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.

The ruinous beauty of an earthquake captured in a huge LEGO diorama

At first glance, this ruined city may look a little like a classic post-apocalyptic zombie scenario (like the stunning scene from The Last of Us) but this build by Ralf Langer actually represents an apocalypse of a more realistic and consequentially more threatening type: a devastating earthquake. Admittedly though, the two are visually very similar, zombies and sci-fi gear aside.

The diorama is huge, but Ralf does not merely rely on size to impress. Instead, he makes textures and details so fine that they would make a tiny vignette worth drooling over, let alone a diorama with a surface that could fit a hundred such vignettes. The different angles at which many surfaces of the diorama are set give a very dynamic and organic feeling, and the builder has done it so well, it almost looks like it’s not LEGO. The colours used are perfect too, with various earth tones and realistic colours on the buildings.

Click to see some close-up pictures and a few techniques behind the builds!

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Veni Vidi Vinnytsia!

It isn’t every day you see historic Ukrainian landmarks in LEGO-form, but flambo14 has risen to the challenge with his delightful version of the Vinnytsia Water Tower. The structure served as a water tower from its construction in 1912 until 1920, was used as a watchtower during World War II, and was transformed into a museum by 1985. My favorite aspect of the build is the use of hinged angled plates to recreate the shape of the gray masonry on the first floor.

A streetcar named Peter Witt

Some people call them streetcars. Some people call them trams, and other people call them trolleys. Whatever you know them as, Nouvilas’ version of a Peter Witt is so nice it’s “off the tracks.” A Peter Witt is a type of tram car, named after the man who designed the first one back in 1914. Nouvilas built his streetcar for a collaborative diorama representing Harlem, New York, in the 1930s. I really like the way the cheese slopes flare out to create the curve of the “bumper,” and the chocolate brown and tan color scheme feels authentic for the period….almost makes me hungry for a Nestle bar!

Click to see the full Harlem layout

Calling all cars! Calling all cars!

Pixeljunkie is wanted dead or alive by the LEGO police. His crime? Impersonating a 1955 Buick police car with amazing detail! He modeled his car after one that appeared in the 1950s American action crime drama TV series Highway Patrol. A number of American cars of the 1950s were famous for their decadent levels of chrome trim, and Pixeljunkie’s Buick does not disappoint. For example, use of the Bellville bucket handle to form the shape of the grille is incredibly effective and brilliant!

An abandoned hangar leads to a remake of a classic LEGO train set

Alexis Dos Santos has been chugging along with some new train models, and this rustic scene consists of two separate structures. Alexis’ “Abandoned Hangar” on the left serves as a tribute to the history of trains, while the building on the right celebrates the history of LEGO trains. I really enjoy the way these two buildings play off of one another, with the darkness of the hangar giving way to the bright and colorful rail yard.

Continue reading about this model

Living in a desert is no excuse to give up style

While Sarah Beyer‘s Olive Sand House is not what one might imagine when they hear “living in a desert”, it does look both adventurous yet strangely comfortable. Sarah is a master of contemporary architecture in LEGO and has created many unique LEGO houses before. This latest one is not so much unique in an architectural sense, but all the building techniques make it an easy favourite for me.

The Olive Sand House is a treat when it comes to textures. There are grilled sections on the walls and the whole roof has a very satisfying grilled texture to it too. We tend to talk about colour blocking most often in sci-fi creations, but it is very much an important feature of this (admittedly nearly futuristic) building. Another important factor is the landscaping around the house, giving it some context. There are some interestingly used parts as well, most notably BrickHeadz glasses used as fence on the balcony, the same technique that just appeared in the Creator Expert Roller Coaster.

Gigantic LEGO diorama of Disney on Ice is over 16 square feet and has all your favorite characters

The tickets are nearly sold out to this amazing attraction, and all the minifigs want to go. Disney on Ice has come to LEGO City! This incredible diorama by Brick Knight not only contains the show itself, but also the venue and even the surrounding city blocks, all packed with such an astonishing level of detail and realism that I almost dread looking for parking already.

Click to see more, including the interior

An Italian restaurant built from Danish bricks

Mediteranean aesthetic, both architectural and otherwise, is not very often portrayed in LEGO, but when it is, builders tend to capture it very well. Mouseketeer111 has done one of these renditions as a modular-style building, and I can say from first-hand experience that this scene reproduces the spirit of an old Italian town perfectly.

There are some simple elements that are important to conjure up the Mediterranean feeling, namely a barrel-tiled roof and Italian flags, but other details like bright colours, overgrown walls and the ice cream shop are what make this creation stand out. My favourite part, however, is the balcony. Not only is it well built, but it is photographed so that the shade looks even more inviting!

Ramen and sushi bar is mouth watering

The Ninjago City modular set, aside from being one of the largest modular sets so far, is jam-packed with amazing interior details. This ramen and sushi bar by SpaceBrick would be right at home next to the official set. This scene is full of great details, like the gentleman with the fishing pole which uses an added LEGO string for a line and the ladder used for a frame at the front counter. Even the sideways window elements with visible studs at the bottom and a narrow gap at the top add perfect visual texture. This model would also fit perfectly into our Ninjago City Collaborative project for this year’s Brickcon in October!

New York streets and Spider-Man spring to life in LEGO

It seems like a crime how underrated Dutch builder Barthezz Brick is, and he’s lucky to have Spider-Man stop this crime! Barthezz Brick has been featured on the Brothers Brick before with a smaller downtown city scene, but he has outdone himself with this large and extremely detailed diorama of Spider-Man, surrounded by busy and realistic city life.

Click to explore the diorama in detail

It’s not the beauty of a building you should look at, it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time

Taking a break from creating stunning LEGO characters, Finnish builder Eero Okkonen has assembled an equally-stunning, 360-degree city block filled with gorgeous early-1900s modular buildings. Each of the four buildings (“Grand Hotel Masaryk”, “Olofslott”, “Louhi” and “House of the Brick Wall”) has its own unique style and charm. But the block as a whole still feels very cohesive.

Eero says he began sketching the design for his creation after a train ride from Helsinki to Tampere. His design incorporates Finnish Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) elements and tries to avoid 90-degree angles wherever possible.

Click here for more photos of Eero’s LEGO city block

Fuel, Give Me Fire, Give me the Gas Station I Desire!

This rustic gas station was built by Markus Rollbühler. He started things off with the Ford tow truck, which then served as the inspiration behind the surrounding architecture and landscaping. According to Markus, he’s “not much of a car builder,” but I can’t help but be impressed by the intricate-looking towing mechanism on the back of his vibrant, bright-light-orange truck. Thanks to the excellent use of darker colors, Markus’ gas station really looks like something you might find while cruising down Route 66.

There are plenty of little details to enjoy, including the building’s tilted siding, the custom-built outdoor furniture, and the little red bird in the tree. In particular, I’m loving the design of those trees, which uses several green feather parts as leaves. This same technique was used in one of Markus’ models we featured back in October. In fact, that particular tree looks like it might have been transplanted next to this gas station.