Lego Architecture

Lego Architecture is a sub-brand and product range of Lego, which aims to “celebrate the past, present and future of architecture through the Lego Brick”.[2] The brand includes a series of Lego sets designed by ‘Architectural Artist’ Adam Reed Tucker, and each contain the pieces and instructions to build a model of a famous architectural building in micro-scale.

Lego Architecture
SubthemesLandmark series
Architect series
SubjectBuildings
Licensed fromThe Lego Group
Availability2008–present
Total sets65[1]
Official website

Development

Adam Reed Tucker earned a degree in architecture at Kansas State University in 1996.[3] While there, he sought a method to join his two passions of art and architecture, and hit upon the idea of using Lego bricks. From this, he founded Brickstructures, Inc., and began to design and build models of famous landmarks. His work was noticed by the Lego Group, and together they formed a partnership to release some of his models as commercially available Lego sets under the Lego Architecture brand.

Architecture sets

According to Bricklink, The Lego Group released 64 playsets as part of the Lego Architecture theme.[1]

Sets in the product line contain a premium booklet, that – besides the build instructions – also includes various information and pictures of the building itself.

By the beginning of 2009, six sets had been released in the range, under two 'series'. Within the 'Landmark Series' are models of the Sears Tower (21000), John Hancock Center (21001), the Empire State Building (21002), and the Space Needle (21003). Within the 'Architect Series' are models of the Guggenheim Museum (21004) and Fallingwater (21005).

In the beginning of July 2010, a seventh set, the White House (21006), was released. An eighth set (21007) was released in November 2010: New York's Rockefeller Center. The ninth set (21009), Farnsworth House (Plano, Illinois), was released in April 2011. A tenth set (21008), The Burj Khalifa, was released in June 2011. The Willis Tower (21000) was also released in 2011, this kit was a re-issue of the original Sears Tower kit; the only change was the printed tile to reflect the building's renaming.

An eleventh and twelfth set, the Robie House (21010) and the Brandenburg Gate (21011) were released in September 2011.[4][5]

In January 2012, it was announced that the next Architecture set would be 21012 Sydney Opera House. The set was released in March 2012.

In June 2012, Big Ben (21013) was released. In July 2012, the Namdaemun Gate (renamed Sungnyemun Gate) (21016) was released. In September 2012, the Villa Savoye (21014) was released. The Eames House (21015) and Glass House were scheduled and then canceled, as it never came out as a set.

In June 2013, the Leaning Tower of Pisa (21015) was announced for the Lego Architecture series. Its set number (21015) replaced the original Eames House after it was canceled. United Nations Headquarters (21018) came out next. In October 2013, Marina Bay Sands and the Eiffel Tower were both announced.

SetSeriesNameLocationReleasedNumber of
pieces
Retired
product
Image
21000LandmarkSears Tower[6] Chicago200869Yes
Willis Tower2011
21001LandmarkJohn Hancock Center Chicago200869Yes
21002LandmarkEmpire State Building New York City200977Yes
21003LandmarkSpace Needle Seattle200957Yes
21004ArchitectSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum[7] New York City2009208Yes
21005ArchitectFallingwater[7] Mill Run, Pennsylvania2009811Yes
21006ArchitectThe White House Washington, D.C.2010560Yes
21007ArchitectRockefeller Plaza New York City2011240Yes
21008LandmarkBurj Khalifa[8] Dubai2011208Yes
21009ArchitectFarnsworth House[9] Plano, Illinois2011546Yes
21010ArchitectRobie House[10] Chicago20112,276Yes
21011LandmarkBrandenburg Gate Berlin2011363Yes
21012ArchitectSydney Opera House[11] Sydney2012270Yes
21013LandmarkBig Ben[12] London2012346Yes
21014ArchitectVilla Savoye[13] Paris2012660Yes
21015LandmarkThe Leaning Tower of Pisa Pisa2013345Yes
21016LandmarkSungnyemun[14] Seoul2012325Yes
21017ArchitectImperial Hotel[15] Tokyo20131,188Yes
21018LandmarkUnited Nations Headquarters[16] New York City2013597Yes
21019LandmarkThe Eiffel Tower[17] Paris2014321Yes
21020LandmarkTrevi Fountain[18] Rome2014731Yes
21021 (limited edition)LandmarkMarina Bay Sands Singapore2014602Yes
21022LandmarkLincoln Memorial[19] Washington, D.C.2015274Yes
21023LandmarkFlatiron Building New York City2015471Yes
21024LandmarkLouvre Paris2015695Yes
21026SkylineVenice Italy2016212Yes
21027SkylineBerlin Germany2016289Yes
21028SkylineNew York City United States2016598No
21029Landmark Buckingham Palace London2016780Yes
21030Landmark United States Capitol Washington, D.C.20161,032Yes
21031LandmarkBurj Khalifa Dubai2016333Yes
21032SkylineSydney[20] Australia2017361Yes
21033SkylineChicago[20] United States2017444Yes
21034SkylineLondon[20] United Kingdom2017468No
21035LandmarkSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York City2017744Yes
21036LandmarkArc de Triomphe Paris2017386Yes
21037LandmarkLego House Billund2017774No - Lego House exclusive
21038SkylineLas Vegas United States2018487Replaced[lower-alpha 1]
21039SkylineShanghai China2018597Yes
21041LandmarkGreat Wall of China China2018551Yes
21042LandmarkStatue of Liberty New York City20181,685No
21043SkylineSan Francisco United States2019565Yes
21044SkylineParis France2019649No
21045LandmarkTrafalgar Square London20191,197No
21046LandmarkEmpire State Building New York City20191,767Yes
21047SkylineLas VegasUnited States2018501Yes
21050Studio[21]N/A20131,210Yes
21051SkylineTokyo Japan2020547No
21052SkylineDubai United Arab Emirates2020740No
21054LandmarkThe White House Washington, D.C.20201,483No
21055 (European markets only) Landmark Burj Khalifa Dubai 2020 333 No
21056 Landmark Taj Mahal Agra 2021 2,022 No
21057 Skyline[22] Singapore Singapore 2022 827 No
  1. Due to the 2017 Mandalay Bay hotel massacre, the Mandalay Bay was replaced by Bellagio and released as set #21047.
Special editions
SetNameLocationReleasedNumber of
pieces
Retired productComments
4000002LOM Moulding Monterrey2011174Given to employees
4000005KOM Moulding Billund2012315Given to employeesKornmarken Factory is the first and largest LEGO moulding and production factory.
4000006Kladno Campus Kladno2012250Given to employees
4000009HMV Production Billund2013285Given to employeesHMV is the name of the packing factory at LEGO Billund, which this set is based on.
4000010LEGO House[23] Billund2014250Only sold in BillundLego House opened in Billund in 2017.
4000011Nyíregyháza Factory Nyíregyháza2014327Given to employeesLego model of the Nyíregyháza Factory.
4000015LOM Moulding B Monterrey2014215Given to employeesAdditional packing building. A building, which expands the footprint of the existing facility.
4000016Billund Airport Billund2014281Only sold at Billund AirportBillund Airport was made for the 50th anniversary of the Airport.
4000018Kladno Campus Kladno2015412Given to employeesKladno campus is the name of building C at the Czech Lego factory, which this set is based on.
4000023Jiaxing Factory China2016407Given to employeesSet of the, at the time, new Lego factory in Jiaxing, China.[24][25]
40199Billund Airport Billund2018286New edition from 4000016Only available at the airport in Billund.
4000038LEGO Campus Billund20221,494Given to employeesReleased to celebrate the grand opening of the LEGO Campus on April 5, 2022.

Impact

The product range has been reviewed favorably by many commentators. Journalist Jenny Williams said "The scale on these kits is pretty small, though, so don't expect exquisite detail. But creating with Lego bricks is quite a fun way to pay homage to great architects".[26]

A near-exact replica of set 21006, The White House, appears in the eight story arc of the Japanese manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJolion, where it used by the villain character Poor Tom to activate his "stand" power, "Ozon Baby".[27][28][29]

References

  1. "About Lego Architecture". Lego Group. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  2. "Brickstructures". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  3. Official Announcement: 21010 Robie House, 13 July 2011, archived from the original on 22 July 2011, retrieved 11 August 2011
  4. Sarah Firsheinn (8 August 2011), Lego to Eternalize the Brandenburg Gate in Architecture Series, Curbed Network
  5. "Sears Tower now named Willis Tower" Archived 2010-10-09 at the Wayback Machine. CNN. July 16, 2009
  6. "Release of two Frank Lloyd Wright Collection sets from LEGO Architecture". Lego.com. May 9, 2009
  7. "The world's tallest building in LEGO® bricks". Lego.com. May 25, 2011
  8. "Modernist architectural icon immortalised in LEGO® bricks". Lego.com. April 4, 2011
  9. "Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House Joins LEGO® Architecture series". Lego.com. September 19, 2011
  10. "Sydney's revered opera house immortalized in LEGO® bricks". Lego.com. February 21, 2012
  11. "LEGO® Big Ben celebrates Victorian London's greatest landmark". Lego.com. April 18, 2012
  12. "Le Corbusier's French masterpiece becomes a LEGO® Architecture model". Lego.com. August 31, 2012
  13. "A Korean landmark recreated as LEGO® Architecture". Lego.com. May 14, 2012
  14. "Revisit the Imperial Hotel with LEGO Architecture" Archived 2013-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Lego.com. March 1, 2013
  15. " Archived 2014-11-02 at the Wayback Machine. BrickExtra. May 15, 2013
  16. Lego Architecture: Der Eiffelturm – das ist Spitze Ukonio.de 14 Oktober 2014
  17. BREAKING: Trevi-fontein wordt volgende Lego Architecture set Madpac.nl 13 January 2014
  18. Série LEGO® Architecture incluirá o Lincoln Memorial e o Edifício Flatiron Archdaily.com
  19. "Architecture | 2017". Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  20. " Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine. Brickset. June 29, 2013
  21. "Soar into the Singapore skyline with LEGO Architecture". Brick Fanatics. 1 January 2022.
  22. Exclusive: 4000010 LEGO House Brickset.com 17 March 2014
  23. "LEGO Group to build factory in China".
  24. Ruijter, Michiel de (28 November 2016). "Exclusieve LEGO 4000023 Jiaxing Factory set - Bouwsteentjes.info".
  25. Jenny Williams (23 May 2009). "Frank Lloyd Wright + Lego = Awesome". Geekdad. Wired.
  26. Araki, Hirohiko (2017). Escape from Mount Hanarero. Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-881443-8.
  27. Araki, Hirohiko (2018). North of the Higashikata Household. The Orchard. Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-881452-0.
  28. Araki, Hirohiko (2018). Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Wu Tomoki. Shueisha. ISBN 978-4-08-881596-1.
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