ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #21032 Sydney Skyline
Having just visited Australia for the first time, I was excited to see how well the Sydney Skyline set captures the feel of the harbor city, and it’s iconic Opera House.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: Papi Max StackX Drawers
Intrigued by the promise to store a very well organized LEGO collection in the minimum amount of space, I’ve given Papi Max StackX drawers a test drive in my home. Let’s find out if they would be a good match for your collection.
ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: #21045 Trafalgar Square
A photo of the upcoming set was released on Facebook in conjunction with a signing event on April 27.
Now that we have an official photo of the latest addition to the LEGO Architecture series, we can explore what the set has to offer. This is the first of two sets slated for a summer release. (Learn about the upcoming #21046 Empire State Building in our earlier article.)
#21045 Trafalgar Square
Initial Impressions:
My immediate reaction was not entirely positive. I’m worried that the landscaping, fountains, and Nelsons Column distract from the front facade of the National Gallery. I also noticed strong similarities to the recently discontinued #21029 Buckingham Palace set which also places the building behind a fountain, fence and landscaping.
On closer look, there are some clever building techniques being employed which I look forward to building first hand. I have never seen the half-plate staircase technique used in an official set (it typically uses 1×2 or 1×4 panels in a SNOT configuration.) It looks like 1×2 Technic bricks are used for the front steps, allowing 3L Bar to be used for the columns.
The main building is constructed using the same SNOT techniques used for the Buckingham Palace set. I can’t quite tell what part is being used to achieve a ½ plate lip between the first and second story of the building, but look forward to finding out. I’m curious to see how they approached the sloping driveway which integrates nicely with the rest of the set.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: Really Useful Scrapbook Drawers
Is a storage tower that was originally designed for Scrapbooking perfect for your LEGO collection? It might be!
LEGO Architecture pioneer Arthur Gugick’s legacy
Arthur Gugick was killed in a car accident on March 30. He was an early pioneer of intricate fan-made LEGO Architecture creations.
I first learned about his work when I discovered his beautiful re-creation of St Basil’s Cathedral while researching my book. He also built models of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Taj Mahal, and other landmarks.
Arthur Gugick (1960-2019), with his model of St Basil’s Cathedral.
In addition to LEGO Architecture creations, Arthur made numerous LEGO mosaics, often using printed tiles instead of the more common colored plates or tiles.
The following links highlight his life and legacy:
- Wonders of the World, arthurgugick.com
- Skyscrapers, arthurgugick.com
- Saying goodbye to LEGO legend, Arthur Gugick (1960-2019), Brothers Brick.
- Remembering Beachwood teacher Arthur Gugick: In his own words, wkyc.com
2019 Most Common LEGO Parts
Most LEGO builders know that there are thousands of different LEGO parts in production, and some parts are a lot more common than others. Let’s find out which parts are the most common, which parts are available in the widest selection of colors, and which parts have become a lot more popular in the last few years!
LEGO Ideas: Machu Picchu, by Diego Baca
In this exclusive article, we share highlights from building the model, and interview the designer to learn more about designing great LEGO models and promoting your project on LEGO Ideas. With nearly 10,000 votes, it could become an official LEGO set!
2019—Year of the Exclusives?
LEGO has offered a couple exclusive sets at ComicCon for years, but there seems to be an explosion of regional exclusives right now. Let’s use the Brickheadz based on LEGO Movie 2 as a case study to try and figure out what’s going on.
Summer 2019 LEGO Architecture sets
The summer lineup will include two additions to LEGO Architecture Landmark series.
April 11, 2019: A photo of the upcoming #21045 Trafalgar Square set has been released. Be sure to check it out!
LEGO typically announces their Summer 2019 lineup at the Toy Fair event in Nuremberg, Germany. In last week’s event, they announced two additions to the LEGO Architecture series.
New Sets:
- #21045 Trafalgar Square, €79.99
- #21046 Empire State Building, €99.99
Both the 2009 and 2016 versions of the Empire State Building are around 15 cm (6″) tall.
This marks the third time that the Empire State Building will be featured in the Architecture series, having already appeared in #21002 Empire State Building, and as one of the buildings in #21028 New York City. The new version is described as between 30 and 40cm (over 1 foot) tall, which is significantly larger than either of the earlier versions.
ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
The LEGO Movie far exceeded my expectations when it was released in 2014, appealing to audiences of all ages. Let’s find out if “The Second Part” recaptures the magic of the original, and see how well the newly released LEGO sets align with their on-screen versions.
Brick Architect’s Best of 2018
2018 was a big year here at Brick Architect. Let’s look at our top-rated sets for 2018, most visited articles for the year, and a glimpse into what’s planned for 2019.
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