Review: #21062 Trevi Fountain (LEGO Architecture)

The Trevi Fountain has been revisited for a second LEGO Architecture set — doubling the part count and more than tripling the price. Did it really need a remake?

First Impressions

Photos of this set were widely leaked, and it is a remake of one of the least ‘architectural’ sets in the LEGO Architecture series — I will admit that I was not predisposed to liking this one… This version has more than twice as many parts as the original so I’m hoping for a lot more architectural detailing in the wall behind the fountain.

The good news is that the leaked photos looked a lot more intricately sculpted and potentially more interesting than the earlier rendition. I approached this set with an open-mind and will focus on both the building techniques and finished model throughout the review.

#21020 Trevi Fountain was released in 2014.

#21020 Trevi Fountain was released in 2014.

Another thing that I will be looking at is the difference in finished presentation. Will I prefer the original model which is more representational in nature, or the newer one which is more literal thanks to the increased detailing that is possible with newer parts and a higher overall part count?

Build Process

The set contains 15 numbered bags and and a paper pouch containing a single instruction book. I was surprised to see plastic bags since most of the review sets I’ve received from Europe in the past year had exclusively paper bags. (This one was marked 549H4 indicating that it was produced in Nyíregyháza, Hungary on the 5th day of the 49th week of 2024.)

The set contains just 15 numbered bags and an instruction booklet.

The set contains just 15 numbered bags and an instruction booklet.

Bags 1-2: Base

The First Bag builds just the outside frame with two horizontal supports. I was a bit surprised that we do not completely cover the frame in plates in Bag 2 — instead, we start building up the rear side of the model. We add another brick and a plate in height, with some tiny stairs on either side. I guess we will add plates beneath the fountains later?

The base of the model after completing the first two bags.

The base of the model after completing the first two bags.

Build Time: 21 minutes (Bag 1: 7 minutes, Bag 2: 12 minutes).

Bags 3-7: Fountain & Rockwork

The Third Bag addresses that large gap in the front by adding a large sub-assembly supporting the fountain. I was pleased to see a carefully designed gradient effect leveraging 323AquaLight Aqua, 322Medium AzurMedium Azure, 321Dark AzurDark Azure and 23Bright BlueBlue.

The fountain is built as a sub-assembly, covered in translucent tiles, then inserted into the hole in the base.

The fountain is built as a sub-assembly, covered in translucent tiles, then inserted into the hole in the base.

It is covered in 42Transparent Light BlueTrans-Light Blue Tiles to smooth out the gradient effect. I do find it a bit surprising that they used 5Brick YellowTan elements along the edges, since the tan color does show through the translucent parts and distracts from the gradient effect. That said, it looks pretty good from a modest distance!

The fourth bag adds a wide waterfall that rests on top of the flat surface of the fountain from the previous bag. It is built as a SNOT assembly which attaches to studs in the back, then covered with additional translucent tiles after it is attached to the base.

Adding the broad waterfall in Bag 4.

Adding the broad waterfall in Bag 4.

The intricate rockwork is the star of the show in the fifth bag. I am pleased to see that it is not perfectly symmetrical, with slightly different patterning of exposed stone on either side of the cascading falls.

The fifth bag adds rockwork on both sides.

The fifth bag adds rockwork on both sides.

The sixth bag adds two small sub-assemblies flanking the fountain. They appear to be a foundation below the façade wall that is behind the fountains. Through the rockwork you can see a glimpse of some of the window grates.

The foundation for the large wall is built as two sub-assemblies.

The foundation for the large wall is built as two sub-assemblies.

Bag 7 completes the uneven rock modules on either side by adding additional modules on either side. As I noted earlier, the stonework is pleasingly balanced from left to right, but asymmetrical – an intentional choice by the artist to recreate the rustic beauty of nature in a manmade sculpture.

Build Time: 54 minutes (Bag 3: 14 minutes, Bag 4: 12 minutes, Bag 5: 11 minutes, Bag 6: 7 minutes, Bag 7: 10 minutes).

Bags 8-14: Palazzo Poli

The fountain was built in front of an existing building, the Palazzo Poli. Instead of standing awkwardly in front of an existing building, Nicola Salvi (the primary architect of the fountain) commissioned architect Luigi Vanvitelli to frame the fountain with a richly ornamental but symmetrical building façade — elevating the fountain’s grandeur and earning it’s reputation as a global landmark.
As this set is positioned within the LEGO Architecture series, I’m excited to assemble the building’s façade and assess the faithfulness to the source material and discovering creative parts usage.

We begin building the fancy wall in earnest in Bag 8. This starts by turning the model 180# around and supporting the back side of the wall using a row of 1×6×5 Panel with Studs (Part 59349) in [white]. This is followed by a careful arrangement of 2×4 Jumper w/ 2-studs (Part 65509) which allows for half-stud offsets in the wall built above.

The back of the model is supported with large panels.

The back of the model is supported with large panels.

The ninth bag is the first time that we re-create intricate architectural details in the set. This involves a pair of sub-assemblies featuring three intricately detailed windows with columns on either side and a small triangular pediment on top. The window glass is nicely set back and offset from the columns and window sills. I’m happy to report that it looks great.

Adding intricately detailed Windows on either side.

Adding intricately detailed Windows on either side.

Bag 10 focuses on the larger central recessed area in the building façade. This is achieved using the inside of 3×6×6, Ø6 ½-Cylinder (Part 87926). Because there aren’t any studs on the inside of that part, attachment points within the half-circle recess are achieved with parts attached in front of the curve that extend further back allowing the small columns to be attached in the back.

The center has a recessed niche where a statue will be added later.

The center has a recessed niche where a statue will be added later.

The 11th bag adds six additional windows above the ones we built in bag 9. These are largely the same, but with some subtle differences that make this more time consuming to build. This includes the semicircular pediments (instead of triangular) above each window, and the addition of 1×1 Plate w/ 3-Leaves (Part 32607) between each window.

Upper windows with a row of clips beneath the cornice.

Upper windows with a row of clips beneath the cornice.

We also see a row of 1×1 Plate w/ Clip, Vertical (Part 4085) in [tan] beneath the upper cornice creating dentils (repeated blocky brackets) in the bedmould beneath a corniced roofline.

Bag 12 finishes the second story. We begin with two smaller windows containing carved sculptures meant to depict a standing and sitting figure, but a frog is used for the seated figure because there isn’t a better option at this small scale.

Finishing the second story in Bag 12.

Finishing the second story in Bag 12.

There’s also some intricate detailing in the center above the curved recessed area. This relies on a new part marked 7202 which is a half-hemisphere with a diameter of 6-Studs. As with the ½-Cylinder on the ground floor, we are seeing the interior of this new part instead of the exterior which will likely be what is visible in most future sets utilizing this part.

Bag 13 is quick, covering the rest of the back with large panels, and adding a small row of decoration above the main walls. These details use a bunch of 1×1 Brick, Headlight (Part 4070) in 1White and 283Light NougatLight Flesh.

Finishing the ornate cornice in Bags 13-15.

Finishing the ornate cornice in Bags 13-15.

The building is basically complete in Bag 14, where we add a nice frieze along the top edge. We also add four tiny statues along the top using the diminutive Statuette (Part 90398) which looks like a tiny LEGO Minifigure. We end this bag with a spot remaining on the top for a final decorative flourish in the final bag.

Build Time: 89 minutes (Bag 8: 7 minutes, Bag 9: 15 minutes, Bag 10: 12 minutes, Bag 11: 19 minutes, Bag 12: 18 minutes, Bag 13: 7 minutes, Bag 14: 11 minutes).

Bag 15: Statues

The final bag decorates both the fountain itself and the top of the building with brick-built statues. First we create a brick-built shield sculpture on top of the building with an Egg (Part 24946) on top.

Next we insert three 1White minifigures into niches in the wall, including two with a Hair, Short w/ Braid Around Sides (Part 64807) that I’ve only seen used for Princess Leia minifigures, but is apparently used elsewhere including several sets where it is also found in White.

Detail of horse sculpture and minifig torso.

Detail of horse sculpture and minifig torso.

Finally, we use a pair of Minifigure torsos and two unprinted versions of the Pony Head from CMF Series 23 – Knight of the Yellow Castle. I could not find a part number on the tiny horse heads, but they attach to the bar connection on the top of 1×1 Round Plate w/ Bar (Part 20482) to create the tiny horse sculptures.

Build Time: 12 minutes.

Value

With this set costing well over $100, like many other recent sets aimed at Adult LEGO builders, this won’t be a impulse purchase for very many folks. As such, a thorough analysis of the value of this set is warranted, since you might want to save the $160 purchase price for a different set.

LEGO Set Price Part Count Price-per-part Weight Price-per-gram
#31203 World Map $249.99 11,695 pieces $0.021 per-piece 4020 grams $0.062 per-gram
#21056 Taj Mahal $119.99 2022 pieces $0.059 per-piece 1811 grams $0.066 per-gram
#21058 Great Pyramid of Giza $129.99 1476 pieces $0.088 per-piece 1832 grams $0.071 per-gram
#10278 Police Station $199.99 2923 pieces $0.068 per-piece 2602 grams $0.077 per-gram
#71799 Ninjago City Markets $369.99 6163 pieces $0.06 per-piece 4770 grams $0.078 per-gram
#71741 Ninjago City Gardens $299.99 5685 pieces $0.052 per-piece 3719 grams $0.081 per-gram
#71043 Hogwarts Castle $399.99 6020 pieces $0.066 per-piece 4899 grams $0.082 per-gram
#10292 Friends – The Apartments $149.99 2048 pieces $0.073 per-piece 1778 grams $0.084 per-gram
#10297 Boutique Hotel $199.99 3066 pieces $0.065 per-piece 2380 grams $0.084 per-gram
#10326 Natural History Museum $299.99 4014 pieces $0.075 per piece 3343 grams $0.090 per-gram
#21343 Viking Village $129.99 2103 pieces $0.062 per-piece 1448 grams $0.090 per-gram
#42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion $199.99 2275 pieces $0.088 per-piece 2116 grams $0.095 per-gram
#10312 Jazz Club $229.99 2899 pieces $0.079 per-piece 2392 grams $0.096 per-gram
#10270 Bookshop $199.99 2504 pieces $0.080 per-piece 2085 grams $0.096 per-gram
#10350 Tudor Corner $229.99 3266 pieces $0.070 per-piece 2288 grams $0.100 per-gram
#10339 Santa’s Post Office $99.99 1440 pieces $0.069 per-piece 954 grams $0.105 per-gram
#10282 Adidas Originals Superstar $79.99 731 pieces $0.109 per-piece 735 grams $0.109 per-gram
#21062 Trevi Fountain (this set) $159.99 1880 pieces $0.076 per-piece 1425 grams $0.112 per-gram
#10316 Rivendell $499.99 6167 pieces $0.081 per piece 4375 grams $0.114 per-gram
#10305 Lion Knights’ Castle $399.99 4514 pieces $0.089 per piece 3265 grams $0.122 per-gram
#10303 Loop Coaster $399.99 3756 pieces $0.106 per-piece 3189 grams $0.125 per-gram
#21353 The Botanical Garden $329.99 3792 pieces $0.087 per-piece 2583 grams $0.128 per-gram
#21351 The Nightmare Before Christmas $199.99 2193 pieces $0.091 per-piece 1514 grams $0.132 per-gram
#75290 Mos Eisley Cantina $399.99 3187 pieces $0.126 per-piece 2521 grams $0.158 per-gram

This set offers a reasonable price-per-part of around 8 cents per part compared to most LEGO Sets, but we have historically seen even better price-per-part in the LEGO Architecture series. Unfortunately, the price-per-gram is worse than average at 12.5 cents. That’s a pretty poor value, especially for an unlicensed set.

Set Price Part Count Price-per-part Price-per-gram Build time Price-per-minute
#31203 World Map $249.99 11,695 pieces $0.021 per-piece $0.062 per-gram 613 minutes $0.41 per-minute
#21061 Notre Dame $229.99 4383 pieces $0.052 per-piece $0.102 per-gram 385 minutes $0.60 per-minute
#10325 Alpine Lodge $99.99 1517 pieces $0.070 per-piece $0.095 per-gram 151 minutes $0.66 per-minute
#21056 Taj Mahal $119.99 2022 pieces $0.059 per-piece $0.066 per-gram 177 minutes $0.68 per-minute
#10297 Boutique Hotel $229.99 3066 pieces $0.075 per-piece $0.097 per-gram 333 minutes $0.69 per-minute
#10350 Tudor Corner $229.99 3266 pieces $0.070 per-piece $0.100 per-gram 309 minutes $0.74 per-minute
#10339 Santa’s Post Office $99.99 1440 pieces $0.069 per-piece $0.105 per-gram 132 minutes $0.76 per-minute
#21060 Himeji Castle $159.99 2125 pieces $0.075 per-piece $0.100 per-gram 210 minutes $0.76 per-minute
#21062 Trevi Fountain (this set) $169.99 1880 pieces $0.076 per-piece $0.112 per-gram 176 minutes $0.91 per-minute
#10307 Eiffel Tower $629.99 10,001 pieces $0.063 per-piece $0.092 per-gram 803 minutes $0.78 per-minute
#10312 Jazz Club $229.99 2899 pieces $0.079 per-piece $0.096 per-gram 295 minutes $0.88 per-minute
#21058 Great Pyramid of Giza $129.99 1476 pieces $0.088 per-piece $0.071 per-gram 146 minutes $0.89 per-minute
#10320 Eldorado Fortress $214.99 2509 pieces $0.087 per-piece $0.098 per-gram 260 minutes $1.01 per-minute
#10303 Loop Coaster $399.99 3756 pieces $0.106 per-piece $0.125 per-gram 378 minutes $0.106 per-minute
#21344 The Orient Express $299.99 2540 pieces $0.118 per-piece $0.128 per-gram 248 minutes $1.21 per-minute
#10326 Natural History Museum $299.99 4014 pieces $0.074 per-piece $0.090 per-gram 213 minutes $1.30 per-minute
#42146 Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000 $699.99 2883 pieces $0.243 per-piece $0.137 per-gram 467 minutes $1.50 per-minute

Compared to the earlier version

As I explained earlier, I was pretty disappointed that The LEGO Group decided to revisit a model that was already captured in the LEGO Architecture series. As noted earlier, #21020 Trevi Fountain was released in 2014 and contained 731 pieces for just $49.99.

I also think it is important to confront my own biases — a friend of mine recently pointed out that nobody is surprised that we get a new Star Wars Millenium Falcon every couple years, so why should I be surprised that they revisit a popular world landmark 11 years later? Given the cyclical nature of our hobby, it’s unlikely that very many current LEGO Architecture fans built the original version anyways. While that’s a perfectly reasonable argument, It isn’t fair to compare the most iconic vehicle from the most lucrative movie franchise to one of many iconic global landmarks.

#21062 Trevi Fountain (left), #21020 Trevi Fountain (right).

#21062 Trevi Fountain (left), #21020 Trevi Fountain (right).

When compared side-by-side, the difference in size is very apparent. The larger version is 25cm (9¾”) tall, while the earlier version is just 14cm (5¼”) tall. That’s about twice as large, which translates into 4-times as much surface area on your shelf and 8-times as much volume.

Beyond the difference in scale, there is a significant difference in detail in both the fountain and the Baroque facade behind the fountain. Another thing I noticed is that the newer version has better overall proportions compared to the smaller 2014 version. The older version appears slightly squished (shorter) than it should based on it’s width.

Conclusion

While this set is a remake of a smaller verison that was released 11 years ago, this is a very skillful re-creation of an iconic world landmark which will appeal to many builders. The increased architectural detailing is where the newer version shines most — offering the most intricately detailed niches and windows we have ever seen in a LEGO Architecture set. This is thanks in part to the Baroque style itself: which is famous for over-the-top decorative flourishes which go well beyond the measured detailing of Greek and Roman styles, or the Neoclassical style that followed.

The architectural detailing and overall proportions are remarkably accurate. Photo on left: Paul VanDerWerf (CC BY 2.0)

The architectural detailing and overall proportions are remarkably accurate. Photo on left: Paul VanDerWerf (CC BY 2.0)

Consistent with the real building, the window detailing is different on each floor, with triangular pediments on the lower floor and circular pediments on the second floor. The only thing that doesn’t look quite right are the small windows on the third floor, which appear to stick out in the LEGO model but are nearly flush with the decorated wall in the real building.

The back of the model is free of distractions.

The back of the model is free of distractions.

This leaves me with the final responsibility of deciding this set’s fate, which comes down to the choice of subject matter, assessment of value, and quality of the finished model.

While the grand facade of the Palazzo Poli is certainly architectural in nature, I do prefer LEGO Architecture sets that capture whole buildings that are famed for their architectural merit. That said, the model captures a challenging architectural style very well, especially compared to the much simpler earlier version.

Unfortunately, from the perspective of value this set is a dissapointment. This is most apparent when comparing with last year’s #21061 Notre Dame which costs only $60 more — offering exceptional value based on all metrics. (I wholeheartedly recommend that set above this one for folks who do not own either…) If this set were priced at $140 or even $150, it would have met my expectations from a value perspective and we wouldn’t still be talking about it.

#21062 Trevi Fountain - Completed Model.

#21062 Trevi Fountain – Completed Model.

Finally, let’s reflect on the finished model as a whole. It really does offer excellent architectural sculpting and will look good on a shelf where you can place it against a wall. The lack of a complete building is less of a hindrance for folks who intend to display it in this way. I also really like how much implied motion is captured in the waterfalls, although I still wish they hadn’t chosen to have 5Brick YellowTan elements visible on the edges. Even the sculptural details are nicely done — I like the use of the hobby horse element to create the small horse sculptures.

On the balance, #21062 Trevi Fountain is very good set that I enjoyed building. The architectural detailing is faithful to the Baroque style it is trying to capture and was well done. If the set offered the same good value as other sets in the LEGO Architecture Series, it would have earned a 4/5 star rating. Honestly, I would be a bit disappointed if I paid $170 for this set, which is why it only earns a Good (3/5 star) rating.

If you are still excited by #21062 Trevi Fountain you can preorder it now for release on March 1, 2025!
The LEGO Group provided this set for the purposes of this review. The opinions in this article are strictly my own — providing sets for review does not guarantee a positive review. Photos in this article are by Tom Alphin unless otherwise noted. Visit the About page for more info about our journalistic standards and affiliate programs.

1 Response

  1. Roel Hendrickx says:

    Great review that looks past hype and is honest about value, with true metrics but still allowing for subjectivity.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.