"True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what's right."
This set took about 6 hours to make spread across two days. The Statue of Liberty was recently featured in the LEGO Architecture - New York City Skyline series in 2016, comprising of a several LEGO blocks a micro green minifig. This 2018 set is the most detailed LEGO Architecture set so far at 1,685 pieces.
21042 - LEGO Architecture - Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States, and has since become a universal symbol of freedom and democracy throughout the world. Dedicated on the 28th of October 1886, she was often the first thing people saw as they sailed into New York’s harbor to start a new life in America.
Music:
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - Main Theme
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault - Main Theme
Medal of Honor: European Assault - Dogs of War (Main Theme)
They remade the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum set from 2009. this time with more parts and about 3 times as big.
In June 1943, Frank Lloyd Wright was asked by Hilla Rebay, the art advisor to Solomon R. Guggenheim, to design a new building to house Guggenheim’s four-year-old Museum of Non-Objective Painting. The project would evolve into a complex struggle pitting the architect against his clients, city officials, the art world and public opinion. It would take over 15 years, 700 sketches and seven complete sets of working drawings before Wright’s vision would be realized and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum would open its doors for the first time in 1959. By then both Guggenheim and Wright had died. The location of the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue between 88th and 89th Streets is not accidental. Its proximity to Central Park was key; as close to nature as one can get in New York, the park affords relief from the noise and congestion of the city. Nature not only provided the museum with a respite from New York’s distractions, but also lent it inspiration. The Guggenheim Museum is an embodiment of Frank Lloyd Wright’s attempts to utilize organic forms in architecture. But even as it embraced nature, Wright’s design also expresses his unique take on modernist architecture’s rigid geometry. The building is a symphony of triangles, ovals, arcs, circles and squares. Wright dispensed with the conventional approach to museum design, which led visitors through a series of interconnected rooms. Instead, he whisked people to the top of the building via elevator and led them downward at a leisurely pace on the gentle slope of a continuous ramp. The open rotunda afforded viewers the unique possibility of seeing several bays of work on different levels simultaneously. The building itself has often been called the most important piece of art in the Guggenheim collection.
It's one of several earlier LEGO Architecture sets in the Architect series that came out in 2009. It's also one of many Frank Lloyd Wright LEGO Architecture sets. The set has been retired.
"The commission for the museum building first came to Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943 from Hilla Rebay. The Baroness von Rebay was the curator of the 'non-objective' painting collection she had encouraged Solomon R. Guggenheim to purchase. Solomon R. Guggenheim desired an architectural environment in which to present these new works that would be as revolutionary as the paintings in his collection themselves."
"Guggenheim was always supportive of Wright, but his death in 1949, just six years after the project was begun, dealth a severe blow to the plans. It took thirteen years of patient struggle on the part of Wright to finally see his building start in construction, and even through the construction stages - from 1956 to his death in 1959, six months before the museum opened - the struggle waged on. During the sixteen years that this commission dragged on, it was to prove to be the most difficult and the most time-consuming of all Wright's work."
"The building that stands in New York today is very different from those early studies of 1944. The general concept of the building - one continuous ramp - remains, but with the acquisition of more parcels of property on the site and with the change of the program of the museum itself, different architectural solutions were required along the way. Seven complete sets of working drawings were prepared and finally, on August 16, 1955, ground was broken and construction began."
"When the corner at 88th Street was acquired in 1951, the spiral ramp was shifted back to the south. After this last shift was made, Wright, in response to the changing administrative requirements of the museum, suggested the constrction of a tall building behind the museum for a historical gallery, staff offices, workrooms, and storage. Rising behind the museunm would be an eleven-story structure. It was this 1951 design by Wright that served as precedent for the 1992 addition of a 'backdrop' building behind the museum."
It's one of several earlier LEGO Architecture sets in the Architect series. The set has been retired.
Rockefeller center is a complext of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 square meters) betwen 48th and 51st streets in New York City. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue.
Rockefeller Center represents a turning point in the history of architectural sculpture: It is among the last major building projects in the United States to incorporate
a program of integrated public art. Sculptor Lee Lawrie contributed the largest number of individual pieces—twelve—including the statue of Atlas facing Fifth Avenue
and the conspicuous friezes above the main entrance to the RCA Building.
The Center is a combination of two building complexes: the older and original fourteen Art Deco office buildings from the 1930s, and a set of four International-style towers built along the west side of Avenue of the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s.
I figured I'd put together these two sets together.
BERLIN
Germany’s capital and cultural center dates back to the 13th century and has shaped – and been shaped by – many dramatic events in European history.
From humble beginnings as a medieval trading center, the city played a key role in the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia and modern Germany.
THE BUILDINGS:
BERLIN TV TOWER
The 1,207 ft. (368 m) tower consists of an 820 ft. (250 m) concrete shaft upon which sits a seven-story sphere, crowned by a 387 ft. (118 m) red and white striped antenna mast. It remains Germany’s tallest structure and a popular destination for almost 1.2 million visitors every year.
DEUTSCHE BAHN TOWER
Architect Helmut Jahn designed the eye-catching 338 ft. (103 m) semi-circular glass and steel tower, which was completed in June 2000. The office is now home to Deutsche Bahn AG, the German national railway company, and is referred to as the BahnTower.
VICTORY COLUMN
Originally erected between 1864 and 1873 to commemorate famous victories in wars against Denmark, Austria and France, the Victory Column (Siegessäule) was extended to its current height of 220 ft. (67 m) during the 1930s.
The sandstone column stands upon a base of polished red granite and is crowned with a 27 ft. (8.3 m) high statue representing Victoria, the goddess of victory from Roman mythology.
BRANDENBURG GATE
Commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia, the Brandenburg Gate was built as the grandest of a series of 18 city gates through which Berlin was once entered. Designed by architect Carl Gotthard Langhans and constructed between 1788 and 1791, the inspiration for the gate came from the entry hall of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
REICHSTAG
The Reichstag was originally completed in 1894, was almost completely destroyed during World War II and remained largely unused until the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.
The renowned English architect Sir Norman Foster was given the task of renovating the building and chose to combine the original historical façade with modern architectural elements such as the spectacular glass dome.
This is one of three sets that LEGO debut in their Skyline series in the Architecture line. The Venice is the smallest of the three at 222 pieces. This is as miniaturized as you can get as far as LEGO bricks are concerned. They managed to fit 5 famous Venice landmarks.
Built on over 100 islands in a marshy lagoon at the edge of the Adriatic Sea, Venice has a skyline that rises from the water to create a unique architectural experience. There are no roadways or cars in the historic city; instead 177 canals crossed by over 400 bridges give access to innumerable narrow, mazelike alleys and squares.
THE BUILDINGS:
RIALTO BRIDGE
The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) spans the Grand Canal at the heart of the historic city and was built between 1588 and 1591.
The single-span design with a 24 ft. (7.5 m) arch included three walkways: two along the outer edges and a wider central walkway between two rows of small shops. The entire structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge over 400 years later.
BRIDGE OF SIGHS
Designed by Antonio Contino and completed in 1602, the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) is an enclosed bridge that passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the old city prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace.
The bridge’s romantic name is thought to refer to the sighs of convicts as they saw their last view of Venice before being taken to their prison cells.
ST. MARK’S CAMPANILE
The 323 ft. (98.6 m) tall St. Mark’s Campanile (Campanile di San Marco) stands alone in the corner of St. Mark’s Square, near the front entrance to the basilica. The brick structure is 39 ft. (12 m) wide on each side and 160 ft. (50 m) tall, upon which sits a belfry housing five bells.
ST. MARK’S BASILICA
St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) is the most famous church in Venice and the best-known example of the city’s unique Italo-Byzantine architecture.
The current structure is thought to have been constructed between 1073 and 1093. The basilica is laid out in the design of a Greek cross and the tallest of the five domes reach 141 ft. (43 m) in height.
ST. THEODORE AND THE LION OF VENICE COLUMNS
Two granite columns stand guard at the entrance to St. Mark’s Square (Piazza di San Marco). Both columns are believed to have been erected in about 1268.
On top of the western column is a statue of St. Theodore, the first patron of the city. On the eastern column stands the winged Lion of Venice, the symbol of the second patron of the city, St. Mark.
The last LEGO Architecture set for 2015 is of the Louvre museum in Paris, France. This set officially comes out on September 1st, 2015.
The Louvre, in it's many different forms, has dominated the city of Paris since the late 12th century. It was originally a fortress built to protect Paris. The dark fortress from the Middle Ages was continuously altered and expanded before being transformed into a Renaissance-style royal palace from 1546 onwards. The tranformation of the Louvre into the museum we know today began with the French Revolution.
Today, it is the most visited museum in the world, renowned for famous works of art such as da Vinci's Mona Lisa, as well as the building's spectacular Renaissance to Modernist architecture.
Abraham Lincoln holds a unique place in the history of the United States: not only did he save the Union, he reinvigorated the nation’s founding principle — that all men are created equal. The campaign to erect a fitting memorial in his name began even as he lay on his deathbed in 1865. It would eventually be completed 57 years later, after decades of disagreements over what type of monument to build and where it should be placed.
The campaign to erect a fitting memorial for Abraham Lincoln began even as he lay on his deathbed in 1865. It would eventually be completed 57 years later, after decades of disagreements over what type of monument to build and where it should be placed.
The memorial itself echoes a classic Greek temple and the structure measures 189.7 by 118.5 ft. (58 by 36 m) and is 99 ft. (30 m) tall. It is surrounded by a colonnade of 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death.
The interior of the monument is divided into three chambers. The north and south chambers contain carved inscriptions of Lincoln’s second inaugural address and his Gettysburg Address. Above each of the inscriptions is a mural portraying the governing principles in Lincoln’s life.
Between the north and south chambers is the central chamber containing the solitary figure of Lincoln sitting in contemplation.
I got this set for Christmas. This is one of the more gratifying LEGO constructions I've done. It took almost 3 hours to build, but it was worth it.
In 2006, we went on a week-long trip in Europe that took us to Germany, Austria, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Florence, Rome, Vatican City and Paris. Rome was probably my favorite out of all the places we visited. The Coliseum, the ruins of old structures still standing in the city (aqueducts, bridges) and Trevi Fountain itself.
History
The imposing fountain sits at the junction of three roads, or tre vie, which many believe gave the fountain its name. Built by Marcu Vipsanius Agrippa in 19 BC, the Aqua Virgo aqueduct was over 13 miles (21 km) long and even then had a fountain at its terminus.
The aqueduct and fountain served Rome for over 400 years, but after the invasion of the Goths in AD 537, the aqueduct was cut off and the final portion abandoned. It would be over 1,000 years, and the advent of the Early Renaissance period, before a fountain would again stand in the location we know today.
The Trevi Fountain has become an iconic symbol of Rome and remains one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. It is estimated that 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day.
The fountain has provided a backdrop for many classic movies, including Hollywood’s 1954 romantic comedy, Three Coins in a Fountain, and Federico Fellini’s famous 1960 La Dolce Vita. Part of the fountain is also replicated at the Italy Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World in the US.
The fountain was refurbished in 1998; the stonework was scrubbed and all cracks and other areas of deterioration were repaired by skilled artisans, and the fountain was equipped with recirculating pumps.
In January 2013, it was announced that the Italian fashion company Fendi would sponsor a 20-month, €2.2 million restoration of the fountain; it will be the most thorough restoration in the fountain’s history
"I found myself agape, admiring a sky-scraper... ploughing up through the traffic of Broadway and Fifth Avenue in the afternoon light." - H. G. Wells, 1906
History
Sitting on the intersection where Fifth Avenue and Broadway cross, the Flatiron Building remains one of New York City’s most popular and memorable structures.
As the city of New York expanded northward during the second half of the 19th century, small plots of land remained undeveloped. One of the most well known of these was the narrow triangular site at 23rd Street. The “Flat Iron,” as it quickly became known, changed owners many times, but wouldn’t be developed until the Chicago-based Fuller Company bought the site in 1901.
The Fuller Company engaged Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham to design the building and, utilizing the Fuller Company’s expertise with steel frame construction, he proposed a 20-story structure that would reach a height of 285 ft. (86.9 m). At the “point” of the triangle the building would only be 6.5 ft. (2 m) wide and would form a 25-degree acute angle.
This radical design, combined with its great height and unusual shape, created a great deal of debate as the building neared completion in 1902. Though never the tallest building in New York, or even the first building in the country with a triangular ground plan, the Flatiron Building has become an iconic symbol of the city of New York.
This set is one of two very limited LEGO Architecture sets they've produced. Released in June 2012, it was only available for less than 9 months until the LEGO company retired the set. I managed to find a seller on eBay and bought it used.
Sungnyemun (Gate of Exalted Ceremonies) stands majestically in the heart of the South Korean capital of Seoul. Seen as one of the most complete examples of Joseon Dynasty architecture in South Korea, the gateway is listed as the country’s foremost National Treasure.
Historical Setting
By the time King Taejo established the Joseon Dynasty in the late 14th century, the country that we recognize today as Korea was a kingdom in turmoil. Ruled by the faltering Mongol Empire, under attack from Japanese pirates and weakened by political intrigues, the kingdom needed a strong leader. Yi Seong-gye, later to become King Taejo, was a talented general who repelled foreign threats, gained independence from the Mongols and established the “Kingdom of Great Joseon” in 1392.
One of his first actions was to move the capital to Hanseong (Seoul) and initiate a building program that included a 6.1 m (20 ft.) high and 18.2 km (11.3 mile) long wall to protect the growing city. Four major gateways were built into the wall to control access in and out of the city, and Sungnyemun would become the most impressive of these gates. Sungnyemun consists of an imposing stonework base and archway with a two-story wooden pagoda construction sitting above.
Construction
The construction of Sungnyemun began in 1396 during the fifth year of the reign of King Taejo of Joseon and was completed in 1398. Taejo had ordered his architects to build the gate facing Mount Gwanaksan as a way of warding off the feng-shui fire energy associated with the mountain.
Further additions were made to the gateway in 1447 by King Sejong, the 4th King of the Joseon Dynasty, and further work was carried out in 1479 by King Seonjong, the ninth King in the dynasty. It was at this point it was given the design that we still associate with the gate today. At that time Sungnyemun was already the finest of all the gateways intothe city, and the stone and two-tiered wooden structure with a pagoda-shaped tiled roof rose high above the rest of the city.
Further alterations and renovations continued over the next 600 years. The walls on both sides of the gate were removed in 1907 to make way for a tramway. During the Korean War (1950-1953) Sungnyemun suffered damage from bombing. In 1962 the gateway was officially designated as Korea’s first national treasure and an extensive reconstruction program was carried out.
During the work that was carried out on Sungnyemun in 1962, hidden records were discovered under a ridge beam of the second roof. These placed the precise date of the original construction as 1396 and went on to record that 6,817 soldiers were conscripted to perform the manual labor. The inventory also listed that twenty-eight stonecutters, forty-four carpenters, sixty-three riveters, and five sculptors, along with 1,400 laborers took part in the gate’s construction. The record even detailed the feast at the beam-raising ceremony: 10,700 bottles of Arak-Ju (Korean rice-based grain liquor), 3,800 barrels of Tak-Ju (traditional Korean wine), and 1,500 head of cattle.
Sungnyemun Today
Once the tallest building in Seoul, today, Sungnyemun is surrounded by the skyscrapers and bustling traffic of a modern city. The gate provides a visible contrast between ancient and contemporary Korea, and is one of the few physical links to the Joseon Dynasty.
The pagoda building on top of Sungnyemun was the oldest existing wooden structure in Korea until February 10, 2008, when fire totally destroyed it. A complete restoration project began two years later in 2010 and it’s expected that an exact reproduction of the original will be completed by the end of 2012.
The entire reconstruction is being carried out using traditional methods. Conventional hand tools are made in a smithy set up on-site and workers wear ‘hanbok’, the traditional Korean costume, when working on the gate. As much timber as possible from the surviving frame is being recycled and put together with wood from dozens of pine trees to become pillars of the new structure.
A traditional ritual was performed at a ceremony prior to the start of construction, praying for a smooth restoration process as well as protection from further disasters to Korea’s most important National Treasure.
Facts about Sungnyemun
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Architect: unknown
Style: Joseon Dynasty
Construction type: City Gateway
Construction materials: Stone base with wooden structure
Date: 1396-1398, Rebuilt 1447 & 1479
Size:
Stone base - 28.97m x 14.79m
(95.05 ft. x 48.52 ft.)
Wooden structure - 22.29m x 7.65m
(73.13 ft. x 25.1 ft.)
LEGO Architecture launches its model of Sungnyemun as a celebration of the EXPO 2012 exhibition in Yeosu, South Korea.
I recently obtained a retired LEGO architecture set (John Hancock Center). I decided to take apart the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) and Empire State Building sets and create a timelapse for it.
21000 - Willis Tower (Sears Tower)
The Willis Tower,located in the heart of Chicago, is an “international style” design consisting of square tubes in a 3 by 3 tube arrangement, with each tube having a footprint of 23 meters (75 ft.) by 23 meters (75 ft.), in essence creating a unified bundle of nine tubes. The Willis Tower was the first building for which this type of “bundled- tubular” construction was used. This design provides stability against high winds and also allows for future upward growth if so desired.
The building is supported by 114 rock caissons secured into bedrock. The foundation and the floor slabs combine to equal 2 million cubic feet of concrete. 76,000 tons of prefabricated steel frame sections measuring 15x25 ft. were put in place. The Willis Tower has more than 16,000 bronze-tinted windows and 28 acres of black aluminum cladding or “skin”.
As the building climbs upward, the tubes begin to drop off giving the Willis Tower its characteristic setback or “step-back”. This geometry of the 110-story tower was developed in response to the original interior space requirements of Sears, Roebuck & Company.
21001 - John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is one of the most famous buildings representing the structural expressionist style; the skyscraper's distinctive X-bracing and angular facade has made it an architectural icon not only in Chicago, but throughout the world.
The X-bracing exterior is actually a hint that the structure's skin is part of its tubular structural system. This "diagonalized trussed-tube" is essentially the spine that helps the building stand upright during wind and earthquake events. This is one of the architectural techniques building used to climb to record heights which eliminated the need for inner support beams, greatly opening up the floor plan and increasing the usable floor area.
The overall form can be described as truncated rectangular-pyramid. Shaped like a rhombus or rhomboid, and essentially a parallelogram with unequal adjacent sides in this case composed of four trapezoidal planes.
21002 - Empire State Building
During the Great Depression, America’s labor force was at its highest supply and the value of the dollar was cut in half over night. Ironically, it was this combination of events that made a construction project of this proportion possible.
Built on the previous site of the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the construction took seven million man-hours and had a feverish pace of 41⁄2 floors per week.
Ironworkers erected 60 thousand tons of riveted steel frames into a series of stacked boxes. They became known as “Sky-walkers” due to the dizzying heights they worked at – heights never previously attempted.
On May 1st, 1931, the building opened after only 410 days of construction and it remained the tallest building in the world until 1972 when the World Trade Center opened. The building has been named one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.
