henrysunset

I can't find the photos anywhere. If anyone wants to send them to me, I'd love to see them!

I had the great pleasure of attending the four-day BrickCon Convention this past weekend, here in Seattle. Now in it's 15th year, BrickCon is one of the longest running shows in the country. It was my third year attending the full convention; I also visited the Public Expo three times before that.Los Angeles City Hall, by Bruce Heller.We had an amazing selection of LEGO models on display, about 25% more MOC's were registered this year than last year! My passion is LEGO Architecture, and I was rewarded with amazing models of the Norwegian Opera House, Los Angeles City Hall, and a massive model of Mont Saint-Michel to name a few.Mont Saint-Michel.Not to worry, there was an excellent representation in all of the other themes as well, including Art, Space, Castle, Bionicle, Technic, Cars, Micro BrickCon, and more. We even had three amazing models based on Game of Thrones.A collaborative Classic Space themed build called "WACKTRON" "The Edge of Glory" by Paul Hetherington was inspired by Dia de los Muertos and colorful Tattoo Art patterns. I also brought a selection of LEGO Architecture models, including the models featured in my book, The LEGO Architect. I was excited to unveil two completely new models at BrickCon: The first is a small model of Torre Cepsa, in Madrid. The second is a 1:650 scale model of Rainier Tower, 1977, Seattle, WA by Architect Minoru Yamasaki. My LEGO Architecture models on display at BrickCon. (Rainier Tower at left)I was inspired to build at the 1:650 scale by the work of Spencer Rezkalla & Rocco Buttliere. The scale is convenient for Skyscrapers, as a single story can be modeled using two plates. (I will share an in-depth look at my model soon.)Private Convention: In addition to the models on display at the Public Expo, I really enjoyed all of the presentations, games, conversations with other builders, and after hours celebrations. There is a gathering each evening with speakers, awards, and prizes.BrickCon 2016 was a great experience, and I hope you are able to join us next year! ---tom P.S. Additional photos and a longer review is available at: brickarchitect.com

Beautiful model and great photography. Very sharp! At first I thought the night shots were renderings!

I had the pleasure of visiting Brick by Brick, a new LEGO exhibit by Adam Reed Tucker (The artist who started the LEGO Architecture series). Adam is most famous for his architectural models of Skyscrapers, so this show is a bit different as it covers a wider range of themes including Architecture, Engineering, History, Disney, and Rollercoasters. There is something for everyone at this show! I visited the exhibit at MSI Chicago in June, while attending Brickworld Chicago 2016. I wanted to share a few highlights from the show to highlight the diversity of the exhibit... Golden Gate Bridge, 1937, San Francisco, CA The most striking model in the show is the massive model of the Golden Gate bridge that greets you right as you enter the exhibit. It's large scale lets you really see the details, including the visible studs which Adam intentionally included as they represent the thousands of rivets that hold the bridge together. Cinderella’s Castle, 1971, Disney World, FL. Adam built an amazing model of Cinderella's Castle, based on the design at Disneyworld. This was built well before the recent unveiling of a 4,000 exclusive LEGO set based on the same building. Fallingwater, 1935, Mill Run, PA, by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I loved seeing his large-scale model of Fallingwater in person. He built the model while working on the official Fallingwater LEGO set, and this large model was featured in my book The LEGO Architect. He chose to use basic elements to focus on the basic form over the ornamentation or landscaping. American Eagle rollercoaster, 1981, Six Flags Great Adventure., NJ. There's so much more to see, including a rollercoaster, three skyscrapers (including one depicted under construction), and several interactive exhibits. The show is highly recommended if you are visiting Chicago between now and February 2017. Sincerely, ---tom P.S. For even more photos and thoughts about the exhibit, I prepared a blog post at: brickarchitect.com

I'm happy to announce yet another update to my collection of over 900 LEGO brick labels. This update includes a lot of parts released in the past few years. You can learn more and download at http://brickarchitect.com/labels/ Sincerely, Tom Alphin Author, The LEGO Architect, 2015, No Starch Press. P.S. I also ensured that there are labels for all of the most common elements by creating a database of every set currently available for purchase, allowing me to identify the most common LEGO elements (and colors). I've shared my preliminary findings at http://brickarchitect.com/bricks/.

I'm happy to announce yet another update to my collection of over 900 LEGO brick labels. This update includes a lot of parts released in the past few years. Download and learn more at brickarchitect.com/labels/ Sincerely, Tom Alphin Author, The LEGO Architect, 2015, No Starch Press. P.S. I also ensured that there are labels for all of the most common elements by creating a database of every set currently available for purchase, allowing me to identify the most common LEGO elements (and colors). I've shared my preliminary findings at http://brickarchitect.com/bricks/.

A 2017 release for a Guggenheim set is suspicious - It might seem like the obvious building to re-create is Frank Gehry's iconic Guggenheim Bilbao, since they already captured Guggenheim NYC (Frank Lloyd Wright) in an official set. We are forgetting that the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Also designed by Frank Gehry opens in 2017. I think there is a very good chance that the model will be timed to coincide with the new building. It's also just a few years before the 2020 World Expo in nearby Dubai. LEGO is crealy trying to grow outside of North America and Europe, and the affluent middle eastern hub seems like a good place to be, (They have already done not just one, but two models of Burj Khalifa as well.) What do you think?

@holodoc, I just found this thread and wanted to take a moment to say great work capturing the building's essence at a tiny scale. It was a pleasure meeting you at BrickWorld and seeing the model first hand. Sincerely, ---tom

I love the basketball hoop on top, very clever parts usage!

I am really loving on this model which deftly captures some of the quirky attributes of a really unique building that I wasn't familiar with until seeing your model. The building's unique form defies categorization; is it an early expression of the current "High-tech Modernism" trend, a very abstract Postmodern form, or a late Brutalist form of traditionally Modernist materials? I proudly added this to my collection of amazing Postmodern LEGO models (had to put it somewhere) here: https://www.pinterest.com/tomalphin/lego-architecture-postmodern/ Thanks again for sharing! ---tom

@m_dejong_lr, Great model. You did a really good job capturing the difficult form of the building's midsection. I shared in on my pinterest collection of great modernism models here: https://www.pinterest.com/tomalphin/lego-architecture-modern/ Thanks for sharing! ---tom

Great work! you have captured some of the unique architectural elements of Gaudi's unique style very effectively. I've added it to my collection of amazing Gothic (and Gothic inspired) architecture on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/514606694904519146/ Thanks for sharing! ---tom

Here are some ideas, good or otherwise... > Boeing factory in Everett, WA. Not interesting architecturally, but it is the largest or second largest building in the world based on square footage. Neat to see it in contrast to the others which focus on being tall instead of wide. > CCTV building in Beijing. > Hearst Tower, NYC - I like juxtaposition of architecture of base and tower. The triangular forms may not be possible in the scale. ---tom

Cathedral of Learning is a classic building with a mix of Skyscraper Gothic & Art Deco era design with an attractive series of setbacks as the building gets taller. It's a great addition to your series! ---tom

@sparkart, I really like your technique - it results in really convincing figures (and it really showcases how oversized the LEGO head part is!)

Gorgeous detailing. I added this to my collection of great LEGO Architecture here: https://www.pinterest.com/tomalphin/lego-architecture-asia/

I had the pleasure to see the exhibit in New York two years ago, and to preview the brand new Seattle exhibit on Thursday night. It is a fantastic show, and the Pacific Science Center has used a large exhibition space for the show, allowing ample space to walk around the 3D art pieces and see them from multiple perspectives. The gallery begins with LEGO re-creations of famous paintings and sculpture. One of my favorites was “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” I have prepared a preview and gallery of the Seattle exhibit at my website. The article includes photos of about 1/3 of the art on display at the show, and includes my thoughts on the favorite pieces in the exhibit. The highlight of the show are the creative sculptures, usually featuring human forms and complex subjects, such as his most famous work which is simply titled "Yellow". The exhibit explores three main themes: LEGO re-creations of famous artworks, unique sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya, and some mixed-media and performance art pieces. It is a large exhibit which you will need at least an hour to fully appreciate. He is also famous for performance art pieces where he decorated his home city of New York with these "Hugman" sculptures. The exhibit closes with a unique piece which he created just for Seattle. I do show photos of that piece on my website, but aren't showing them here in case you don't want to be spoiled! LINK: http://brickarchitec...t-of-the-brick/ Sincerely, Tom Alphin

I'm excited to share yet another update! Version 2.6 adds another 78 new labels, for a total of 850 labels! The collection is getting pretty close to "complete" based on elements which have been reasonably common in the last 10 years. This update includes 16 common Bionicle/Constraction parts, plus a complete collection of 61 current Wheel andTire elements. Preview of the 78 NEW labels in latest version! NEW LABELS: socket/bionicle: 98613, 90612, 90611, 90609, 90608, 90607, 90605, 90622 socket/bionicle2: 90617, 90616, 90615, 90613, 47300, 93571/32174, 89650/61053/etc, 61054/64311/etc technic_tread: 57519 NEW "WHEELS" COLLECTION: wheels_8mm: 4624, 30027/74967, 3139/59895, 30028, 87414/3641 wheels_11mm: 93595/50944/etc, 6014, 42610, 50951/50945, 51011/92409/42611, 60700/87697/6015, 56890 wheels_14mm_15mm: 11208, 11209, 50862, 50861 wheels_18mm: 55981/20896, 55982, 89201, 18977, 30391/92402, 58090/6578, 56891 wheels_18mm_sm: 56902/13971, 61254/3483, 56897/2346 wheels_30.4mm: 56145, 55978, 44309, 61481, 15413, 55976 wheels_30.4mm_sm: 56904, 56898 wheels_43.2mm: 6652/32020, 56908, 41897, 32019, 61480, 45982, 18450 wheels_56mm: 15038/44772, 44771, 92912, 54120 wheels_motorcycle: 2903, 2902, 88517, 88516, 11957 wheels_pin: 4488/10313, 4600, 6157/11002, 2926, 4870, 47720 wheels_small_other: 2655, 2415, 3464, 2496/88423, 4489 DOWNLOAD LINK: http://brickarchitect.com/labels/ Enjoy! ---tom

I'm working on an article that explores how to better understand and apply the concepts of "scale" to create better LEGO models. This raises a pretty fundamental question which I do not feel has been adequately answered within the LEGO community - what is the "scale" for the common LEGO figures we use in our models. Minifig / Minidoll Naturally, we want to start with the classic "minifigure", as well as the newer "minidoll" which has similar width and height. I calculated a value of 1:42 for the classic minifigure, and a value of 1:38 for the Minidoll. The minidoll has fairly realistic proportions, so I feel pretty good about that value. What do you think - do you agree with a value of 1:42 for the classic Minifigure? I have heard a scale of 1:48 cited in several places for the classic minifig, but I believe based on my calculations that this is mostly caused by folks rounding to 1:48, since this is a common scaling factor for model trains and architectural modeling. (I showed all my calculations at http://brickarchitect.com/scale/ so feel free to correct any mistakes in my measurements or calculations.) Miniland Moving on to the "Miniland" scale, which describes those brick built figures popularized at LEGO theme parks... Here, I determined a scale of 1:17 is most accurate, although I have also seen 1:20 cited in a few places. Does 1:17 seem accurate? What do those of you who work in this scale think? Nanofig / Statue fig Lastly, we have the newer "Nanofig" and "Statue fig" sizes. We all know that they are very tiny, but how tiny? By my calculations, they come in at about 1:80 for Nanofig, and 1:125 for Statue Fig. I'm very curious to hear what your thoughts are - It's pretty tricky to decide which measurements to use to calculate the height, especially on the smallest "statue fig" size. Are these values right? Thank you! Again, my detailed calculations and assumptions are clearly called out at http://brickarchitect.com/scale/ and I would really appreciate the help of the community to confirm that these values are as accurate as possible! Sincerely, ---Tom Alphin

Very interesting... This was a very quick build just from photos, so I had not researched floorplans. It's pretty clear that my choice to use a 2x3 plate for the glass floors is not very accurate, 2x2 or 3x3 would be more appropriate. That said, LEGO Architecture is an exercise in caricature, and I think the completed effect is pretty convincing. I'm excited to try some variations in my next version.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" You inspired me to try and build a slightly larger scale version of Torre Cepsa with more detail. LINK: It's just a first draft, so feedback welcome! ---tom

Nice work on Torre Cespa. (It helps that it's a very unique building with aesthetically pleasing proportions.) ...and of course, CONGRATS ON GETTING FUNDED! Sincerely, ---tom

Bob, Just to make sure I understand your feedback, are you suggesting a small collection of labels describing groups of related bricks, rather than the labels I've provided which separate out each and every unique part? This might be useful for folks who don't have that many arms, and don't mind mixing #59230 droid arm, #30377, #76116 mechanical arm, and #48729 Bar w/ clip in a single drawer. Thanks for the feedback, I'll consider this for a subsequent update!

I have made some huge updates to the label collection in the past several months. Version 2.3 added 82 new labels, making the Technic collection nearly complete. Since then, I have added an additional 44 new labels. This includes an effort to review the most common parts from sets released since 2010, to make sure that all of the most common parts are included in the collection. That's a total of 772 Labels! These are the 31 new labels added in today's version 2.5 update... To download the latest version, or learn more, visit http://brickarchitect.com/labels/ Sincerely, ---tom

Does anyone have information on how to download the database? I am sure it can be done by scraping the website, but hopefully there is a more official way. ---tom