Lucarex

There’s a much more recent example of St Mark’s Basilica in the Venice skyline set.

Errr, the Taj Mahal? Christianity isn’t exactly “modern”, and the GP was built as a tomb not as a place of religious worship.

One that actually may sell, you mean?

That skyline set released exactly 5 years ago. Definitely time for a significantly larger more intricate set. Which is exactly what they did years ago with 10253 Big Ben which incidentally also had just over 4000 pieces.

I reckon it’s the GGB in the new and more accurate dark orange, with a partial diorama of the strait and bay, including a microscale Alcatraz (the “tourist attraction” designers at LEGO won’t pass that up) which means a lot of 1x1 water tiles which would account for the high piece count.

Never happening. ART with Atom Brick has a partnership with the FLW foundation. Speaking of which, they have just announced FallingWater for October release (preorders now). It looks decent (apart from the trees) with interior floors but it’s very pricey at 349.99 USD .

Better late than never! So easy that it’s hard to think they looked at it from QC aspect, so must have been an oversight, maybe distracted by the Hubble build going into the cargo bay. Not their finest hour for sure. In fact, the entire model, whilst so many positive aspects, I found to be fragile to such an extent I actually had to glue large sections of it. I’ve never had to do with any set, before or since.

Within this theme, there is a sense (finally) after a period of stagnation, of really expanding into new territory and going beyond the typical “tourist sights”. Yes TLG have done reissues lately, such as Taj and the Eiffel Tower, but both of those were after a significant period of time had elapsed and offered something at a different scale (smaller and much larger respectively). I’m not sure where they could go after 10253 that would offer anything new. Trafalgar Square (I wasn’t that guy when correcting “Trafford”, but twice? not sure where you get that from unless you’re a casual Manchester United follower from the US?) has architectural, historical and cultural merits that Times Square, well it’s just not even a conversation. It didn’t even make the NYC Skyline (and why would it?) yet Shibuya crossing (your other example) did, albeit in the form of 4 1x1 tiles, which kind of sums up where Times Square would feature in any LEGO model. As for Stonehenge, maybe we’re blurring the lines about Architecture and 18+ themes, I do accept it may not have enough detail but then you see a directly analogous subject like the Great Pyramid, which nailed what could have been a disappointing simplistic set. As for “screaming architecture” though, I have to take issue with that as it’s generally regarded as the most architecturally sophisticated (of its time) and historically important structure, and consequently an iconic world famous site. I’m certain TLG could do it justice. Leaving out a recreation of the main traffic-jammed road that runs right alongside it might help 😆

Don’t mean to be that guy but they’ve done “Big Ben” several times, just released the gorgeous Himeji Castle, and Times Square has literally zero architectural merit or interest, unlike Trafalgar Square. Personally, I’d like to see some ancient sites like Angkor Wat or Macchu Pichu, or Stonehenge. Would have to be detailed “expert” sets not like GWOC approximations.

It it was me, I’d wall mount it vertically or banking, like the Shuttle. There will be 3D printed options soon enough.

Ordinarily I should be all over this set like a rash. Fortunate enough to have been on the old girl. It was even a nice surprise as I’d forgotten all about it and only just back from a month’s holiday to an email from LEGO VIP saying it’s immediately available. But, I don’t know, there’s just something not quite right about it. Maybe it’s the exquisite iconic shape of the fuselage and delta wing that is slightly off. Or the somewhat blocky and gappy area around the nose cone. Admittedly it’s not easy to capture. Then there’s the big fail…the missing livery, either BA and/or AF. Having generic Airbus detracts hugely from the overall impression. Like not having NASA on the Shuttle, it’s just wrong. No doubt there’ll be stickers or decals made available soon within the MOC community but TLG have missed a trick not licensing either/both airlines here.

Thing is this theme flys under the radar as it is, and at this time of year there’s also so much other eye candy distracting attention. Which is fair enough, I even cracked and bought PAC-Man without a seconds’ hesitation, but Himeji is another level, like the Great Pyramid, so it’ll be ordered at midnight on the 1st and built within a couple of days of arrival (holiday permitting). Gorgeous set and I’ll not listen to any nit-picking.

I alway remember it on the approach flightpath going over Richmond Common, and no matter how many times you saw it, everyone always stopped in their tracks and looked up. Finally, something actually iconic that deserves that LEGO theme moniker. Can't wait to see if they bring some of the Speed Champions techniques to capture the curvature of the fuselage and nose cone. Only controversial question now is will it come with BA or AF livery? Hopefully both (not exactly many extra bricks) and hopefully not stickers!

Just 18 days now until I get my hands on that orca. Not that I'm counting...

OMG. Well, I was excited about the Arctic Explorer ship before I knew the orca was being resurrected. I mean it's only taken 5 years since it was cancelled (2018 TRU collapse) but boy is it worth the wait. Even the goofy little face. And better yet, we get a small set with seals. Time to reenact those brutal scenes from David Attenborough's Wild Isles methinks

I’m afraid that ship has long sailed when ART left the company in 2019.

Whilst 77014 TOD is cancelled (actually not that fussed personally) has there been any reliably definitive indicators there'll be no DOD sets coming with the launch of the movie in June?

Thanks, I thought that might be the case but it’s still a messed up release wave IMO (on more than one level). Can’t be bothered waiting for S@H to get their act together and picked up the other 2 sets at Smyths instead.

So, less than 12 hours after release, S@H has the two smaller sets (fighter plane and Egyptian tomb) on back order until… ….26 JUNE!!! WTF? However you explain it, that’s a massive ball dropped by TLG. Either marketing/production got their figures ridiculously wrong or the scalpers were allowed carte blanche to buy for resale. Do back order dates ever come down?

Personally (and I know many will disagree) I'm not a fan of the boring as hell black background boxes that seem to be ubiquitous these days, even on the IDEAS range. I miss the gorgeous artwork on stuff like the Old Fishing Store, Ship in Bottle etc, hell, even the retinal haemorrhage-inducing Hidden Side sets had some creative originality.

It's shame that the working waterfall didn't make the threshold in the latest Bricklink crowdfunding... https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/designer-sets-for-adult-fans-of-lego/215678/Working-Waterfall

I don't buy this. In the age of ubiquitous smartphone cameras and inbuilt post processing settings and apps, there's literally no excuse for a blurry tiny-sized photo.

Only almost every night since it released. It's such an obvious gap in the setting and needs a exquisite brick build to complement and enhance the diorama. Cannibalising the MK Fruit Flower Mountain waterfall and it's stickers isn't quite going to cut it

This really grinds my gears. How can you "not be a fan of this" before we've even seen images? Because it's "massive" (you can only assume from piece count only) and more expensive than the boring and ubiquitous "Skylines"? This line is called "Architecture" for a reason not "Tourist Attractions" as it's sadly become over the last few years, and this is the first example of a return to those golden days when the theme put out some really great sets under Adam Reed Tucker. Many of us thought those days were long over.

Exactly.