Tag Archives: Temple

In the early mourning light

LEGO builder Sheo. has one of the broadest ranging skillsets out there, having drafted masterful models of everything from futuristic motorcycles to uncannily accurate DLSR cameras. Now they’re back with a bizarre shrine called the Temple of Tears. This eery holy place is dominated by two giant weeping angles chiseled in low relief.

There are a few small vignettes to accompany the main temple, though Sheo is keeping their cards close regarding the mystic meaning behind it all. But that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the build, which is filled with intricate details, from the wavy blue leading lines on the floor (or the floor itself which is covered in a zig-zag pattern of tiles), to the teardrops falling from the giant eye, all the way to the intersecting columns supporting the arched roof. Sheo has provided a video that walks the viewer through all the various elements.

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A shrine to all raised baseplates

LEGO raised baseplates–some builders love them and some hate them. Personally I love seeing builders innovatively integrate raised baseplates into their creations and Sebastian Arts does just that with his build of an East Asian-styled temple sitting upon the raised baseplate from the LEGO Knights Kingdom theme dating back to the 2000s.

Click to see more of this creation

Johnny Thunder is always a good way to go!

Having a Johnny Thunder figure in your creation always is a big plus! Valerius Maximus however made a lovely LEGO temple to go along with his Johnny Thunder and Pippin Reed figures. There are also two chameleons hiding in the creation, as well as a few odd parts using camouflage to blend in with the surrounding. Can you spot the army helmet? Valerius Maximus also used not just the flower stem with 3 leaves but also the sprue part, which I always greatly appreciate.

The deeper picture

LEGO builder MorlornEmpire shows us how to add structure to a build in his LEGO temple named Deeper. There are so many parts used in an unconventional way that my eyes do not know where to look first. So let’s start from the top. The build features some palm trees made with flex tubing to give it the organic, not so static look and a ‘temple’ entrance covered in sand. The entrance is made of plates with tiles stuck between the studs to create a pattern. It’s almost as if there is a message written on the facade of the building.

Underneath the surface is the actual inside of the ‘temple’ and the walls are packed with intricate details. In the top we see cat tail elements, and the half round spoked window part filled with cheese slopes. Further down we come across the good old groove brick with a bar filling up the groove hole. To continue with 1×2 bricks filled with bucket handles. The columns have some stacked 1×2 panels to add texture and the tiled floor is made of inlaid cheese slopes.

I wonder how much of this creation is staying in place thanks to friction and gravity.

Take a hike to the Temple of Caerus

Deep in the mountains, on a desolate hillside lies the hidden Temple of Caerus. Luckily LEGO builder Joel Tyer can show us the way. All you really have to do is follow the pathway up the steep stairs built into the curves and slopes of the mountain. Make sure to avoid the guards as you climb higher and higher, up to a height where a few trees small trees cling to life and the more common plants to see are various grasses and moss. While it’s hard to describe it myself, you’ll know it when you see it – a brilliant white temple, rising through the clouds. If your journey is successful, tell them I sent you and they should let you in.

What comes of building your house on sand

LEGO geometry typically involves lots of right angles. There’s really only so much you can do with a product that is based on a brick. However, that squareness need not be pejorative and can serve instead as an inspiration to mess with expectations. That is what this temple by Jaap Bijl does. While the building itself is based on the good old ninety degree paradigm, it is set crooked to skew the perception of the creation. Is it being swallowed by sand? Probably. This is likely the perfect example of what happens to a building built on sand, rather than solid rock. Foundations matter, people!

The build uses surprisingly little studs-on-top construction, as the steps are built sideways, most of the facade consists of tiles, and the beautiful blue stripe is being all kinds of SNOTty (or Studs-Not-On-Top-y). Then there is the dome on top, which is also studs-every-which-way. My favorite bit, though, is probably the texture of the tan area between the sections of dark tan and blue stripes, as well as above the doorway; the jumper plates and regular plates make for a very cool look, just like uneven weathered brick. The decay of the structure is lovely, even if the golden-weapon-equipped men guarding it are not.

This tiny temple towers above the sea

As Andreas Lenander’s Temple of Qa’te demonstrates, you don’t need a ton of LEGO bricks to create a big world. Despite it’s tiny size, Andreas’ diorama has a lot of activity, from the sailing ship and waves in the sea to the temple mounted high atop a cliff. There is some clever microscale parts usage here, including white claws for the ship’s sales and plant stems with 3 leaves representing palm trees. The greenery and architectural style of the temple give off a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern vibe, making it the perfect destination for tourists escaping the winter chills.

The Xiantong Temple Tribute

Chinese builder Qian Yj has been producing beautiful architectural models for a few years now, many of which can be found in the TBB archives, including the hexagonal Tianfeng Pagoda and the Sichuan home. The builder’s latest creation is a mammoth tribute to the Wuliang Hall of the sprawling 400-building Xiantong Temple complex in China. “Wuliang” translates to “infinite” or “immeasurable” but we think it measures up quite magnificently.

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Two will battle, only one shall return

Sometimes simplicity tells a great tale — a lone Japanese temple with a wide vast landscape with a battle in the snow, perhaps for the freedom of a prisoner of war. The 3×4 modified tile that comes with as the character stand in the collectible minifigures series, somewhat less commonly found in builds, is put to good use as the roof design for this lovely scene by Brickr. The toribusuma, which is the curved part at the edges of the roof, reminds us of a time when sometimes the only way to bring honour to the family is through “harakiri” sacrificial death.

Have carrots, will travel

Sometimes something so different comes along that you can’t help but smile. Oliver Becker calls this “The Wandering Temple of the Last Flame” but I call it the coolest mode of transportation ever. Speed, performance, practicality, safety; all are unimportant when you’re riding in this much style. This viney bit and this other leafy bit make for excellent gold filigree while the sloping roof and red and black color scheme embodies an exotic Asian feel to the traveling temple.

The pièce de ré·sis·tance, however, has to be the tortoise’s head which utilizes a Euripides Galidor torso. See, we all chuckled when the infamous Galidor sets came out but who is chuckling now? Still us, but for different reasons.

It turns out, this is far from the first time Oliver has made us smile or even chuckle. Be sure to check out his previously featured Donald Duck roadster and fabled stork creations for more whimsy and wonder.

Along the pink stream of sinkers and floaters

“Do the black units house digital essences? Is the pink fluid some sort of coolant? Do they clump together and need to be separated? Do the spiders drink the coolant and keep the ducts clean? Is working at this Stasis Temple considered a great honor?” These are numerous questions that builder Shannon Sproule asks but doesn’t have the answers to. However, this does reflect a freeing way of stream of consciousness in building by experimenting with neat colors and textures without regard for their purpose.

He tells us, “If I was the other Shannon (Young), you would’ve gotten a beautifully-written backstory, but since it’s me you only get a few brain farts and a hand wave to pseudo-religious-technology.” That’s OK, Shannon. If I were any other Brothers Brick contributor, I would have thought up a more high-brow title. Good thing we’re all friends here.

An overgrown temple on Yavin 4

Many LEGO Star Wars fans have long hoped for a set depicting the Rebel base on Yavin 4. Some fans have taken matters into their own hands and built their own rendition, like this scene by Legomania. Though only a small chunk of the Great Temple that housed the Rebel Alliance, this diorama accurately portrays the spirit of the activity we see in A New Hope and Rogue One. Pilots are milling about while Rebel Troopers run off to their assignments.

Remove the Star Wars characters and accessories, and this could very well represent an ancient jungle temple here on Earth. I’m particularly drawn to the use of largely solid colours for different aspects of the diorama. And rather than use colour to break up the monotony of a pathway, brick wall, or stone steps, everything looks gritty through the use of different shapes, sizes and textures of LEGO pieces.