Tag Archives: Pan Noda

A very hungry LEGO caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the most enduring and beloved works of childrens’ literature thanks to the distinctive style of creator Eric Carle. 55 years after eating its way through readers’ hearts, the Hungry Caterpillar is back in LEGO form courtesy of another distinctive artist, Pan Noda. A character build like this is a departure from the uncanny architecture and liminal spaces we’ve come to expect from the builder, but there’s something about the Hungry Caterpillar that makes it feel at home in Pan’s pantheon. Maybe it’s those haunting eyes of life preservers atop Scala foam? Or the dozens of cherries that turn eerily to fur along the caterpillar’s back. Or the existential question of whether a hole in a book is part of the book or the absence of book. In any case, it’s a brilliant build. Were it not for the apple leaf in the foreground, it would be easy to overlook that it’s a LEGO model all!

Walking Robot：The Very Hungry Caterpillar-Type

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A holiday home for beach-lovers

Architectural LEGO whizz Pan Noda is taking us to the seaside! There’s just one problem: their apartment is nowhere near the sea (I presume). So what to do? Bring the seaside to the apartment! Pan’s builds skirt that fine line between realistic and whimsical so well, and this is another fine example. At first glance it could just be a painted wall, but when you notice the sandcastle and the water on the floor, it makes you wonder if someone really did make a beach in their own digs. A touch of forced perspective with that excellent deckchair in the foreground really sells it as a surrealist artwork in its own right.

Beach Room

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A toy-like tower showcases tremendous LEGO technique

Pan Noda has only been active sharing original LEGO creations for a few short years, but they’ve quickly cementented themselves as one of the most exciting builders around. Pan Noda’s creations are united by a love of texture, patterns, verticality and liminal spaces. Their latest work, simply titled “Castle of building blocks,” is an architectural wonder existing in limbo between earth and sky, childhood and sophistication. The red slope rooftops evoke a nostalgia for the earliest LEGO buildings, only these are weathered from age with a rash of studs popping out. The red door (taken from Isabelle’s House Visit) and poofy brick-built clouds evoke a safe Nintendo childhood, in contrast to the pokey brown technic frame (building on a technique from another of their vertical marvels) that almost says “Don’t touch!” Once again, Noda floors us with a towering achievement in LEGO artistry.

Castle of building blocks

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Finding oneself in LEGO liminality

There’s something a bit off in this LEGO setting devised by Pan Noda. The intentionally-grainy shot of this brick-built mall food court definitely gives a Backrooms vibe. In a space typically characterized by the bustle of shoppers, the smell of fast food, and the occasional offer of a free sample, the stillness that occurs after hours sure can send a shiver down your spine. It’s hard not to wonder what could be hiding behind a pillar or counter. In fact, maybe it’s best to just get out of here… if I still can.

Midnight Food Court

And if you’re up for more spatial and architectural wonders by Pan Noda, be sure to check out the TBB archives.

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An enthralling exercise in eccentric edifice excellence

There are many fantastic LEGO architects out there – just look through our archives. But if you like your structures a little more unconventional, then there are few better at that than Pan Noda. What I love the most about their buildings isn’t their odd designs, fascinating as they are. It’s how they deploy repeating motifs and detailed textures to create something as visually interesting up close as it is as a whole! In this instance, that involves the undersides of 1×1 clips, alternating horizontal and vertical portions of the wall, and a whole lotta cheese slopes. That extends beyond the building and into the base as well, which replicates the hexagonal shape of the tower. Finally, the climbing trees and vines add the perfect splash of colour to break things up even further!

Silence Portal

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A(nother) vertical LEGO architectural marvel

Recently, we find ourselves writing a lot about Pan Noda‘s LEGO houses. Why? Well, just look at them! The latest edifice to be built is this “Shrine of the Underworld”. If you’re gonna live somewhere as wacky as this, might as well give it a cool name, right? This strikes me as being what high-rise living might have been like in Eastern Asia before skyscrapers took over. Like many of Pan’s buildings, it makes use of a lot of vertical space, and like all of them, has a really unique character. The wall technique is particularly eye-catching here. Presumably making use of the fact two plates isn’t quite equal to one brick in width, it means you get some great weathering on the walls while retaining an authentic wooden-plank look.

Shrine of the Underworld

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A ruin in four LEGO colors

LEGO builder Pan Noda has a stellar record when it comes to color use. Not too long ago, I raved about this monotonal marvel that spilled forth from their mind. And while this creation goes a bit more subterranean than their previous work, it’s still a powerful bit of art composed of cobbled walls, hanging vines, and still water. Even though the palette here only uses four colors of brick (light gray, green, tan, and transparent light blue), their brilliant use of light transforms the scene into a symphony of shades. The uneven textures on the walls create pockets of shadow and reflective surfaces that bring the whole thing to life! Plus, it’s giving me the sudden urge to hunt for jungle temples in Minecraft….

Flooded temple

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A marvelous multilevel mausoleum

We here at TBB are no strangers to the architectural LEGO wonders that spill forth from the mind of Pan Noda. And their latest mausoleum tower is certainly no exception. Clad only in white, the structure looks like it was hand-carved out of soapstone instead of brick-built. Details like the exposed 1×1 plate undersides and square sections of plates set in alternating vertical and horizontal configurations have become a signature of Noda’s work. And new concepts, like the stairstep roof pattern capped with a singular bar set in a hollow stud, fit in perfectly. Taken in its entirety, all of the “imperfections” – the tiny nooks and crannies intentionally added to the creation to break up the solid walls – are only heightened by the superb use of lighting in the photo.

Sculpture Mausoleum

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LEGO Creation of the Week (#10): Dracomata by Michael Kanemoto and king box by Pan Noda

Every week readers of the The Brothers Brick Telegram channel choose the Creation of the Week: one project that impressed all of us the most. This week it’s a tie! Dracomata by Michael Kanemoto and king box by Pan Noda both conquered hearts of our readers, getting equal amount of votes.

Meanwhile, the new vote is already on! Join our Telegram channel to follow all the best LEGO creations, latest news, and, of course, vote for your favorites. See you there!

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Bottoms up with this tower!

This Middle Eastern-inspired tower caught my eye due to the lovely motif that builder Pan Noda sculpted on the walls using the undersides of 1×1 plates in white and a variety of various eathy tones. In fact, almost none of the tower is built with elements in the traditional studs-up orientation, allowing it to have a great deal more careful ornamentation for the size. The covered entrance is worth a closer inspection too, composed of quite an intricate lattice of elements to mimic wood framing.

king box

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Swell house: Does what it says on the tin

This swell house is, well, pretty swell! It comes courtesy of Pan Noda, and is as beautiful as it looks unstable. Did the architect have one too many shandies while designing this one? Or perhaps the building company had the instructions upside down? I can’t help noticing a lot of wizard’s wands used as decoration, so it could be that it’s magic holding this house up. I do wonder how such a property would be described by an optimistic estate agent… “Quaint countryside house, four floors with excellent views, and in a quiet neighbourhood. Property includes a lush garden with rock features. Unrestored property with period charm.”

swell house

To be fair, I’d be tempted to move in, albeit very carefully. Thankfully if you’re worried about dropping stuff off the side, there are plenty of nets hidden in this house. This cutaway shows exactly where: they’re used to give the walls their curves!

swell house

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A house with lines that trick the eyes

I may have gone cross-eyed trying to follow the lines on this house built by Pan Noda. With its atypical architecture, I’m picking up some serious Burrow vibes from the Harry Potter franchise. The color choices here are perfect, featuring white with brown trim. But it’s those subtle patches of tan, and the occasional chip or crack in the walls that give the structure a weathered look without taking anything away from its crisscrossing vectors. And I adore the unusual choice of pine tree design in the house’s front yard. The straight lines of needles on each bough take me deeper into the Google DeepDream that is this construction. And overall, it’s oddly satisfying!

House of Distortion

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