Archinect - News

Ai Weiwei's first solo show in eight years features a 49-foot reproduction of Monet’s Water Lilies using LEGO bricks

2023-03-20T18:03:00-04:00

Ai Weiwei has unveiled a new large-scale reproduction of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies as part of an upcoming exhibition of the architect-provocateur’s work on view from April 7 at the Design Museum in London.

The 15-meter (49-foot) Water Lilles #1 is comprised of 650,000 bricks rendered in 22 different colors to reproduce the famous series of paintings, which Monet executed between 1897 and 1926 at his home studio in Giverny.

Image: Ela Bialkowska/OKNOstudio

Ai says: “It’s crucial for individuals to find a personalized language to express their experience of these challenging conditions. Personalized expression arises from identifying with history and memories while creating a new language and narrative. Without a personal narrative, artistic narration loses its quality. In Water Lilies #1 I integrate Monet's Impressionist painting, reminiscent of Zenism in the East, and concrete experiences of my father and me into a digitized and pixelated language. Toy bricks as the material, with...

LEGO reveals skyline sets of San Francisco and Paris to be released early 2019

2018-12-03T14:15:00-05:00

LEGO will soon be releasing San Francisco and Paris editions of its popular architecture line, which allows fans to replicate city skylines and world landmarks. Come early 2019, enthusiasts will be able to capture both the Fog City's diverse architecture and the City of Light's iconic works.

The San Francisco set brings together obvious city markers, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the Painted Ladies made famous by the '90s sitcom "Full House." But, the collection also features some surprising additions, namely the inclusion of the city's newest and tallest building, the Salesforce Tower.

The Paris collection similarly brings together a range of distinguishing architecture, featuring historic works such as the Arc de Triumph, the Champs-Elysées, the Louvre, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Decorative elements, such as lawn and trees areas, further round off the detailed replica.

The company's popular sub-brand Lego Architecture has spent the past decade celebrat...

More photos of BIG's new LEGO House

2017-10-03T19:20:00-04:00

LEGO fans of all ages are flocking to the BIG-designed LEGO House since it opened last week in the heart of Billund, Denmark. The 130,000 square-foot building offers visitors plenty to explore: LEGO art galleries, color-coded experience zones, and the public LEGO Square — which includes restaurants, a cafe, a conference space, and of course, a LEGO Store. Want to see more of the new building? BIG shared the latest photos, taken by architectural photographer extraordinaire Iwan Baan.

Photo: Iwan Baan.

BIG's "Lego House" to be released as a real-life Lego set

2017-09-05T13:03:00-04:00

In the meta news category, Bjarke Ingels' full-scale "Lego House," inspired by the titular rectangular building blocks and slated to open later this month in Denmark, now apparently has a miniature version in the form of real Legos that will be available for sale only at the Lego House. According to The BrickFan, the official Lego Architecture site briefly posted these pictures of the set before taking them down:

Here's a picture of the actual Lego House for comparison:

Image: YouTube

Up your LEGO-building game with the Nimuno Loops “LEGO-compatible tape”

2017-03-15T21:19:00-04:00

Nimuno Loops might be the missing piece to your LEGO-building needs. Created by industrial designers Anine Kirsten and Max Basler from Cape Town, Nimuno Loops are rolls of LEGO-compatible adhesive tape that turns almost any surface at any angle into a LEGO-building project site. The reusable, bendable tape can be cut with scissors to your desired length, and it works with other major toy-building block systems like Mega Bloks and Kreo.

Screenshots via YouTube.

Image via Indiegogo.

Team Nimuno spent over a year developing the Nimuno Loops, from concept to working prototype. Starting out with an $8,000 goal, Team Nimuno's Indiegogo campaign has amassed $758,399 from over 20,000 backers so far. The funds will help the designers pay for final prototyping and testing of the Loops using different materials and adhesive, the necessary industrial tools for casting the Loops, and shipping and logistics. Backers are expected to receive the tape starting this July.

Build your own U.S. Capitol with LEGO Architecture Studio's latest kit

2016-08-18T15:45:00-04:00

LEGO Architecture Studio celebrated its big launch in retail stores everywhere back in 2013 with the monochromatic Architectural Toolbox and a collection of LEGO-brick model kits of the world's most famous buildings. Although LEGO Architecture retired some of the kits over time, they recently unveiled their latest icon: the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.

The neoclassical Capitol has undergone several construction phases and restoration since George Washington laid its foundation on September 18, 1793. But with this LEGO kit, you get to call all the shots.

For $99 a set, the LEGO reinterpretation contains over 1,000 pieces, including all the essentials like the columned façade, the two-tiered dome, colonnades, the north and south wings, and steps and lawns. The dome can be removed to reveal a detailed interior of the National Statuary Hall, complete with columns, a tiled floor, and statues.

You can also brush up on the Capitol's architectural design and history in an accompanying bookl...

Why companies are having employees unplug and find solutions with LEGOs

2015-09-22T12:54:00-04:00

As the fast pace of technology calls for innovative, out-of-the-box thinking, corporations are looking for more unusual approaches to meet the challenges they face, often with “hands-on” or “unplugged” approaches. If LEGO is about anything, it’s the use of one’s hands while the mind is in an unplugged state. LEGO Serious Play capitalizes on this by asking the hands to find a solution that the mind hasn’t been able to on its own.