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[Rufus]

'The house will stand in the midst of the fields like an object, without disturbing anything around it.'

- Le Corbusier

Bonjour mes amis!  Aujourd-hui je vous presente une critique exclusive de la dernière réplique de la série LEGO Architecture:  21014 Villa Savoye!  <Ahem>  Pardon my French.  It's an honour for me to have, courtesy of The LEGO Group, another opportunity to present a Eurobricks Exclusive Review of the latest offering in the Architecture line.  The Villa Savoye is not a building I had heard of, prior to this (but then I'd never heard of Robie House, either), and seems like an odd choice to showcase a famous building in France, when other edifices are more widely known either as world-renowned landmarks or architectural significance.

Located in Poissy, about 30 km from the centre of Paris, the Villa Savoye is a modernist design by architect Le Corbusier, and considered a National Monument of France.  It therefore does make sense as a LEGO Architecture set, particularly belonging as it does to the Architect Series; and, as we shall see, its design translates very well into LEGO bricks.


Review:  21014 Villa Savoye

Set Information

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Name: Villa Savoye
Number: 21014
Theme: Architecture (Architect Series)
Availability: September 2012
Pieces: 660
Price: US $70 (est) | EUR 69.99

Shop@Home said:

Build a LEGO brick model of this famous modernist-style country house residence!
Situated on the outskirts of Paris, France, Villa Savoye was designed by Le Corbusier in the 1920s as the perfect embodiment of Le Corbusier's "Five Points" construction principles. This fusion of modern architecture and nature was intended to create harmony with Villa Savoye's woodland surroundings. Just like the real thing, this set features columns, functional roof space, open floor planning, long horizontal windows and a free facade. This LEGO Architecture series interpretation of Villa Savoye was designed by German architect Michael Hepp in collaboration with the LEGO design team.

• Interpretation of real-world architectural icon Villa Savoye
  
• Booklet included with details on design and history
  
• English language only; other languages available for download
  
• Measures: 3.6"H (9.2cm) x 7.5"W (19.2cm) x 6.7"D (17.6cm)

Links ... Shop@Home ... Brickset ... Bricklink ... Peeron ... LEGO Architecture Site


The Box

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Click for a larger full-frontal

The LEGO Group has preserved a winning formula with the smart, attractive packaging of the latest in the Architecture line.  Aside from the LEGO and Architecture logos, and a little text, there's little to distract from the set itself, which pops out of the card at you in this example, and contrives to look larger than it really is.  It is also, I suspect, a digital render rather than a real photograph of the set.

Absent from my review copy of the box is the piece count and 'Building Toy' reminder of the first official box art we have seen, which presumably is the US version.


The rear shows the model from a higher perspective; in the bottom right there's a small inset of the real building:


Click for a larger image

Information about the architect surrounds the model in six European languages:  English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (I think), and ... another one.    Le Corbusier's 'Five Points of Architecture' are demonstrated;  they are: 'pilotis', free façade, open floor planning, long horizontal windows, and functional roof space.  Well there you go: maxims for us all to live by.  'Pilotis'  I think means 'pillars', specifically piles or stilts; I thought it hadn't translated itself into English for some reason, but it seems to be a real architectural term.

This review copy got a little crushed in transit, but coming direct from Billund it hadn't been afforded the usual protection of your average Shop@Home purchase.  


The box's left side shows two further views of the set: aerial and side elevation; both again renders, judging from the lack of perspective ...




... while the right side repeats the frontal image and reminds us that the model is designed by Michael Hepp, whose site suggests the possibility of future sets.  From the official LEGO press release:

Quote

The LEGO Architecture interpretation of Villa Savoye was created through a close co-operation between the German architect, Michael Hepp, and one of the LEGO Group’s most experienced model builders, Steen Sig Andersen.

Steen Sig Andersen doesn't get a credit on the box, as far as I can see.

The top of the box features a render/outline composite diagram from the model's other side, and some more crush damage to the box; the bottom gives the parts provenance and a barcode, if you're interested.


It's a surprisingly large box.  Here it is compared to the largest and smallest from the Architecture range:



Not only is it not far off the dimensions of that of the 2,200-piece Robie House, the box is also surprisingly heavy, weighing in at 1.2kg.  With the set image magnified on the front, you really feel like you're getting a lot for your money here (assuming the early price information is accurate).  Also apparent here are the different target ages; I don't think Robie House has any more difficult building techniques than Villa Savoye, requiring only a soupçon more patience.


Box Contents

You'd be forgiven for expecting a whiff of a large quantity of Billund Kladno Air when you open the box, but it is surprisingly full:



Enjoy your building experience!  It's the law!  Actually, I really appreciate that little message as you break the seals and lift the flap.  Even though it's no longer a surprise, it feels like TLG really care about their Architecture customers.  


Eight polybags and two loose plates fall are carefully removed from the box:



They can be roughly divided into four large and four small.  None of the bags contain 'offspring', as it were, and none are duplicates, hinting at little repetition in this build.


The Instructions

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Much of the weight of the box is caused by the hefty 400 gramme instruction book.  Its smart cover replicates the model shot from the front of the box, and indicates that its contents are available on the Architeciture Website.  They aren't, yet.  However, we now know that the mysterious sixth language is Hungarian.    Unfortunately, rattling around in the box has caused some minor damage to the edge of the front cover, which shows up all the more on the lovely black card.  I blame the loose plates in the box.  


No WinGagneGewinne kids despoil the back of this tome:



There's just the same picture as the back of the box, minus the multilingual architecture facts.


Opening the quality card of the front cover, we are greeted with a contents page, followed by some twenty pages of introduction, containing a guide to the house and its architectural significance, its history and vital statistics, and a biography of the architect, all with exhaustive commentary in both English and French:



For some more examples, see my flickr.  An amazing amount of detail is present, and you can really learn a lot about the house and its architecture.  This is far more than a mere instruction booklet - it's almost a souvenir guide.


The instructions themselves are clear and detailed, although some may find the pace a little slow, especially compared to the larger sets like Robie House:  often only a few parts are added per step.  Perhaps this is reflected in the lower recommended age.



Despite the black base on the plain black background, colour differentiation is not a problem, and the few sub-builds are handled effortlessly.


Every so often a little corner inset gives a further piece of trivia about the building:



I've encountered these little snippets in several recent Architecture sets, and they are a delightful inclusion.  The attention to detail in the Architecture books is outstanding.  


Even when the building steps are over, there's more:  A Word from the Artist, and a brief history of LEGO Architecture in the 1960s are to be expected, as is the usual set inventory:


Click for a larger picture

Take a look at the page number here:  154.  Finally, we are even provided with references for further reading!


The Parts

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This set heralds a feature new to LEGO Architecture:



A brick separator.    These things get everywhere.  Otherwise, the parts selection is good for quantity rather than rarity, although the two white 8x16 plates surprisingly only occur in two other sets (not counting a DACTA set).  Most appealing are the useful quantities of earth green bricks and plates; the trans clear 1x2 bricks might also be useful, if you were building (say) a waterfall.    The signature 1x8 printed tile is of course included.


Yes!  1x2 earth green plates are here!  The only other contemporary set they appear in is 21016 Sungnyemun.



Earth green 1x1 bricks are also welcome, and surprisingly not used as trees in this Architecture set.  The 61 trans-clear 1x2 plates might be useful, but they were on the Pick-a-Brick wall recently, and we've got thousands of the things.    There's also a single rare 1x2 trans-clear tile (if you need these in quantity, get Fallingwater).  1x1 tiles suggest some thumb-straining tedium to come.   Note the surprising red and blue plates.


As I noted in my 10225 R2-D2 review, there's a degree of colour inconsistency in the white pieces, most notable in the 1x2 bows, some of which seem to have a pearlescent sheen:



This really isn't noticeable on the finished model, so I can forgive this.  


The Build

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Base & Ground Floor

As with every Architecture set I've built, we start with the base.  Straight away, we get to see how the incongruous red and blue plates are used.



Quite why the left side has red plates and the right side blue is unclear.  Perhaps they represent the French flag, judging by the white in between; but in that case they are the wrong way round.  The base itself consists of large black plates, arranged in two rows:  4-6-6-6 wide rear and 6-6-6-4 front, with the bluish grey 2x12 plates proividing some lateral rigidity.  Note that the front-right 4x12 black plate is connected only at its front and rear, not from the side.


Now red plates go onto blue and blue onto red, and the French flag is the right way round!  



As you can see at the right hand side, 1x1 clippy plates are placed onto the red/blue sandwich, with a tile underneath the clips:  this will hold the pillars (or pilotis) around the building.  Some dark green is added around the base; note that that 4x12 plate still doesn't have any lateral support.


The left side gets the clippy treatment; large dark bluish grey plates firm up the base, providing further rigidity:



Light bluish grey plates form terracing around the edges; it's interesting that several 2x2 plates are used instead of (say) more 2x12 plates, which have already been used in the base.  Presumably these are used to give the appearance of flagstones.


Next, the front terrace is completed with some more clippy detail, and the ground floor is finished using lovely dark green bricks with large trans-clear windows at the front.



Black SNOT bricks are employed at front and rear to attach the small sub-builds pictured top-right.


And the ground floor is complete:



Visible studs rather than tiles atop this section imply that the upper floor isn't going to be removable.    Not that there's a lot to see in there.  The 1x1 white brick and tile in the centre will help to align the top floor correctly.


Upper Floor & Roof

Now we move upstairs.  I thought so far we had got off lightly without having to place lots of fiddly 1x1 tiles; but there's a pile of them sitting there looking ominous; and sure enough ....



... there they are.  Still there aren't nearly so many as on Robie House, and as you can easily pick this section up, placing them isn't quite the same chore.  Unless, that is, you are anal about lining them up correctly.  The 1x4 white slope in the centre will sit directly in front of the 1x1 brick/tile we saw at the end of the Ground Floor build; note that it is attached to a 1x12 plate, which is itself connected only via its front four studs.  This tends to flop around a bit during construction.


Detail on the first floor terrace is added:  some dark green cheese slopes as foliage, and a table made from a tile on a 1x1 plate.  Simple, but effective.



Window panels are added, one of which serves to strengthen that 1x12 plate somewhat; the wall circuit is completed.  It's worth pointing out at this stage that the dimensions of the upper floor are an odd number of studs:  17 wide by 19 deep.


The main windows consist almost entirely of stacked trans-clear plates; it is less laborious that in might look.



Note here the 2x2 tile next to the 2x2 inverted slope (the inclusion of which I can't really explain), and the 1x1 round brick just to the rear.


A circuit of 1x16 white bricks (plus two 1x2s) completes the walls:



And some plates are added which will support the roof.  Anything that isn't tiled here will be covered up ...


... like so:



The rounded part consists of two 1x4x4/3 bows on a 2x4 plate, and attached to two SNOT 1x1 bricks; it sits flush on the 2x2 tile I mentioned above.  Interestingly, from this point on, SNOT is achieved the 'old-fashioned' way, using Technnic bricks with half-pins, as seen in the inset.


Two further SNOT sub-builds are required to complete the interesting curves of the roof:




And the build is complete!



At this point, I'd recommend pushing the pilotis up so that they sit flush with the upper floor.  


All-in-all, it's rather a simple build.  The technique for attaching the pilotis is interesting, as is the SNOT roof sections, but otherwise it's nothing strenuous.  There isn't that much repetition, and the fiddly placement of tiles is mercifully kept to a minimum.  

One thing does detract: in a couple of places the build isn't quite as strong as I might expect.  One is the 'floppy' 1x12 plate I mentioned, which should connect at its far end to the ground floor, provided you remember specifically to push down on that one spot; the other is the 4x12 plate at the front-right of the base, which despite having three layers of plates above it, is still only connected at front and rear, and can come loose if you pick the model up by the front right corner.


The Complete Set

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The edifice is complete!  However you feel about Modernist architecture, you must admit it's a distinctive building.  Even rendered in LEGO brick, the rectangular upper floor looks imposing sitting on its pilotis above a rather diminutive ground floor, almost like it's floating above the ground; the curvy wall on the roof contrasts nicely with the angular upper floor.

At this angle, the pilotis look a little wonky; this would be solved by pushing them up slightly so they sit in the recesses of the plates above - hence my earlier advice.  


The contrast between the curvy wall and the squarish upper floor is all the more apparent in this view:



Note also the lack of windows on the right-hand side, which allow movement of air onto the terraced area.


From the front, we can see how much the upper floor overhangs the lower, and there's a delightful symmetry in the colonade of pillars flanking each side:  



The ground floor gets just a little lost, even with its expanse of window either side of the doors; however, I think this might have been purposeful on the part of the architect.


At the rear, the grilled SNOTty section is, I think, meant to represent a row of windows, but it looks more like an oversized air-conditioning unit.  



And you can see another problem, which seems to plague the larger Architecture sets:  the base doesn't sit quite level.  The plate-sandwich construction seems always to bow upwards at the edges; this seems to be a problem inherent in the LEGO plates themselves, and persisted no matter how careful I was during construction.


This problem is also visible from the side, albeit to a lesser extent:



From here you can again admire the pleasing regularity of the pilotis; and again note how the bright upper floor seems to float on the the darker ground floor.  From this angle, the curvy roof wall thingy almost looks like a sail.  Note that the 4L pole piece on the roof seems to lean forward slightly ...


... this is due to its attachment in the white 1x1 round brick.  It doesn't sit tightly in there, and tends to flop around.  The set designer might have been better using three of these pieces instead of the round brick.



It's a small point, and shouldn't detract from this lovely aerial view.    I love how the terrace areas and the curvy roof design stand out against the regular, square roof.


Details

Somewhat disappointingly, this set doesn't have any hidden features; it's pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get.  I remember being delighted by the 'puzzle piece' construction of Fallingwater, and Robie House has lots of removable sections you can put things in, if you were so inclined.  This model is one piece, when finished.  Nevertheless, we can admire its little details.

First off, let's have another look at the curvy bit:



The bows used on the SNOT subsections work really well to bring those curves to life, and it's achieved without any unsightly gaps.  


Here's how it should look:


Picture from irene-ngocta.blogspot.com

The right-hand end should perhaps be more circular, which could be achieved with macaroni pieces, but this would make it difficult to achieve a level top.  I like the SNOT solution here.  


While we have this view fresh in our minds, let's take a look at the doors:



They almost get lost under that big overhang; but that's true of the real building, whose doors are flanked by large stepped windows not quite successfully recreated in LEGO.  It's also worth mentioning that the front upper floor windows - recreated as well as possible in LEGO at this scale - suffer for the odd-number-of-studs construction of the upper floor: they aren't quite symmetrical, unlike the real thing


Moving round to the rear, we can again examine ...



... the 'air-conditioning unit' rear SNOT work.


And here's what it should look like:


Picture from nicholasbolianitis.blogspot.com

I appreciate the inclusion of a more 'advanced' technique here, but I wonder if this section might have been better achieved using regular studs-up stacked plates, like the upper floor windows.


Now lets move on up to the roof:



The patio area is simply constructed, but looks great, surrounded on three sides by rooms with big windows.  The long slopes as you can see form a staircase or ramp between the patio and the roof.  It's a shame that the Technic SNOT bricks show here, and again I wonder why they didn't use two of these.


Just how accurate the roof detail is can be seen in this overhead shot:



Ok, it's a little blurry, but I did have to persuade the pilot to fly over the house.    Or I might just have borrowed the picture from Google Earth.  But you can see how well the curved roof and long, shallow-inclined ramp is recreated in LEGO.  


Even the greenery, and the little table is there!




Finally, let's see how Villa Savoye compares to other favourites from the Architecture range:



She has a larger footprint than Fallingwater, which holds a similar price point but has more pieces, and Villa Savoye manages if anything to look more imposing.  Next to the regal splendour of the dark red Robie House, she manages to hold her own; these two go rather well together, having a similar base but nicely contrasting colours.  They make good shelf-mates.


Conclusion

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Unfortunately, I wasn't able in the end to make the journey to Poissy to see this building in the flesh.  And I confess to never having heard of it before, which I thought initially made it a strange choice for an set which intends to showcase prominent French architecture; there are plenty of more famous choices, classical (Louvre, for example) or modernist (Pompidou Centre).  However, something about this building lends itself really well to the medium of LEGO, and I think on the whole the designer has done a fantastic job.

Design 9 The architectural intent of Villa Savoye is rendered superbly:  the imposing upper floor, floating on its pilotis above the ground floor, small enough to be hardly noticeable with its dark green walls, and topped by the contrasting curves of the roof wall, are all brought to life expertly.  It loses a point only for the asymmetrical windows and 'air-conditioning' rear end.
Build 7 The build process is a little conservative, with little to interest a seasoned builder, perhaps; the SNOT technique of the curvy roof wall is interesting, but I'm not so keen on the 'old-fashioned' Technic brick-half pin SNOT attachments, which look a little ugly on the finished model.  Two weak points in the construction also spoil it a little for me here.
Parts 7    With a good selection of dark green parts, this might be useful as a parts pack; however, the majority are common pieces and the inflated price of the Architecture line reduces its appeal for parts alone.
Collectability/Displayability 8 What should I call this score?  This is the equivalent of 'playability' on a regular LEGO set, but you aren't really going to play with this, are you?    This is about the whole experience:  the smart packaging; the wonderfully detailed and informative manual, with its expansive knowledge of the architect and his building; the 'shelf-value' of the model, which as I said looks great next to Robie House.  
Value 8 It's difficult to be entirely objective here, as I don't yet know the price of the set in Pounds Sterling, but based on an estimate of $70 I think this is looking to be good value when you consider the whole package - the collector's item, not just the collection of pieces.  

Overall:  78%  My score:  8/10   I like this latest addition to the Architecture line.   As a LEGO model, it might not break any molds, but it does bring a distinctive building to life in the medium of LEGO remarkably well, and you can learn a lot about architecture in the process.  I'm still reading that manual.    

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Thanks for reading!  I hope you enjoyed this Architecture Exclusive Review!

Rufus


Many thanks to The LEGO Group, for providing this set for and early review, and to CopMike, for all the negotiating and stuff.


Further Reading

Villa Savoye at Centre des Monuments Nationaux
Le Corbusier on Wikipedia
LEGO Architecture site

More pictures on my flickr

Edited by Rufus, 30 December 2012 - 10:33 PM.
Indexed

[Ceroknight]

Thank you for the review!
This is a really great model and I hope to bricklink the pieces and build it (too expensive for the real thing! )

[CopMike]

Great review yet again Rufus!

I had to look up the building also because I didn't know anything about it. Just shows my ignorance to great architecture around the world !
As you have concluded it seems an ordinary build with a macaroni&cheese assortment of parts. But that's expected so I think it's a really good rendering of the real building ! And it will look nice together with all the rest models in the series. The last remark I'll make is that I just LOVE that TLG puts in so much effort and information in the instructions - they're always interesting to read through again after the build is done!

So of course I'll have to get this set also !

[Rick]

Thanks for yet another extensive review of a set in the Architecture range.   I don't tend to but these, but I do enjoy reading the reviews as the line is totally different from anything else LEGO tends to release, with often surprising techniques being used.

Rufus, on 31 August 2012 - 10:15 PM, said:

Now red plates go onto blue and blue onto red, and the French flag is the right way round!  

Are they visible at all once the build is complete or are they just a little easter egg to discover as you're building the set?

Quote

Visible studs rather than tiles atop this section imply that the upper floor isn't going to be removable.    Not that there's a lot to see in there.  The 1x1 white brick and tile in the centre will help to align the top floor correctly.

When looking at the pictures I was surprised to see that they add a bit of interior detailing, only to cover it up with a non-removable roof.  

Quote

Window panels are added, one of which serves to strengthen that 1x12 plate somewhat; the wall circuit is completed.  It's worth pointing out at this stage that the dimensions of the upper floor are an odd number of studs:  17 wide by 19 deep.

I guess that's dictated by the odd number of pillars, which the whole building seems to be scaled around.

Quote

The rounded part consists of two 1x4x4/3 bows on a 2x4 plate, and attached to two SNOT 1x1 bricks; it sits flush on the 2x2 tile I mentioned above.  Interestingly, from this point on, SNOT is achieved the 'old-fashioned' way, using Technnic bricks with half-pins, as seen in the inset.

<snip>

It's a shame that the Technic SNOT bricks show here, and again I wonder why they didn't use two of these.

That seems necessary because the SNOT constructions on the roof rest on studded plates with the LEGO logo on top. System SNOT bricks would only be allowed to rest on studs without the LEGO logo. The holes in Technic bricks are slightly higher than the sideways studs on System SNOT bricks, allowing for the height of the LEGO logo on the studs.

[GRogall]

Thanks for the review: Rufus bought the set this morning at my local lego store. but have not build it yet!

I'm actually going to try and get all the pieces  together to build the black version of this house which stands in Australia.



But I'm really waiting for 21015 The Eames house and build it sitting in my new Vitra lounge chair!  

[lightningtiger]

Excellent review of this wonderful set.....what's SNOT to love about it eh ?
Though I do see your point on the techpins - bad short cut Lego.
Besides that it's a cool structure and I wish GRogall good luck on his black attempt !

[Legogal]

Wow! A Le Corbusier house in LEGO! What a cool house by a very innovative architect, who lived way before his time. So glad they did this set in the Architecture series.
And all the info included about the house is just wonderful. Like CopMike said, this info makes the set much more interesting.

(Guess we'll have to pull with Finns to get an Alvar Aalto building next. His work is just too great to ignore.)

Rufus, Thanks for a fine review and so much detail. Definitely makes me want to add this set to the collection.  Le Corbusier is certainly one of the biggest names in architecture, and the movement he led has resulted in many inspiring buildings. Keep up the great reviews!

Edited by Legogal, 01 September 2012 - 05:39 PM.

[ZO6]

Very cool!  Thanks for sharing, Rufus!

I totally admit that I'd heard of neither this building nor this set before you posted this review.  The house reminds me of something out of the Woody Allen film Sleeper.  

I haven't bought anything from the Architecture line for a really long time now. After seeing this latest set I not only want to go out and buy it, but also a lot of other ones in the line too.  These kits are just so darn ritzy!

[Alasdair Ryan]

Great review Rufus.
I like how the curves are smooth on the roof by using the curved bricks/slopes to make the curved sections on the roof top.

Edited by Alasdair Ryan, 01 September 2012 - 07:46 PM.

[Ferrik]

An excellently-detailed review, Rufus. You can see the resemblance to the actual building right away and the use of SNOT to create the curves makes the building look amazing.

[Tragic Banjo]

Great review Rufus! This set presents a dilemma for me - can my love of LEGO outweigh my general antipathy toward Corbusier? (Answer: yeah, probably.) I knew it was only a matter of time before a Villa Savoye set came out - after Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies, a Le Corbusier set was inevitable, and this was the obvious choice for it. (It's a far less surprising choice if you think of it as a Le Corbusier building, rather than a Paris building, if that makes sense.) About the red and blue plates - they're completely hidden in the final build; I suspect they're just there as visual markers so you can more clearly see where to place things.

Oh, and GRogall - I don't suppose you've tracked down anything on 21015 yet?

[soccernamlak]

Superb review!

Now I just have to wait impatiently while it's shipped to my door...

Quote

When looking at the pictures I was surprised to see that they add a bit of interior detailing, only to cover it up with a non-removable roof.

I agree it would have bee nice to see a bit more flexibility in that regards; perhaps a simple MOC fix will do the trick.

[GRogall]

Tragic Banjo, on 02 September 2012 - 05:31 AM, said:

Oh, and GRogall - I don't suppose you've tracked down anything on 21015 yet?

I'm sure if I had it would have been front paged!  

[WhiteFang]

Outstanding review, Rufus! It is really very nicely done, and I knew nuts about the Villa Savoye until I read your review which gave me an incredible historic insight to this architecture. Well done, even though it is just plain white colour but to me, it gave a very clean and professional façade.  

[ShaydDeGrai]

Wonderful review, thank you so much.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Modernist Architecture (a genre, in my opinion, too often dominated by glorified boxes stacked in unusual ways) so when I think of all the iconic buildings in France that they could have explored, this one wasn't even on my radar, but  that's more a critique of the subject matter than the execution.  The model looks very true to the subject and seems like it will make a nice addition to the collection.

[Tragic Banjo]

Since this is an Architect Series model, it doesn't make sense to ask "why did they choose this building instead of [other building in France]?" The designer chose to do a building by Le Corbusier, and this is his best-known building (among people who know anything about architecture, at least) so it was the obvious choice. The architect is the deciding factor here, not the location.

[ShaydDeGrai]

Tragic Banjo, on 04 September 2012 - 04:11 PM, said:

Since this is an Architect Series model, it doesn't make sense to ask "why did they choose this building instead of [other building in France]?" The designer chose to do a building by Le Corbusier, and this is his best-known building (among people who know anything about architecture, at least) so it was the obvious choice. The architect is the deciding factor here, not the location.

The question of why not choose another building vs. why not choose another architect are, in most cases two sides of the same coin.  Selecting Le Corbusier was not a foregone conclusion.  Most buildings of note for the past thousand years have had known, documented architects associated with them; some of those people were quite famous and/or influential in their day.  So I think the question of which building to select, who designed and why does the designer or building really matter in a larger sense is key to selecting future Architecture sets and that is the very core of "why choose X (building/designer) instead of Y (building/designer)"  

There are many excellent French architects to choose from and they are responsible for far more well known and architecturally interesting projects than the Villa Savoye (again, my personal opinion, biased by the fact that many examples of the Modernist movement do nothing for me).  As I mentioned, Le Corbusier/Villa Savoye isn't an architectural example that jumps out at me when I think of France.  I think: Pierre de Montreuil - Notre Dame, Saint Denis & the Abby of St Germain-de-pres; Jean Baptiste Androuet du Cerceau - Le Pont Neuf; Salomon de Brosse - Luxenbourg Palace; Jacques-Germain Soufflot - Le Pantheon; Claude Nicolas Ledoux - The Royal Salt works at Arc-at-Senanes; Ange-Jacques Gabriel - L'Ecole Militaire; and, Charles Garnier - the Palais Garnier/Paris Opera House.  Any one of these would make a great kit and have more than enough historical notes and trivia to fill out the usual architecture collectors instruction book.

I think Gothic, Neoclassical, Rococo, etc. styles of architecture are a lot harder to realize in a small LEGO model (compared with many Modernist examples) but that's what makes for an interesting build (if it is done right).  I think the Villa Savoye model is fine for what it is (and I'll probably get one) but by selecting Modernist examples, the Architecture line really isn't pushing the envelope either artistically or in build complexity.  I wasn't too keen on the Farnsworth House either for pretty much the same reason and if their next offering is something like Habitat 67 I don't see myself lining up to buy one.

[Cavannus]

This is a funny coincidence: a couple of months ago I looked at existing Architecture sets on the web, noticed that none of them was about a building I knew in person, and secretly wished they would released the Villa Savoye since I really love the real house (especially the interior and the roof). Of course I wished it but never thought this might become real!
But... WOW! they did it! Is it a real coincidence or did I hear some information that I forgot thereafter?

Anyway, this will be my first Architecture set! I appreciate that Lego offers various models and makes their fans discover existing buildings.

Edited by Cavannus, 04 September 2012 - 10:05 PM.

[Tragic Banjo]

ShaydDeGrai, on 04 September 2012 - 06:15 PM, said:

*snip*

OK, I see where you're coming from. I do, however, think Le Corbusier was something of a foregone conclusion for this line - as soon as the Farnsworth House set came out, I knew we'd see this set sooner or later, just to round out the "Big Three" of modern architecture. Once you've got FLLW and Mies you pretty much have to acknowledge Corbusier. (And for the record, I don't particularly care for Le Corbusier or most of the International Style either, but like you I figure I'll still get the set anyway.)

I would like to see more early buildings, too, though - a Palladian villa would be pretty easily translated to LEGO. And given my own personal inclinations, I even think the theme's focus on modernism could stand to move forward a bit; the medium's a natural fit for postmodern and deconstructivist works as well.

Beyond all my opinions about where LEGO Architecture could/should go, though, I definitely have to give Michael Hepp an enormous amount of credit for giving me a renewed (if slightly grudging...) appreciation for a building I've generally hated since the first week of architecture school. I'll probably be picking this one up come December - when I get an extra employee discount.

Cavannus, on 04 September 2012 - 09:53 PM, said:

Of course I wished it but never thought this might become real!
But... WOW! they did it! Is it a real coincidence or did I hear some information that I forgot thereafter?

You might have heard about it earlier; some vague info - a (misspelled) name and price - was leaked back in February.

[Cavannus]

Tragic Banjo, on 05 September 2012 - 05:31 AM, said:

You might have heard about it earlier; some vague info - a (misspelled) name and price - was leaked back in February.

Thanks for the info! Of course I'll never know, but indeed I probably read it somewhere or got inspired by the recent survey.

Another thought: this house might be released bigger in minifig scale since it isn't that big in reality and has a smart interior. I've seen a few MOCs that really look great.

Edited by Cavannus, 06 September 2012 - 06:11 AM.

[Shu]

Rufus, on 31 August 2012 - 10:15 PM, said:

The Villa Savoye is not a building I had heard of, prior to this (but then I'd never heard of Robie House, either), and seems like an odd choice to showcase a famous building in France, when other edifices are more widely known either as world-renowned landmarks or architectural significance.

sorry but i can't help but comment on this.

as someone who studied architecture, i actually find it rather weird that someone from Europe had not heard of the famous Villa Savoye. weirder still that i have assumed you to be french. anyway, Villa Savoye is actually "very significant" in the field of architecture as it pioneered the "formula" of the modern architecture: the five points that you have stated. the building was a breakthrough, aside from Le Corbusier was indeed a very renowned architect.

so there you go. i hope that justifies why they (TLG) chose the building.


AND you have done a great review! very detailed and good quality of pictures. made me want to purchase this masterpiece immediately! thanks!

Edited by Shu, 01 January 2013 - 03:26 PM.