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While nearly all of us have experienced the joy of playing with LEGO sets as children, not everyone excels at it. And that makes sense, as constructing anything more than basic models of our favorite vehicles or miniature homes with just those bricks is quite challenging.
That is, of course, unless you're talking about that one exceptionally talented child in school who could build almost anything with LEGO pieces. Luckily for our ever-evolving quest for creativity, many of those kids grow up and go on to create even more mind-blowing LEGO structures than they did in their school days. What’s most remarkable about these ten incredibly intricate LEGO creations isn’t their complexity (as we all know, humanity has accomplished some highly complicated feats in the past), but rather that they were constructed using what is typically regarded as a mere children’s toy.
10. A LEGO Robot
Building a robot and quickly solving a Rubik's Cube both require a certain level of skill to master. For the robot, you need experience with building machine circuits and a solid understanding of coding. For the Rubik's Cube, skills like memorization, spatial reasoning, and patience are essential. If we were to challenge you to create a robot that could solve a Rubik's Cube, that would be firmly in the 'impossible' realm for most people.
That’s why this robot, capable of doing just that and built using LEGO pieces, is so remarkable. Constructed with a Raspberry Pi (a small, programmable computer) and the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set, the robot can solve a Rubik's Cube in under a minute and a half. A portion of the code is also shared online for anyone interested in recreating something similar.
9. Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of art ever created, and rightfully so. The depth of emotions conveyed in that single painting is astounding, which is why it continues to be analyzed by art students globally.
What art students around the world might not know is that it's entirely possible to recreate the Mona Lisa using only LEGO bricks, as demonstrated by a skilled LEGO artist (yes, that's an actual profession) from the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Chicago. He claims that it's a relatively simple task, though coming from someone whose job is literally to build with LEGO, his definition of 'simple' might differ from ours.
While there have been other efforts to recreate the iconic painting using only LEGO pieces, none have come close to matching the level of detail found in this version.
8. Musical Instruments
Anyone who has spoken to someone who builds musical instruments professionally knows it’s an incredibly skilled craft. We’re not just talking about custom handpans or grand pianos; creating something as seemingly simple as an acoustic guitar by hand can take days, or even months, depending on the expertise of the guitar maker.
Now, imagine constructing a musical instrument in the same way, but entirely from LEGO pieces. People have managed to build instruments such as electric guitars, cellos, harpsichords, and ukuleles using LEGO bricks, and remarkably, they function just as intended.
Of course, we’re not recommending you replace your current gear with one of these if you're a professional
7. A Life-Sized Cherry Blossom Tree
The cherry blossom season in Japan is something you truly have to witness in person to understand the excitement surrounding it. For several months every year, the country is blanketed with the vibrant hues of cherry trees, marking the peak of the travel season in Japan.
In 2018, to celebrate this spectacular season, LEGOLAND Japan built a full-sized cherry blossom tree entirely out of LEGO bricks, and it's pretty impressive. It took 6,700 hours of work and 800,000 LEGO pieces to complete. This creation was even recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest LEGO brick cherry blossom tree.
While we haven’t heard of any other attempts to break this record, so we can't judge its standing, it's still a remarkable structure to admire.
6. A Visionary Map of Japan
No matter how skilled you are at building with LEGO bricks, you’ll never outdo the kids in Japan. While many impressive LEGO creations have come from Japanese schools, the most remarkable is this futuristic map of Japan.
Created in 2012 as part of a project called Build Up Japan, which aimed to help the country recover from the earthquake and tsunami of the previous year, this map was constructed with the help of 5,000 children using over 1.8 million LEGO bricks. The map was assembled across six different locations in Japan, with all the parts then brought together at a convention center in Tokyo for the final display.
The map depicts a futuristic vision for Japan, even though Japan’s cities already appear quite futuristic to the rest of the world.
5. A Life-Size Giraffe
If someone challenged you to build a full-sized model of any animal, you’d likely find yourself stuck, wondering where to begin. Should you use foam, cardboard, or something else? Will you have access to a live version of the animal for reference? And perhaps most importantly, are you any good at art? These are the questions we’d probably ask before giving up the task as impossible.
However, for the expert builders at the LEGOLAND Center in Boston, creating a life-sized replica of a giraffe with just LEGO bricks is not only possible, but it’s also something they’ve done. Take the giraffe statue displayed outside. While it may not fool anyone into thinking it’s the real thing, it’s undeniably a stunning and impressive creation.
In 2017, this giraffe was renamed Gio, in memory of a six-year-old boy who tragically passed away from a congenital heart disease.
4. ‘Life-Size’ Jesus Statue
Religion has long been a driving force behind human creativity. From the breathtaking art housed in the Vatican to the deep-rooted classical music traditions in India, a large portion of our cultural heritage owes itself to faith. One such creation is a LEGO model of Jesus unveiled in 2009 at Oensta Gryta Church in Vaesteras, Sweden.
Though it may not rival some of the grandest religious masterpieces in history, this LEGO rendition still stands as one of the most impressive creations made with LEGO bricks. Crafted from around 30,000 LEGO pieces generously donated by the church's community, it was inspired by the Danish sculptor's famous work called Christus. Standing at approximately 173 cm (5'8”), it’s difficult to definitively label it 'life-size' given that historical accounts vary on Jesus's true height, but it is definitely about the size of an average person.
3. A Fully Operational Supercar
If we told you that it’s entirely possible to construct a car using only LEGO pieces, you might shrug and say, “No big deal,” as many of us have built simple car replicas (though the complexity depends on our individual LEGO expertise). But we’re not talking about a miniature LEGO car – we’re referring to a life-sized supercar that actually drives like a real vehicle.
In an amazing display of creativity and skill, LEGO builders managed to create a full-scale model of a Bugatti Chiron using LEGO Technic pieces. Naturally, they needed to bring in professional car designers for this one, as even LEGO’s finest builders aren’t equipped to handle such a challenging project alone. A team of 16 specialists dedicated over 13,000 hours to its construction, including mechanical, electrical, and design experts. To top it off, the car was test-driven by Bugatti’s official test driver, Andy Wallace, a former Le Mans winner, proving that it actually functions like a genuine car.
2. A Complete House
Since the dawn of settled society, humans have used a variety of materials to construct their homes. From houseboats to treehouses and mobile homes, some people get incredibly inventive with what they build with. Yet none come close to the brilliance of this house made entirely from LEGO bricks.
Nestled in Billund, Denmark, this is no ordinary house replica that you might build with a basic LEGO set. This one is full-scale, complete with LEGO-crafted furniture and upholstery. Constructed using a staggering 25 million LEGO bricks, it covers an area of around 3,700 square meters (40,000 square feet).
While most of us will never be able to own a typical house of this size, let alone one made entirely of LEGO pieces, it’s still remarkable to know that it exists.
1. A Functional Engine
By now, it’s clear that with a bit of creativity, you can craft almost anything under the Sun using LEGO bricks. A perfect example of this is the functional LEGO V8 engine.
While similar to other LEGO-built engines, this one stands out because it actually functions like a real engine. It's a 32-valve V8 engine, and although it would require significantly more effort to be used in an actual car, it can still serve various other purposes. It was constructed using 2,862 parts, including an electric motor for power and a speed regulator for throttle control.
