Tag Archives: Town

Towns in the world of LEGO have everything cities in the real world do — police stations, fire engines, trains, hairdressers and veterinarians. Check out all the beautiful buildings and vehicles we’ve featured here on The Brothers Brick.

1970’s era Scania LBS 141

We’ve featured numerous Scania trucks over the years, including a British Stobart lorry, 142 wrecker, LT146 dump truck, and more. As ubiquitous on European roads as Peterbilts are in North America, Scania trucks continue to be a popular subject for LEGO builders. Dennis Bosman, whose dump truck I just linked to, has posted a gorgeous LBS 141 from the 70’s, with a clean white color scheme and fantastic details on both the cab and chassis. One of our European readers or contributors will have to explain what the deal is with the terrified puppets strapped to the roof rack…

EDIT: Well-informed readers across the Atlantic from the author have pointed out that the red minifig represents the popular mascot “Tiels Flipje,” while the white minifig is the iconic Michelin Man.

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Every window tells a story

There aren’t many things more brutal or impersonal than a 41-story public housing tower. Seen from afar, they almost look like prisons from the future. Sau Mau Ping was one of the first tower projects in the Hong Kong area. Construction began in the 60s, and even though most of the buildings have been torn down, the towers still house over 38,000 people. But this LEGO model inspired by the towers from Yan and Vincent is not brutal or impersonal at all. Each window decoration offers a glimpse into the personality of the person who calls this place home. And the brightly colored lamps in the courtyard are a reminder that this is a place of history and culture, not a prison. Being made of concrete blocks doesn’t prevent a house from becoming a home.

This rendition might not be 41 stories like the real towers, but it is definitely a massive model that is interesting from many different perspectives. I challenge you to find two windows the same.

Enlightening LEGO antique street lamps

Judging by his latest builds, Jonas Kramm must be preparing for the darkness of those long winter nights. His three decorative antique street lamps are designed around a selection of parts that are being examined in more detail over on parts-obsessed blog New Elementary. The first lamp is my favourite and shows an inspired use for the Mini Pony Tail in Black but special mention must go to the lamp on the right, as Jonas has definitely shown a fresh use for the paint-roller and tassel.

If you want to read more from Jonas about his techniques and parts used for these builds, Jonas’ lamps are the first in a series of posts using a fun selection of new parts on New Elementary.

This LEGO warehouse is very palatable

Who doesn’t love a highly organized system of interlocking pallets? Warehouses are a marvel of modern engineering, with flurries of activity and pedantic levels of organization, and LEGO builder Norton74 says he recently visited a large warehouse and wanted to translate the scene into bricks. His use of the 1×1 Technic bricks for the adjustable shelving unit legs is great, and I love the clever way the he imitates cardboard box lids by not pressing the tiles all the way down.

LEGO announces Old Fishing Store as next LEGO Ideas model [News]

The LEGO Ideas Blog has announced the next set in the Ideas line: The Old Fishing Store, by Robert Bontebal. The design was selected from a group of nine models who reached 10,000 supporters between January and May 2016. Pricing and availability are not yet available.

Click to read more about the results!

Even LEGO cars need a tune up from time to time

In addition to his LEGO-fied versions of the il Duomo di Milano, the mosque of Al-Zaytuna in Tunis, and the busy streets of Amsterdam, the LEGO architectural-wizard, brickbink is adding a humble mechanic’s garage. That’s right, a garage. And it is spectacular!

The simple design of the building, roof, and the two styles of lettering on the facade are perfect. Brickbink also filled the interior of his building with mechanic goodies including various tools, car parts, jacks, toolboxes, and even a tiny fire extinguisher. And the placement of all these items makes the garage look truly authentic. Perhaps the only thing missing is a few oil spots on the floor.

Home sweet LEGO home

Every LEGO builder has surely considered taking on the project of building an accurate model of their own home. terez trz is rising to the challenge with some lovely model-making and excellent photography. The images remind me of an IKEA catalog — in a good way.

To give you an idea of how good the model is, check out these comparison shots of the LEGO version and the original room…

I’ve often considered giving this idea a go myself. Terez’s great work might just be the inspiration I need to push me into action.

Time to catch some LEGO piggies!

It’s that time of the year again, time for the annual New England Pig Scramble! I always thought this was something only done in the movies, but according to builder Dunedain98, each year at the Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire, people toss their names into a hat and five lucky winners are chosen to try to wrangle a pig. Sounds fun… right?

Well, maybe not — chasing a pig around doesn’t exactly sound like my kind of fun, but I do appreciate Dunedain’s lovely LEGO build highlighting this event (or is it a sport?). The pig barn is really nicely designed and I love the little details like the power lines, tiny trash can, and the lush grassy field.

Train station diorama has everything a railway enthusiast dreams of

Polish builder Maciej Drwięga has spent more than 3 years meticulously planning and building this mind-blowing railway diorama. This is one of those LEGO masterpieces which, once noticed, will make you fill a cup with your favorite drink, lean forward, and spend a good half-hour eyeing every little detail.

The highlight of the scene for me is an unremarkable but appealing model of an ST43 locomotive. I love that Maciej has put no logos or symbols on it. The result is a nifty train, featuring a winning combination of sand green, dark green, and yellow.

However, it’s not just the trains and track that make the diorama, but also the surroundings. A couple of platforms, the train station building, goods storage with ramp, diesel fueling facility, a workshop, an engine shed — you name it, it’s there. Some stunning retro trucks? Here you go!

Truly magical things happen when night falls on the town. The longer you look at these pictures, the more clearly you can hear night shift staff servicing locomotives in the engine shed.

And, of course, go and check the builder’s full album featuring more than a hundred pictures!

Stop at Brickton Harbor to fuel up before your journey

One of the last things you do before departing on a journey is stop for gas. Arjan Oude Kotte has created Brickton Harbor, a place for your LEGO vessels to stop for fuel before they leave for their own journeys.

This detailed harbor is full of great details! The fuel docks feature the fuel pumps and lines for the boats, and the textured siding on the building is fantastic.

Click for more photos

Gothic magnificence in brick: the Library of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada

I’d never seen Canada’s Library of Parliament before encountering Erwin te Kortschot‘s beautiful LEGO version, and I was amazed by its stunning Victorian High Gothic architecture shaped as a round library. A better structure to hold an nation’s library could hardly be imagined, as the cumulative knowledge of a people ought to be enshrined in a building which inspires awe. Erwin’s brick-built version is just as lovely as the original, despite the difficult circular design.

A stroll in old Sichuan

This idyllic Chinese building by qian yj radiates peace and tranquility. The dark grey bricks and the painted dark red wooden supports are popular among this style of architecture along with the blank white walls. This picture-perfect setting is definitely worth posing for a shot.