LEGO Architecture: Sydney Opera House

For anyone who may be a fan of LEGO and/or architecture, March 1st will bring quite a treat, as LEGO plans to release the latest model in its Architecture Series. As revealed in ArchDaily last week, the newest building to join the lineup is the Sydney Opera House, designed by Danish architect and Pritzker Prize Laureate Jørn Utzon.

For those unfamiliar with the Architecture Series, it consists of numerous well-known and recognizable buildings from across the globe, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House and the Empire State Building by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates.

When the Farnsworth House was introduced last year, we shared a post on LEGO Architecture and, in doing so, discovered the design process behind these seemingly simple three-dimensional puzzles is a complex and fascinating one, as described by LEGO Architectural Artist Adam Reed Tucker:

'The challenge may not seem so obvious: straightforward design and basic LEGO elements, what else could you ask for? However, there are two not so obvious challenges even with a seemingly easy build, namely those of scale and proportion.'

The designers were definitely faced with a challenge in recreating the Sydney Opera House, known for it's great, curving 'sails' that have come to define Sydney's skyline over the past few decades. Addressing these critical elements of the building in a modular format that can be assembled and reassembled, while maintaining the very distinct character of the building at the same time, is definitely no easy task.

Learn more about the people, products and history of the Series at LEGO's here, or check out Adam Reed Tucker's site.

So... as long as you're above the recommended age of 12, you can construct this building without leaving your home or office. Not to mention that the construction process should be far smoother than that associated with the full-scale version, which took over 15 years from inception to completion- more information on the history of the Opera House can be found at its official site.

Also, for a few more details on the building (and a peek into my personal photo collection), check out this post, and enjoy!