Although they are toys, Legos inspire amazing creations. LEGO artists use the small plastic bricks to create everything from architecture to robots. Even the engineers from the company design new elements to allow builders to construct more complex models. Erik Varszegi is a Master Builder at the Lego Group, Billund, Denmark. He designed a brand new element for this year’s model, the curving slope. It allows Lego users to create more slanted forms while still respecting the company’s strict official source colour palette. The slopes can also be used to create a more dynamic shape, like the curving staircase.
While some Lego designs are the work of professional designers, others are the result of the wildly popular Lego Ideas set-design program. The Ideas line offers anyone the chance to design a set and have it manufactured, and offers fame and a portion of sales to any designer who can convince 10,000 other designers that their creation is worthy enough to go into production. It’s no surprise that the most elaborate and impressive sets typically garner the most acclaim especially when they contain iconic scenes or characters from TV, movies or from the real world.
One of the most impressive Lego designs are two space-age icons which include the NASA space shuttle Discovery and an image of the Hubble Telescope. Each telescope comes with a display plaque and a miniature Lego version of its creator. Other impressive models are the framed rainbow, steampunk dragon, and a replica of the Palace of Westminster.