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VIDEO Review: LEGO Architecture Flatiron Building (Set 21023)
Zusammengebaut posted a topic in Special LEGO Themes
Hello, last year, I have seen the fantastic Flatiron Building in Manhattan: What an impressive building. And I have to say: The high-rise building as an archicture-set is impressive, as well. So, this is my review (german language) of the Lego-Set and pictures of the "original" building - to compare both: Best wishes Andres -
Hi to all, I have the pleasure to present 3 of my latest MOCs. 3 iconic building of Madrid. TORRESPAÑA (PIRULI) Torrespaña (literally "Spain Tower") is a 231 m (757.87 ft) steel-and-concrete television tower located in Madrid, Spain. National terrestrial television channels RTVE, Telecinco andAntena 3, as well as the autonomic channel Telemadrid, along with a few radio stations, broadcast from the tower. The tower was built in 1982, commemorating the FIFA World Cup celebrated in Spain that year. The building was administered by RTVE until 1989, when control over radio and television emissions in Spanish territory was given to Retevisión. It is not open for tourists. The Torrespaña tower is generally known in Madrid as the "Pirulí", given the similarity between the tower and a particular type of lollipop of conical shape very popular in Spain in the eighties. It is located in a depression, next to the M30 highway. Most of central Madrid lies to the W and NW. According to Google Earth, the terrain altitude at the site is 660 m (2,170 ft) whereas about 1 km (3,280.8 ft) to the NW it is about 700 m (2,296.6 ft) and rises to 720 m (2,360 ft) even further north. Add about 20–30 m (66–98 ft) height for the average building and the base of the tower is about 60 to 90 m (200 to 300 ft) below the rooftops in that area. The top of the tower is directly visible from most rooftops of Madrid, but it initially was thought and built to enhance television coverage in Southern Madrid. All pictures in full resolution TORRE PICASSO Torre Picasso (Picasso Tower) is a skyscraper in Madrid, Spain designed by Minoru Yamasaki. From 1988 until 2007 it was the tallest building in Madrid, measuring 515 ft (157 m) and with 43 floors. Torre Picasso is located next to the Pablo Picasso Square, within the commercial complex AZCA along the Paseo de la Castellana. At its opening in 1988, Torre Picasso was surpassing the elder office tower Torre de Madrid. However, it was not Madrid's tallest building, as the television tower Torrespañacompleted in 1982, was higher with its 231 m (757.87 ft). Notable surrounding skyscrapers are Torre Europa, Banco de Bilbao Tower and Windsor Tower, now demolished after a fire. The Torre Picasso was Spain's tallest building until 2001,when it was overtaken by the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm, Alicante,the Torre Espacio in 2007,and Torre Caja Madrid, Torre de Cristal and Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso since 2009. All pictures in full resolution ATOCHA STATION Madrid Atocha (Spanish: Estación de Madrid Atocha, also named Madrid Puerta de Atocha) is the largest railway station in Madrid. It is the primary station serving commuter trains (Cercanías), intercity and regional trains from the south, and the AVE high speed trains from Barcelona (Catalonia), Zaragoza (Aragon), Seville (Andalusia) and Valencia(Levante Region). These train services are run by the Spanish national rail company, Renfe. The station is in the Atocha neighborhood of the district of Arganzuela. The original façade faces the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, a site at which a variety of streets converge, including the Calle de Atocha, Paseo del Prado, Paseo de la Infanta Isabel, Avenida de la Ciudad de Barcelona, Calle de Méndez Álvaro, Paseo de las Delicias, Paseo de Santa María de la Cabeza, and Ronda de Atocha. The Atocha station is really a railway complex, formed by the Madrid Atocha Cercanías and Madrid Puerta de Atocha stations of the Spanish national railways and the Atocha Renfe station of the Madrid underground. At this site, Madrid's first railway station was inaugurated on 9 February 1851 under the name Estación de Mediodía (Atocha-Mediodía is now the name of an area of the Arganzuela district, and means south in old Spanish). After the building was largely destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1892. The architect for the replacement, in a wrought ironrenewal style was Alberto de Palacio Elissagne, who collaborated with Gustave Eiffel. Engineer Henry Saint James also took part in the project. The name Atocha has become attached to the station because of the nearby basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Atocha. The train platforms were partly covered by a roof in the form of inverted hull with a height of approximately 27 meters and length of 157 meters. The steel and glass roof spreads between two brick flanking buildings. This complex of railway tracks expanded through the years. In 1985, a project of complete remodeling began, based on designs byRafael Moneo. In 1992, the original building was taken out of service as a terminal, and converted into a concourse with shops, cafés, and a nightclub. Like the Orsay Museum in Paris, the concourse has been given a new function, this time a stunning 4,000 m2(43,056 sq ft) covered tropical garden. A modern terminal was also designed by Moneo, and built in adjacent land to serve both the new AVE trains and local commuter lines. The main lines end in the new terminal; commuter train platforms are located underground, at the ingress to a rail tunnel extending northward under the Paseo de la Castellana. The station is served by two Madrid Metro stations, Atocha and Atocha Renfe. The latter was added when the new terminal building was constructed and is directly linked to the railway station. All pictures in full resolution Enjoy it
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Hi everyone! I got this interesting idea of a fire station some time ago, and built this in two weeks, the fastest building I have done so far. I have no intention to get the now-expensive 10197 Fire Brigade, which doesn't really appeal to me. However, I am thinking, if I am to build a fire station, what design should it be? All fire stations have the distinctive feature of the big gates for fire trucks and the walls that separate them, no matter what the buildings look like. I took that idea, and thought about extending these bays to the second storey. At the same time, what if the interior walls grow so big that they grow outside of the facade walls? And so I turned the sketches into real thing. I choose dark red as it is less prominent than bright red, giving a more sophisticated color scheme for the city. Inside, you have everything a normal fire station would have: parking bays and equipment racks on the ground floor: Captain talking to the staff... On the second floor, there are pantry, resting room and toilet on the top. There is even a ping-pong table for the firemen! "Hey why are you two playing table tennis on the street, huh?" One of the play features here is the light. I put the red light brick at the corner and so when there is alarm, you can light it up and the firemen will be ready to go! I hope you like this modern building design, thanks!
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The Conquest of Lampsacus by Mark of Falworth, on Flickr The Conquest of Lampsacus by Mark of Falworth, on Flickr The Conquest of Lampsacus by Mark of Falworth, on Flickr Enjoy!
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Washburn Washburn is the US capital city of New Kansas, Kepler System. True to it’s namesake, New Kansas is a fertile farming world from which a wide variety of crops are cultivated and animals raised. Settlements range from small, old fashioned farms to large, mechanised outposts of synchronised machines and technology. Typical Washburn city block, complete with florist, house, bridge and traffic. Washburn is the hub for all manner of activity; business, education and pleasure. It is the port by which New Kansas feeds a large proportion of the Core Worlds. The city is home to several of the top biochemical and veterinary colleges of their kind. A giant spaceport sits on the outskirts of the city, big enough to accommodate the larger interplanetary barges for the transfer of crops and livestock. There is also quite the lively nightlife; most of these bars and cantinas centre around the American Cool Revival trend. They feature music and décor reminiscent of American days gone by. There exists a quiet acrimony the settlers who reside solely within Washburn and the more isolated farmers. The latter consider their city-based fellows stuck-up and pretentious. The former consider the farming population crass and uncultured. Above: a typical Washburn home The city is home to the New Kansas Senator, when she is not involved in democratic discussions back on Earth. Although officially neutral during the Pan-Eurasian War, several of the large farmers sold food to the under-siege Coalitionpopulation of Kepler II. One side of the story paints the farmers as saving the lives of starving children. The reality was that rich agricultural groups made huge profits breaking a neutrality clause set by the government. The US investigation into the food smuggling found no person or organisation culpable is considered a whitewash by the Coalition.
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VIDEO Review: LEGO House - exclusive Billund-Set (4000010)
Zusammengebaut posted a topic in Special LEGO Themes
Hello, in March, I have been to Billund and bought an exklusive Billund-Architecture-Set: The "LEGO House" (4000010). Beside the nice building, a fine booklet and a minifigure are included, as well. This is my video review - in German language. But if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me at any time. The "real" Lego House will open in about two years from now. Have you already seen this set or have you visited Billund in the past? Best wishes Andres -
Hi everyone! Just thought i'd share my latest Architecture build, in case anyone in here would find it interesting. It's a scale model on Richard Neutras Lovell Health House, a modernist piece from the late 20's, based in California. A house which was also featured in the movie L.A Confidential https://www.flickr.c...re/16775803645/ best wishes -Mat
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Credit for the tree design goes to Brother Steven. This is my second largest build ever at 64x48 (plus the border), and weighing over 21 pounds. It was built over a period of 8 days. There's a full interior, and the castle doors work. Sir Glorfindel attends a feast held at Darraor Castle, a Mitgardian fortress located near the Avalonian border, the feast was supposed to promote diplomatic relations between the two guilds, but not all of the guests seem pleased about this: View from a tower window: Check out all the details here: http://brickbuilt.or...raor-Castle.php Your comments and constructive criticisms are always appreciated
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Hello to everyone! Today I would like to introduce my last speedwork. Why speedwork? Because I designed it in a spare hour and built in 30 minutes. I'm a big fan of manga and japanese animation and I really love what Miyazaki sensei has gifted to us. All of his works deserve more than a vision to discover new meanings and details. A couple of weeks ago I decided to design Indastria, the tower of the sun in which is set a good part of the anime Mirai Shounen Conan. I am particularly fond of this Tv series, having seen it when I was still a child. It is an "architecture-style" realization, and I think that it complied well the shape and proportions of what's seen in the anime. I'm going to propose on Lego Ideas, so if you like, rate it.
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I saw this competition announcement on a few other sites, is anyone going to try for it? Here is a link to info about it. http://lego.gizmodo....in-e-1679743546
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Title Edit: NATIONAL CONGRESS OF BRAZIL The final design of the National Congress of Brazil, originally made in 2013. The model uses 262 pieces. If you guys like it please show your support on LEGO Ideas! ideas.lego.com/projects/90438
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So after my Westminster Digital moc was a success, I decided to try my hand at another London landmark. It's taken 6 months, but I've finally cracked it! After months of pining after the Tower Bridge set and not being able to afford it, I've finally managed to downsize and create a little budget Tower Bridge to compliment the architecture Big Ben set. Now I know some of you might say some of the model is like another moc that is on this site. I will say now I got my inspiration from that wonderful MOC plus another one I found elsewhere. It took me ages but I've finally got it right. AND to top it all off, I've just ordered all the bits on bricklink so will be able to post a photograph of this moc built in reality. I cannot wait for that! Anyhow, here is the pictures! Tower Bridge Tower Bridge With Big Ben to show Size comparison. I hope you like it. Next London landmark coming? I haven't the foggiest. Let's just say I have a few in mind ;) Javert
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Hi everybody! Here I want share with you my last project, the Villa Pisani Bonetti, an original architectural design by the noted italian architect Andrea Palladio, built back in 1570. In 1996, UNESCO included the Villa in the World Heritage Site list: "City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto" (you can check out more here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/712) By now I have only built the exterior of the Villa, which is composed of about 10.000 pieces. I have already created the interiors with Ldd program too, but it will take around 4.000 piecest more, so I maybe will complete the full project at a later time. Villa Pisani Bonetti Lego 01 by ElektroGospel, on Flickr Villa Pisani Bonetti Lego 04 by ElektroGospel, on Flickr Villa Pisani Bonetti Lego 08 by ElektroGospel, on Flickr Villa Pisani BonettiLego 09 by ElektroGospel, on Flickr Hope you enjoy some pics of the Villa I uploaded in my flickr album :) https://www.flickr.com/photos/128777959@N07/
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SVERDLOVSK '86 In 1986, the confrontation between the two superpowers reached its climax and turned into the third world war. Nuclear strike razed to the ground dozens of major cities on the continents turning them into a lifeless desert. Millions of tons of radioactive dust raised into the air by the powerful explosions that led to large-scale environmental disaster. The remnants of humanity were thrown back in the development for centuries, and leading a losing battle for survival. Spiral of evolution on Earth has completed its turn and start a new one ... One of the places where you can meet the survivors became Sverdlovsk. This city with a million people was once the main administrative, industrial and cultural center of the Urals. Perhaps being in the interior of the continent away from the object of the main attack saved it. SVERDLOVSK by vir-a-cocha, on Flickr A handful of survivors settled on the right bank of the dry river Iset in the former building of the circus. The unique design of the dome withstood the shock wave. A second preserved building is unfinished TV Tower maden from the heavy-duty concrete. It was not finished in time of peace, and construction stopped at around 219m. SVERDLOVSKby vir-a-cocha, on Flickr Now, it's just concrete structures buried under the dust . The right bank of the Iset River, between the streets of Kuybysheva, 8-go Marta and the Dekabristov, and all the buildings are made in the scale of 1:2000. (geotaged) SVERDLOVSK by vir-a-cocha, on Flickr Somewhere in another reality ... In 1986, a meeting of Gorbachev and Reagan in Reykjavik, which marked the beginning of a new foreign policy of the USSR. From this moment the relations between the countries have warmed. In Soviet Union Perestroika has began, then another serie of events occured during which the Soviet Union ceases to exist. Sverdlovsk in 1991, was renamed into Ekaterinburg. Circus, located on the corner of Kuibysheva Str and March 8 Str, continues to delight children and their parents. The famous TV tower was never completed. After 1989 began construction financing shortages, and it was frozen. In 90s the tower was a popular place for suicides, adventurers, climbers and BASE jumpers. After a series of resonant accidents access to it was closed. Video aerial view shows the beauty of the center of modern Ekaterinburg. youtu.be/PoWjtfDNAB0
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Another of my Micropolis modules is this 32*32 block with three appartmentbuildings and a mixed use building. At it's ground level, you will find a toy store - THE place to buy your bricks . The module will be on display at LEGO Fan Weekend 2014, as a part of my Micropolis layout. Enjoy, and feel welcome to comment Micropolis - 3+1_2 by Sandman_DK, on Flickr Micropolis - 3+1 by Sandman_DK, on Flickr Micropolis - 3+1_3 by Sandman_DK, on Flickr Micropolis - 3+1_4 by Sandman_DK, on Flickr
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“There it is.” Dressed in smuggler clothes, we approach our destination. Just agent An and me, two pilots, on a rapid reconnaissance mission while the rest of the troops continue to search Ord Mantell. There’s only a small chance we will find him here. But the files on the datapad have led us to this once beautiful temple, hidden between the forests on the surface of Bothawui. They are rumoured to be infested with Rebels. Still, nothing indicates this place is of special importance… not anymore. “See that antenna hidden on the roof? We’re here alright... Yes, here is some kind of hatch. Let’s go in and take them by surprise!” Things always go so quickly with agent An. Frightfully quickly… “We aren’t wearing these smuggler clothes just to blow are cover the very second we enter the place. You don’t even know what we’ll find. It could be a Rebel cell wiped out by the Bounty Hunter. Or it could be a whole battalion of Rebels. If you’re not careful, you drop right into a sarlacc pit.” “What do you propose then, genius?” My colleague can be awfully sarcastic. Like a little boy robbed of his favourite Ackay action hologram… “Why don’t walk in casually? Pretend to be one of them, whoever is down there. Talk them into giving you the evidence. Why would you make this a massacre?” “Oh, I see… What if I go in and… improvise, while you stand guard here. Someone has to watch my back. Just blast anyone who makes a fuss here…” Sarcastic as his proposal may sound, I consent. I’m not getting involved in whatever happens down there. And the chances someone comes here are slim. “That’s what we’ll do. And if someone shows up here, I’ll… improvise.” He already threw open the hatch and descends the stairs. A muffled cry. I’m not staying here to find out from who. I’m not going to stay here to witness yet another tragedy. I don’t want to be part of this scene of death. I turn away. That temple… it seems like it is consecrated to life, to nature. Those two beautiful columns, with a closed bud and an open flower, the geometric patterns evoking foliage… I wonder what it was used for, what it all means. Yet, I’m attracted to it. It’s strange how nature is destroying the homage to itself. And even then, there might be a meaning to it all. This really is a sacred place. A reflection by… [soNE Ep. VI] 4 - What's the meaning of all this? by Bert.VR, on Flickr That was close. I got behind this rubble just in time. I don’t think those Bothans have seen me. But what now? What if they enter the hatch. I can’t just kill them… they might be civilians. I don’t know how it will help me, but contacting Goatm is the only thing I can think of. Our communication only makes things worse. Below, there will soon be an even greater ruin than up here. Gunfire and cries. The Bothans seem as distressed as I am, and decide to leave quietly. I guess they don’t want to be in this as much as I. So far for giving my colleague back cover. [soNE Ep. VI] 4 - Ruins among ruins by Bert.VR, on Flickr I can think again. So it is true: there really are… or sadly were Rebels down there. How did they get involved with the bounty hunter? Why would Boba Fett bother to steal a genuine Rebel datapad somewhere? Surely, a smaller clue would have done to blame the Rebels for that atrocious deed on Ord Mantell. Unless… he had it already with them, stolen it from Rebels that he had encountered. Maybe the datapad still holds some information. It was never meant to be investigated, but that might be the reason there is still useful information in there… It doesn’t take me long to find what I’m looking for. Indeed, the mission of the Rebel this datapad once belonged to, was to track down Boba Fett, in an attempt to rescue a certain Solo. So the Rebels are after the bounty hunter as well, at the same time. What a coincidence. At least, they have reason, unlike our own absurd mission… The truth is simple and astonishing. Our mission isn’t to get Boba Fett and deliver him some ridiculous ‘Thank you’ card at all. Sure, finding the bounty hunter is our priority, but the reason is something else entirely. This mission is a mere excuse to get to the Rebels. We only want to track the bounty hunter to know where to find the Rebels. It isn’t about finding him, it’s about finding those that are searching for him. Our real bounty, are the Rebels… Ruins. But why? Why weren’t we just told that we were hunting Rebels? Why did they try to conceal the real purpose of this mission from us? Is it to give us a false feeling of safety? Is it so that we ask as few questions as possible? Or is it to make us forget what we’re actually doing, to turn us into mindless machines? Why? I don’t know why. But what I do know, is that this is intolerable. One cannot just conceal a war from the people that are suffering the consequences! If there is a war, you can’t hide it. People have the right to know what’s going on. So that they either can support or resist it. There’s a difference between people that live to ignore the war, and people that live in ignorance of the war. But neither of them can have an opinion, neither of them gets listened to, neither of them gets a chance to stand up and change things. And both of them should be awakened. It’s hideous to hide things from people, without hiding the consequences for them. If people don’t know what’s happening, they have no chance of fighting back. Hiding these things, silencing them, is a crime. It is just like that bounty hunter, who’s example the Empire is apparently obediently following. He commits an atrocious crime, and walks away, blaming it on someone else, so that people are powerless to fight back. It’s like blaming the supernatural for something you did, so other people can’t do a thing about it. It’s hiding what you did behind an unbreakable façade. And that hiding, is a crime. And it has to be stopped. There’s only one way to break this wall of ignorance down. People have to know what’s really happening. Somebody has to tell it to them. No, not somebody, someone far away. Everybody. I have to tell the world what’s happening. Maybe that’s my purpose in life. It’s a nice feeling to know that… Of the whole world, I already informed one, myself. Next up, someone that has to know what he is doing himself… Boba Fett. ___________________ LDD file is available right here. As you might have noticed, the story is a collaboration with goatman461. The link in the middle leads to his entry, as the story could be inserted there. Be sure to check his fantastic entry out as well! And thanks a lot for the inspiration, goatman! With 1411 bricks, this is a rather parts intensive MOC (there are more pieces in the creation, than there are words in the enormous story above, 1133 words to be exact). That's due to the different patterns, on the wall and in the floor. When I look at it in reverse, there could be less, with areas of the ground that are already covered, but with this tight deadline, I'm leaving it as it is. Apart from the different patterns, I also tried to incorporate some extra nice features. I'm very pleased with the columns, and I tested the design in real life, so they're absolutely clean, and maybe I'll post a tutorial someday on how to make those shafts. I admit that the tree is probably a very fragile construction. I already tested this technique, but i can't assure this particular configuration will hold, so I hope you're fine with the fact that the idea is possible. The roof construction is overly complicated, but I like the way the bricks form nice patterns, so let's stick to this fragile design. There are also some features that aren't clearly visible on the pictures, like some cracks in the ceiling and ornaments towards the roof. You can check these out in the digital model. So I hope you like the MOC and the story, as I put a lot of work and thought into it. Let me know what you think. PS: I hope the story made you think once again, and I would be very pleased to know what you think the 'hidden' meaning of the temple (and the way it is destroyed) is (yes, I really put a meaning in there!). Cudos to the one that gets it right!
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Hello! About a year ago I presented a digital model of Battersea Power Station. You can find the original topic here. But since then, the model has been through 7 or 8 redesigns, so I think this justifies a new topic. This has sort of been a labour of love. In the past year, I went back to Battersea, visited the Britannia Row Studios and went on a Pink Floyd bender. I reworked and reworked this model until I finally decided it was finished, and ordered the bricks to build it. Here we go: EDIT: See more photos at Flickr. It's a shame I don't have a good photo set-up at the moment, but the pictures came out OK (if a little washed-out). C&C are welcome. Thanks for looking!
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So I hope this is not an entry that anybody else took before I do now! If so please don't blame me too much, but I couldn't find any entry in this forum concerning this topic! So what I wanna do here is the following: As a beginner it is very hard to start a collection! Many questions have to be answered! This topic should help anyone who is interested in building his own creation out of LEGO and needs some advice which bricks and wich colors of bricks he should own before getting started. From my point of view it is important to have a wide range of different bricks in different colors before starting to build his/ her MOC. Because otherwise you won't be able to be as creative as possible. After reading the last sentence, everyone should shout out: You are silly! That's a lot of money to spend before I can get started! Exactly that's what this entry tries to figure out: Which parts do I need to get started as soon as possible! And here I need your help! Please post in this thread which parts you think someone at least needs to get started building a castle for example. Or if you are interested in the space theme and/ or already built something - then you have the experience others do not have, and here is the place where you can share! What is needed: First you should post what can be built out of the bricks you post. e.g.: Architecture, Castle, Forest, ... Second, give a short overview which colors you needed to build your creation. e.g.: for a castle you need dark bluish gray, light bluish gray, black, reddish brown, ... Third, are there any kinds of bricks that been needed especially to build a great MOC. e.g.: for a castle you surely need these bricks: 98283.jpg and/ or 60808.jpg From my point of view the quantity of parts is not needed - everyone should make his own decision how many of a kind he/ she want to own. Finally I will sum up all your posts in this post, so everyone has a quick overview what the community came up with! I give you an example: To build a realistic Forest you need the following: Colors: Plenty of dark green, bright green, green, olive green, black, reddish brown, dark reddish brown Kinds of bricks: These parts you should not miss in your collection: 2417.jpg, 2423.jpg, 30093.gif, 55236.gif If there are any other colors or bricks you use when creating a realistic forest please post it and I will add them in my post. So I am looking forward to read your suggestions and of course if this topic make sense! I will accept any feedback from you! If you say, no we do not need this stuff or you know where I can find something similar in the www please post it!
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Here's my latest: I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong. Roughly 1/650th scale. The tower footprint is only ~10x10 studs. As a bonus, I built a second model as a structural demonstrator to illustrate with color the different internal structural systems used in the MOC.
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If you can't make it to Paris, let Paris come to you. One of the 2014 models of LEGO Architecture's Landmarks series is the Paris' hallmark, the Eiffel Tower. If you want to know whether or not the LEGO model makes up to it, you can continue reading this review. Although, I must admit, I had a trip to Paris planned twice, and still haven't made it there, so I might not be the right person to compare the real tower and LEGO model. Nevertheless, here's my thoughts about the LEGO model of the famous Eiffel Tower. Basic info of the set Set no.: 21019 Name: The Eiffel Tower Theme: Architecture (Subtheme Landmark series) Year: 2014 Pieces: 321 Minifigs: 0 Age group: 12+ Price: £ 29.99 / US$ 34.99 / EUR 35.99 Price per part: 9.343p / 10.900c / 10.900c Links: Brickset, Bricklink, LEGO S@H The box The front of the box is unexpectedly dark and shady for a LEGO set, yet the Eiffel Tower still stands out. It's standing on white sheets of paper, presumably the architectural plans for the model. The grayish structure of the model is nicely visible, and gives a suitable impression of the slightly curved and cone-like shape of the model. The back of the box features a picture and a short description of the Eiffel Tower, an iconic symbol of Paris. In addition, the LEGO model is presented schematically with its dimensions (height 31.7 cm and width 11.2 cm) and announcement that the Instruction booklet includes more details on design and history of the Eiffel Tower. A nice detail is the text description in 6 world languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hungarian). A lovely feature on the side of the box is a picture of the model with its name in 6 world languages. The narrow and tall model fits very nicely on the side, which makes it nice to display the box on the shelf and save some space. In my opinion, the best feature of the box (this is true for the whole Landmark series or at least the sets I own from this series) is that it opens up to reveal the box contents. This is not a new detail, as it was a standard in the 90's (I believe), but nowadays it's rather rare. I like this feature of the box, as it allows easier access to the contents. In addition, the box is made of a sturdier cardboard which makes it more convenient for storage. Both features of the box are the reasons why I decided to keep it, as I generally throw set boxes away almost immediately after building the set. The booklet The booklet design is similar to the box's front side. It's made from a thicker paper and has even thicker cover and back pages. This is definitely a plus, as instruction booklets are made of thinner paper which is more prone to accidental tears. Another feature of the booklet that stands out is the dorsal binding. In a way, this is not so handy while building, as the pages keep turning on their own, but it adds to the quality and long life of the booklet. This can be compensated by slightly rubbing the turned pages in the booklet, although it leaves a mark on the booklet. The booklet includes a detailed description of the Eiffel Tower's design and construction, and some basic information about its designer, a French engineer Gustave Eiffel. Many interesting facts can be found in the booklet, including the fact that he was specialized in building different metal structures, was the designer of the Statue of Liberty, and was involved in building the locks for the Panama Canal. Another lovely feature of the booklet are wonderful photos of the real Eiffel Tower. For someone, who hasn't made it to Paris yet, just looking the photos is very tempting to start planning the trip there. In addition, basic facts about the Eiffel Tower are included. Did you know there's 18038 iron parts included in the tower? In addition, the booklet is bilingual. All the information is written in English and French. A random page from the booklet shows that it's not that hard to follow up different steps of the design considering the mostly greyish structure. The parts needed are highlighted in clouds with white borders. The corners on the booklet pages seem to be reserved for some kind of ''Did you know?'' information. This page states that the position of each of the 2500000 rivet holes was specified to within 0.1 mm. In my opinion, this seems very precise, especially considering the model was designed more than 100 years ago. The pieces Parts to build the Eiffel Tower are packed in 4 polybags. There's not much variability in colour. Parts are in 6 different colours (black, light and dark bluish gray, flat silver, dark green and red), however the majority of parts is in both shades of gray. These are the largest parts found in the box, mostly plates and tiles. Of interest, there are two black printed tiles with French and English name of the tower. This is a nice detail, as you can choose how to name your tower. I chose the English name, as I'm more familiar with it. However, French is original, and including only a French tile would not be a problem. Smaller parts are again mostly plates and modified plates. Special parts here are the SNOT plates, that are very abundant in this set. Majority of the parts is included in larger numbers, as they are used as building blocks of each of four sides of the tower. Parts wise, there's not much special bricks that would make it worth buying this set for parts only. However, the interesting parts in this set are the before mentioned printed tiles, 4x4 round plate with 2x2 hole inside in light bluish gray, 2x2 dark green tiles, dark bluish gray plate with grill, flat silver hoses and flat silver modified plate with octagonal frame. The build The building of the model of the Eiffel Tower starts with now almost classic Architecture set's platform with distinguished black edge with printed name of the model on the tile. I chose English name, however, you can ''personalize'' your model of the Eiffel Tower, and use a tile with French name. The platform is tiled with dark green tiles representing the grass around the tower, and light bluish gray tiles representing the paved surface below the tower. Positioned on the turn tables in each corner are the bases for each ''leg'' of the tower. Another specialty of this model is SNOT building. In addition, to classical SNOT techniques with SNOT bricks, throughout the build you can find different 1x1 modified plates positioned at 45° angle in respect to other bricks. Here, at the first level of the tower, you can see gray clips at the edges of the level. The grill plate is used as a base for the first level, and again here you can see 1x1 clips positioned at an ''odd'' angle. The grill plate looks nicely as it is similar to the iron structure of the real tower. In one of the later steps, you attach the middle part of tower's legs to the angled clips. These middle parts of the ''legs'' attach to the higher smaller platform with the same technique. An interesting detail at this step is that you actually have built the middle part of the tower, but you cannot attach it to the base platform, as the bottom part of the ''legs'' are not built yet. The bottom part of the tower's ''legs'' is added later during the building. They're built similarly to the middle part from previous picture. The only difference are the additional clips on the sides of the ''legs''. These clips will hold the flexible hoses, but are added a bit later. Also, at this point, the model is up-side down. The finished bottom half of the model looks great attached to the base platform. The flexible hoses are a great detail, although the flat silver colour is not so evident in this colour scheme. Aditionally, slightly more reflexion and mimicking of metal colour is provided by the two rows of flat silver grill plates around the edges of the lower two platforms of the tower. The upper part of the tower differs in size and shape from the bottom part. At some point it looks very odd with sides of the upper inverted pyramid sticking out in the empty space. Although, different in shape, the same SNOT techniques are used as in the lower part. In the bottom of this upper part of the tower, you can again see the clips positioned at 45° angle. The finishing touch of the tower is the octagonal ring in flat silver at the top and flag pole at the top of the tower. The only thing I'm missing at this point is a printed tile with French flag design to hang on the pole. This would be the icing on the cake. The finished product After some repetitive small builds, here's finally the finished model of the Eiffel Tower. The model is instantly recognizable. Although LEGO bricks are generally considered as ''blocky'', there's almost no sign of blocky appearance in the Eiffel Tower. Specifically when viewed from an angle, the cone like shape of the tower is even more evident, and small details in flat silver and slightly differently angled ''sides'' of the tower really stand out. How well the designer(s) of the set managed to replicate the cone like structure of the tower, is nicely seen also from the birds' perspective. What I missed is the designer(s) behind the model. As I remember for some models of the Architecture series, the name of the designer was included on the box. However, for this set I couldn't find any reference as to who is the person(s) responsible for this lovely model of the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to EB member Steve309 who provided the missing information of the set designer (as seen in the book entitled Lego Architecture: The Visual Guide), I can add the name of the designer behind this set. This is Rok Zgalin Kobe, a Slovenian architect and designer of the Trevi Fountain, Imperial Hotel, Big Ben and other Architecture sets. The Final Verdict Design: 9/10 The overall design is well executed. The Eiffel Tower is instantly recognizable, and the colour scheme is reminiscent of metallic iron structure. The shape of the tower is spot on thanks to some simple, yet effective SNOT building techniques. The only thing I missed is a small French flag at the top of the pole. Parts: 7/10 Selection of parts is just a pile of mostly light bluish and dark bluish gray plates and modified plates. It's definitely not a set worth buying for parts only, as there are not that many special or rare bricks included. However, it might be useful to get a hand on some SNOT parts in light bluish gray. Build: 8/10 The build itself is not that simple build as some of the bricks are positioned at a 45° angle, however there are some repetitive elements included which takes away a bit of fun. Nevertheless, the build is impressive and enjoyable enough as it's starts somewhere in the middle of the tower, and is not straight from the bottom up. Playability: 9/10 The set is definitely not meant to be played with, yet it's still sturdy enough to be handled even by younger hands. As for the target population, it's a great model to display (and this is one aspect of ''play'' for the AFOLs, isn't it?). Price: 7/10 The price is a bit on the expensive side with more than 0.1 EUR per brick while it doesn't offer any special or rare parts. However, in my opinion it's still a better value than some other smaller sets from the Architecture Landmark series. Overall: 40/50 (80 %) From the overall score the greatness of the model is not that obvious. From specific aspects, such as parts, price and build the model doesn't appear to be sticking out of the average. However, the design is well done, and it's a recognisable model of one of the most famous Paris' buildings.
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Hi all, I would like to show you my latest creation, the Flower Box. When you hear the florist, what do you think? A shop stuffed with flowers? Since the opening of my studio Box N, they have been working on different projects and finally the first commission for them is completed. I don't explain much as my presentation board will tell you the design story behind the iconic building! Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Flower Box by niteangel, on Flickr Visit the Flickr album for a little more images! Do you enjoy the new modern architecture in my V City? Thanks!
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Welcome to the Lone Star State! While not a native Texan, I have now lived here for a few years and managed to visit many of this state's great destinations. I thought I would share some of these site with you, but in Lego form and in an Architecture style. First stop is closest to my home ... Dallas! In Dallas you will find the Reunion Tower. Completed in 1978, this tower rises 561 feet. It's located to the west of downtown and, if you are standing at the northeast corner of the observation deck, you can look just about straight down onto the famous "grassy knoll". Hundreds of LEDs of different colors surround the sphere and put on different light displays based on the holiday, season or if any local sports teams are playing. And a picture of the real thing, for those not familiar with it.: And now we head a little south to Texas' largest city, Houston. Just a short drive south of that we get to the San Jacinto Battle Monument, where the final battle of the war for Texas independence was fought and won by Sam Houston. The San Jacinto Monument is 567 feet tall (just 6 feet taller than Dallas' Reunion Tower) and hosts a 9-pointed star on the top (since it's in three dimensions, it looks like the star of Texas from any angle). This is the one model that is not completely pure Lego. I did paint the stars on the top so they would match the light bley. And again, a picture of the real thing for those who have not visited yet: Next we head over to San Antonio, home of the famous Alamo. Now, obviously I didn't make a model of the WHOLE Alamo as it is a large compound. Instead, I showcase the most famous facade of the Alamo church. What I find striking about the Alamo is how it is located right in the heart of San Antonio, surrounded by stores and restaurants. But once inside, it is quite peaceful. A great place to visit. The Battle for the Alamo took place in 1836. This one likely doesn't need an actual picture to remind people what the Alamo looks like, but just in case, here it is: Next we head up north to Amarillo, with the famous Cadillac Ranch. Created in 1974, it now boasts 10 cars stuck nose-first into the desert. Fun fact: the angle of the cars was not chosen at random, but corresponds to the angles of the Great Pyramid of Giza. And a picture of the real deal: And last we head back to the Dallas area where we find one last truly iconic piece of architecture ... my house! And that's Texas! There are more pictures in Brickshelf , though I don't think they are public yet. When they are, feel free to click on the links below. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=546843 http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=546842 Oh, and for those who were wondering "what about Austin?" Well, there is very little about Austin that I could really consider "iconic" enough for the architecture treatment, so I give you this instead. I hope this appeases all you weird Austiners out there. Austinians? Austinites? Whatever.
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Highlighting the best LEGO architecture models (by architecture style)
henrysunset posted a topic in Special LEGO Themes
I wanted to share a project I've been working on for a few months to find the very best LEGO Architecture models by LEGO Artists around the world. I found many of the models in my collection by reviewing the great resources here in the "Special Themes" forum on Eurobricks. (I think I've skimmed through all 142 pages of posts!) The result is several collections of the best LEGO Architecture, which I've sorted by Architectural style. LINK: http://tomalphin.com/2014/07/best-lego-architecture.html The following is just a teaser of the 100's of great LEGO models I've found. I'm sure some of these are models by members of this board, and I hope you are happy to see your work featured below! (I've tried to make sure each entry is meticulously labeled to give credit to the original artist and link directly to their galleries on Flickr, Mocpages and other sites. If you see a mistake, please let me know. Did I miss your favorite LEGO Architecture model? Tell me about your favorite LEGO Architecture models by replying to this thread or my blog post and I'll add more great LEGO buildings to my Pinterest boards. Sincerely, ---tom -
This MOC is based on the Transporter Bridge in Newport, South Wales. I built it to a LEGO Architecture scale as an entry to the 2014 Eurobricks Event: Architecture Contest. We had to build a local landmark. Ever since I was a child I always found the bridge fascinating, looking at it as we passed it on the road and operating the model that was in the Kingsway Centre. So I just had to build it for the contest. While I had hoped to build it out of blue bricks, some of the more vital parts don't appear in that colour so dark blueish grey it had to be. I also used embroidery thread to get the cables as correct as I could, regular LEGO tubes were too rigid to use and the string from sets was too thin. It seems I am not the only one to think it is rather representative of the local area since it also appears in the NATO Summit logo. A big thanks to CopMike for the custom printed (bi-lingual!) tiles I finally got 'round to posting it.
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Here's my latest model: Lake Point Tower in Chicago. Roughly 1/650th scale. This curving building is one of my personal favorites from the Windy City. The model is about 33cm in height and uses over 1300 trans-black elements for the windows. For reference here is a picture I took of the tower a few years ago.
