’re still seeing new LEGO builds from it that pop up several months after it made its debut. Gus (Faëbricks) showed off a little Octan fuel truck back in spring that caught my eye. And now, it comes with a helping hand in the form of this neat hoverbarge! It reminds me of chain ferries that you might find linking two sides of a river or harbour. And that in itself is no mean feat: balancing the recognisable features of contemporary life with sci-fi elements, while its purpose remains clear. The same could be said for the truck, for that matter. Masterful design, Gus!
TBB readers speak! Your favorite LEGO moments of 2023 [Feature]
When we asked what LEGO moments meant the most to our readers, you all answered with a plethora of LEGO moments covering the last 12 months. There were tales of set construction, attendance at conventions and shows, awards won, and one big collab that people can’t stop talking about! Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out the form. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to cover every submission we received in this write-up. But don’t let that stop you from talking about your favorite LEGO moments of the past year in the comments. Now, let’s unpack all these great responses!
Check out your LEGO highlights of 2023 below!
Visions of a dystopian flat-pack future
If the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking of dystopian futures is flat-pack furniture, well, you must be Cecilie Fritzvold. She decided to bring a touch of Scandinavian flair to the colossal cyberpunk city of New Hashima. You’d be forgiven for thinkin that Swedish minimalism and might not mesh that well with the often gritty cyberpunk aesthetic, but the concept works remarkably well. Little touches like the Japanese signage and neon decor make it look right at home.
The tree of knowledge
LEGO builder Ted Andes brings us a more upbeat take on the dystopian cyberpunk future with a gorgeous sculpture he calls the Shrine of the Cyber Tree. The tree is made of stacked Vahki head elements from Bionicle, and their angular lines and matte finish creates a striking use for that rarely used piece. The sculpture is surrounded by a simple but elegant stone garden wall, which has great details like one broken egg post cap.
Do you feel the need for teal?
Every now and then, a LEGO cyberpunk build will pop up that is invariably linked to the New Hashima Brickworld collaboration. And judging by how often they pop up, it’s going to be a massive collaboration. There’s no danger of it lacking colour though – not when Simon Liu is armed with his collection of teal bricks! It’s a neat futuristic take on the humble construction crane, even if it is built with tongue placed slightly in cheek. This is a build for something called MARCHtember. Simon’s description has the low-down on the ‘rules’, but I’m particularly drawn in by this one: “it needs to have teal as a significant colour in the build“. Now that’s a LEGO month I can get behind.
Something cyberpunk this way comes
Collaborative displays allow builders to create something bigger and more spectacular than one person might achieve on their own. All it takes is a standard that others can build on independently and come together at a LEGO convention to watch the magic happen. The wonderfully detailed cyberpunk module by Ted Andes is going to be part of a collaborative display in Chicago next year. The speeder bike charging station features some sweet rides built using motorcycle chassis, along with an upstairs noodle shop. Colored wedge plates create angled parking spots, with one of the charging stations on the fritz, which is a nice touch. The noodle sign made with Technic plates and stacks of 1×2 rounded plates is positively delicious.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Ted has another cube for the lower levels of the collaborative city display for folks with a bit more to spend on their transportation. The Tachikoma garage for upgrading your AI-powered four-legged companion looks right out of Ghost in the Shell. The garage includes a smaller speeder bike repair shop around the back.