The LEGO Ideas display, showing off a selection of past 10K Club models, is LIVE at the LEGO House in Billund, Denmark.
It fills us with incredible pride to be able to celebrate our talented fans by putting their designs at the heart of the Home of the Brick for all LEGO fans, young and old, to visit. Common among all these models are that they accomplished 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas and were all evaluated at some point to become an official LEGO Ideas set.
These 18 fan designers and their models show just a small slice of the remarkable talent of the LEGO Ideas community, as we celebrate a milestone 10 years of crowdsourcing and collaboration between LEGO® Ideas (called LEGO CUUSOO until 2014) and LEGO fans around the world.
Make sure to visit the LEGO House (in the free-to-access foyer) before the 8th October, 2018 to witness this first ever official display of LEGO Ideas models.
The entire LEGO Ideas team wishes to thank all 18 members for their participation in this historic display and for helping us celebrate 10 years of your ideas! We would of course also like to thank the entire community for your continued passion and engagement!
Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow
Name:
Brent Waller
LEGO Ideas Username:
BrentWaller
Nationality:
Australian
Tell us a little about your model:
As a follow up to my Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary LEGO Ideas project, Ghostbusters: Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is a formidable adversary for the Ghostbusters team. Built using approximately 1339 LEGO Pieces he stands over 34cm (13 inches) tall, making him a daunting sight for any minifig in LEGO City.
What was your motivation for building it?
I felt the Ghostbusters were a bit lonely without a villian to bust, The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was such an iconic character and image from the first movie so he seemed like a logical choice. I also liked the idea of the challenge of trying to build something so round and plump out of LEGO.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
It was great when it reached 10,000 supporters, I was even more surprised at how fast it was to reach that goal.
Lego Observatory - Mountain View
Name:
Thomas Wosch
LEGO Ideas Username:
ThomasW
Nationality:
German
Tell us a little about your model:
To create the observatory I needed about 100 hours but after uploading it I made a lot of improvements until it hit 10,000 supporters. The model has 3 floors and a dome. The complete model is playable and openable. The challenge was to build a model which is a great display but is also playable.
What was your motivation for building it?
I wanted to build a model which could inspire the youth in science and space. It should be colorful, playable and fun. So I created something new. I had a dream about an observatory so I created this one.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
That's still something I can't describe in words. When the counter hit 10,000 it was an awesome and wonderful one in a lifetime feeling.
Sega Classic Arcade Machines
Name:
Garett Yoshimura
LEGO Ideas Username:
SpacySmoke
Nationality:
American
Tell us a little about your model:
This is a set of 4 minifigure-scaled arcade game machines of SEGA’s Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run, and Thunder Blade released in the 1980's. The models are a celebration of these groundbreaking arcade machines, also known as "taikan" or "body sensation" games because of the way the cabinets could move according to the player's controls or actions in the game. Combined with amazing graphics that simulated a hyper 3D effect, these games became classics in the hearts and minds of gamers across the globe. These LEGO models recreate the motion of the real arcade machines as accurately as possible.
What was your motivation for building it?
I'm a big fan of SEGA games, and that started in the arcades, playing these games when I was a child. The combination of these impressive, moving cabinets and the quasi-3D graphics just dazzled me from the start and stuck with me all my life. When I got back into building with LEGO bricks as an adult, these were on a shortlist of things I wanted to build.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
Very humbled. I wasn't sure it would make it, but a lot of great people took it upon themselves to help promote the project and it is because of their efforts that it reached 10,000. Their support motivated me to promote the project more and create more updates, so we just continued to feed off of each other and keep people interested. So THANK YOU to all the Shenmue fans, SEGA fans, and LEGO fans for your support!
Vintage Tram
Name:
Kevin Szeto
LEGO Ideas Username:
kevinszeto
Nationality:
Canadian
Tell us a little about your model:
This model is a replica of the historic trams of Porto – Portugal's 2nd largest city after Lisbon. Not including the minifigures, this model contains approximately 764 pieces. Its main feature is a removable top section that provides access to the 8-seat passenger carriage. Other action features include functioning doors and adjustable rearview mirrors. The signage “Carmo” represents 1 of the 3 lines that still operate in Porto today. The trams of Porto are actually dark orange, but due to the fact that many key elements don’t exist in dark orange they were substituted for red.
What was your motivation for building it?
This model was inspired by what I had witnessed during a 2-week trip to Portugal in the Fall of 2015. After returning home I endeavoured to learn more about trams' fascinating history – how electric trams evolved from horse-drawn and steam-powered predecessors during the late 19th century, how they were later replaced by other forms of transport such as buses and cars during the mid 20th century, and how in many cities around the world today they are being preserved as a living history of rail transport. This model was my tribute to this unique story.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was, naturally, ecstatic when the model reached 10,000 supporters. I was overwhelmed by the support from all around the world, but was particularly moved when someone from Porto or Portugal told me they recognized the tram and was so happy to see it represented in LEGO form. Obrigado!
Modular Construction Site
Name:
Ryan Taggart
LEGO Ideas Username:
ryantaggart
Nationality:
British
Tell us a little about your model:
My Modular Construction Site was my third modular design. While building it, I struggled to come up with a theme and eventually realised that the unfinished model was a theme in itself. Construction has always been at the heart of the LEGO City play experience and once I settled on this, the model came together as an idea quickly. I designed it first using LEGO Digital Designer and spent a long time tweeking the final model.
What was your motivation for building it?
I enjoy designing my own modular buildings to be compatible with the official LEGO modulars that began with the Cafe Corner.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I never originally intended to submit it to LEGO Ideas. So when I did I was amazed at the speed at which it collected votes and eventually got to 10,000. I’m very proud to have joined the LEGO Ideas 10K Club.
The Little Prince
Name:
Colin Patrick Walle & Glen Wadleigh
LEGO Ideas Username:
Colin23 & GlenBricker
Nationality:
Both American
Tell us a little about your model:
The model is in inspired by “The Little Prince,” written in 1943 by French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery. In the story, the narrator crashes his airplane in the desert, and there he meets the Little Prince. The Little Prince tells him about his home on asteroid B-612, where there also lives a rose, who he loves. He also tells the narrator about his journeys, including coming to Earth and making friends with a fox, whom he met under an apple tree. The model comes in three parts and includes four characters:
- Asteroid B-612 (the home of the Little Prince and his rose)
- A Breguet 14 airplane, flown by the author Antoine de Saint-Exupery
- An apple tree and foxhole
Other details: the rose under glass for protection, smoke billowing out from a small volcano on the asteroid, a small baobab tree starting to sprout, two other volcanoes, a pan being heated up over a volcano, stars in outer space, apples on the tree, flight instruments in the airplane, a secret compartment in the airplane (holding cheese, a baguette, and a beverage), and a sword for the Little Prince.
What was your motivation for building it?
I have enjoyed building with LEGO for over four decades, since I was a little boy growing up in Urbana, Illinois. I have also been a huge fan of “The Little Prince” since I first read it while in high school, three decades ago. When I first heard of LEGO CUUSOO (the precursor to LEGO Ideas), I thought that was an amazing concept for involving those who enjoy building with LEGO bricks, like me, to participate in the process for imagining, developing, and creating new LEGO sets. At first, I didn’t have any ideas to submit, but then I had a “Eureka” moment while walking past a small LEGO Death Star at home, and immediately rushed to submit a design that, in retrospect, was not that great. In the book, the narrator makes multiple attempts to draw a sheep, on request from his new friend, the Little Prince. That mirrored my experience with the evolution of the project.
To me, “The Little Prince” in LEGO form was the perfect project for me to submit. One theme in the story is about how it is important for adults to not forget what it was like to be a child, and as an adult who enjoys LEGO bricks, that certainly fit with me. Another theme in the story is about using your imagination to create things. Finally, an important message in the book is about how we love someone or something by dedicating time to that person, and I think of all the time that I spent on this project, and the time spent by family and friends.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was very excited when we reached 10,000 supporters. My wife, family, and friends – including new friends that I made, as a result of this project, in France, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, and Malaysia – were ecstatic. But more than excited, I was also grateful beyond words for the incredible support that everyone gave the project – the Saint-Exupery Estate, LEGO fan sites like Brickset.com and others, the local newspaper and television news program, my alumni magazine, my neighborhood and the community where I live, and thousands of people that I don’t even know, all around the world. It blows my mind to think that we actually made it to 10,000 votes!
This was nearly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I estimated from previous projects submitted on LEGO Ideas that we had a roughly one in eight chance of getting approved, so I tried to not have my hopes up too high, but I confess it was still very disappointing to not have it approved. So many awesome LEGO sets have come to life as part of this process – The Exo Suit, the Research Institute, the Big Bang Theory, the NASA Apollo Saturn V, and many more – and I own most of them and am glad for the success of the other project creators. I just wish I could have joined them and have seen an official LEGO set from “The Little Prince” on the shelves at the Mall of America LEGO Store that I love to visit!
Star Wars UCS X34 Landspeeder
Name:
Aaron L. Fiskum
LEGO Ideas Username:
Psyence-
Nationality:
American
Tell us a little about your model:
The X34 Landspeeder is a tremendously iconic vehicle in the Star Wars universe. Due to being so well-known with Star Wars fans, I felt this would make a perfect UCS-sized set. At 2854 pieces, and dimensions of 558.9 mm (22") L x 381 mm (15") W x 330.2 mm (13") H, this scale fits right in.
What was your motivation for building it?
I'm attracted to larger, challenging builds and this vehicle in particular has not been represented in the Star Wars UCS line-up to date. I was hoping to prove the vehicle's popularity and viability as a set by reaching 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas. Regardless of whether the set achieved the ultimate goal, I hope at some point that LEGO will retail their rendition of the UCS X34 Landspeeder.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
Fantastic! It was a long road to get to 10,000 supporters due to the nature of the model. There were many online media outlets, blogs, and publications that wrote about and supported the idea. Due to Star Wars’ widespread popularity there were many critics of the build as well. This was completely understandable due to its origin and intellectual property, however, this made reaching the 10,000 supporter goal that much sweeter.
Volkswagen Golf MK1 GTI
Name:
Hasan Kabalak
LEGO Ideas Username:
hasskabal
Nationality:
Turkish
Tell us a little about your model:
The Volkswagen Golf MK1 GTI, which began production in 1974, was quickly out of everyone's mind. It was the rabbit of golf. With a length of 3.8 meters and a width of 1395 mm, the Volkswagen Golf MK1 deserved this analogy. That was not the only detail. In some of its models, the empty weight of under 800 kg enabled it to be light. When I was designing this car with LEGO bricks, the point I was most concerned about was definitely the red GTI line.
The iconic red GTI line is something I worked on for 2 weeks. Whatever I tried with regular LEGO elements I could not manage to create that thin red line. Then one day, while looking at the 10220 LEGO T1 Camper van, I noticed the red rubber band found in the motor in the rear luggage, which hit the right spot for my model. The sight was so beautiful with the rubber band wrapped around the headlights.
What was your motivation for building it?
After the LEGO Volkswagen Beetle made by Mike Psiaki, I thought of creating my own. I wondered what I could do. I wanted to design a car, but I had no idea which one to create. After the Beetle's success I thought I should definitely make a cult model. Then I started to research and look at cult cars in history. The Volkswagen Golf MK1 GTI model was definitely the most remarkable, and so I decided to build it immediately.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was on the road when it happened. Friends were writing in in a WhatsApp group. 9980, 9985, and so on as it was constantly increasing. My heart was beating faster and I was so excited. I always uploaded my designs to LEGO Ideas but never seemed to get past 4000 supporters, so when I finally had a project hit 10,000 supporters I was very happy to finally succeed. At the same time it was nice to also take a break from following up on my project every hour of every day. Of course, my wife’s constant ‘’How many votes? ’ text messages also stopped.
HMS Beagle
Name:
Luis Pena
LEGO Ideas Username:
LuisPG
Nationality:
Chilean
Tell us a little about your model:
The HMS Beagle circumnavigated the world between 1831 and 1836, with Charles Darwin on board. This was one of the most important scientific voyages in the history of science. The LEGO model of the ship was built at minifigure scale with about 2,000 elements. It comes with minifigures of Captain Fitzroy, Charles Darwin and many other members of the crew. There are three vignettes: Darwin exploring the Pampa and Patagonia with a gaucho, Darwin crossing the Andes Mountains with a Chilean arriero, and Darwin riding a turtle in the Galapagos Islands.
What was your motivation for building it?
I am fascinated by the history of science. I love the book A Naturalist’s Voyage Around the World by Charles Darwin, so I decided to recreate the HMS Beagle with LEGO bricks and build a few vignettes with key moments of the trip.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was very happy. That was a dream come true. The most beautiful part was the positive feedback that many people from many countries provided me.
Japanese old style architecture
Name:
Takuto Harajo
LEGO Ideas Username:
taxon55
Nationality:
Japanese
Tell us a little about your model:
My “Japanese old style architecture” model celebrates old Japanese buildings that are made of Japanese traditional materials and building methods. Its material is composed of wood, mud, bamboo and pottery, and it is designed to match the climate of Japan. Also, Japanese architecture has been built differently depending on the age and use. This model is a LEGO reproduction of a familiar building built in 1894 called Dōgo Onsen, located in a hot spring site (Ehime prefecture of Matsuyama city) that was discovered in around the 7th century.
What was your motivation for building it?
I thought that this old Japanese building would be more fun if the LEGO NINJAGO series could have been played with traditional Japanese buildings when the theme was released. I also thought that it would help improve the understanding of traditional Japanese buildings. I believe that LEGO NINJAGO with Japanese wabi-sabi is also fun (“Wabi-sabi” is a Japanese aesthetic concept that has greatly influenced the Japanese people in various areas from haiku poetry and Noh theatre to tea ceremonies and modern art). I’ve also been motivated by the hope to see a series of traditional buildings from around the world.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I want to thank all the 10,000 people who voted for my project. It made me very happy. It made me feel that many people are interested in traditional Japanese architecture. I am very thankful for giving me a valuable experience.
The Iron Giant
Name:
Brett Cuviello
LEGO Ideas Username:
BrettCuv
Nationality:
American
Tell us a little about your model:
This model depicts the eponymous hero from Brad Bird’s animated film The Iron Giant. It stands just under 56 cm tall and contains around 2000 pieces.
What was your motivation for building it?
I’ve always loved building large robots out of LEGO, and the Iron Giant is by far one of the most iconic movie robots of all time. I was especially motivated to build him because of the challenge his size presented. I had a ton of fun trying to create something that was both aesthetically accurate and structurally sound.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
When I hit 10,000 supporters, I was really excited. I didn’t expect to hit 10,000 so fast, so reaching it was both relieving and slightly frustrating because I had several more updates for it planned. All in all, though, I feel that submitting this project to LEGO Ideas has been extremely rewarding for me.
Small YELLOW
Name:
Nathan Sawaya
LEGO Ideas username:
brickartist
Nationality:
American
Tell us a little about your model:
SMALL YELLOW, a scaled-down version of my iconic life size sculpture YELLOW, depicts a torso of a human figure grasping its chest and tearing it wide open while thousands of yellow bricks spill out of its cavity. The original version of this art piece tours the world in The Art of the Brick exhibition and represents the emotional struggle and vulnerability in opening oneself up to the world.
What was your motivation for building it?
People seem to have very positive reactions and strong feelings about YELLOW, and my goal was to bring it to as many people as possible, so I thought LEGO Ideas was a great conduit for that.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
When SMALL YELLOW reached 10,000 supporters, I felt hopeful.
Thinking with Portals!
Name:
Nico Vas, Micah Berkoff, John Matz & Evan Bordessa
LEGO Ideas Username:
Brickthing, Arkov, FiveXFive & Lego Junkie
Nationality:
New Zealander (Nico Vas), the three others are American
Tell us a little about your model:
These are two concept models for a LEGO set based on Valve’s videogame Portal 2. The first is an Aperture Science Sentry Turret, with pop-open sides, light-up eye and sound brick functions. The second is a minifigure-scale model of Portal’s iconic antagonist, GLaDOS, which features multiple points of articulation and flick-fire missiles! We designed these models after our project reached the Review stage, to explore how our initial digital pitch could be made more stable and exciting as a physical LEGO set.
What was your motivation for building it?
The four of us met and became Team Jigsaw through the 2012 MOCathalon, an online building contest for LEGO fans around the world. During that contest, Evan built a Portal vignette which was well received by LEGO and gaming communities alike. All of us are big fans of Portal 2, and we realized that making a project for LEGO Ideas (CUUSOO at the time) would be a great way to combine our passions and continue to collaborate as a team.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
Our journey to 10,000 supporters was filled with ups and downs, but with the help of the community it began to gain supporters quickly. We were all very excited when it became clear that we were going to reach 10,000 supporters and we were eager to see an official LEGO Portal set on the shelves!
Although the project was ultimately unsuccessful, today Nico is working as a Senior Designer on top secret models for The LEGO Movie 2! Since 2014 he’s also worked on NINJAGO® models including 70734 Master Wu Dragon, 70604 Tiger Widow Island & 70620 NINJAGO® City.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Name:
Chiho Kim
LEGO Ideas Username:
ck80
Nationality:
South Korean
Tell us a little about your model:
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is one of the most iconic off-road vehicles in the automakers’ lineup. Based on its unique design cues such as the seven-slotted front grill, bold protruding mudguards, beautifully curved hood with clearly stamped letters, and rounded top frames, huge number of variations have been developed by Wrangler maniacs over time.
The model, built using approximately 1,300 LEGO bricks, is one of the most popular versions of the Jeep Wrangler. A hood covering a wild engine, 2 sleek leather seats behind 2 doors, and separable soft top cover with hardware kits inside are integrated in this particular set.
A miniature DSLR camera is included in this set in the hope that the owner of this car would love shooting pictures as I do. For emergency stops on the road, yellow cones are necessary items. A tidy net provides the convenience for holding such accessories neatly in the trunk.
What was your motivation for building it?
I like the Jeep Wrangler because of the unique design and functional features. The overall shape of this car is very angular and boxy thus it seems to be suitable for LEGO modeling. But it has beautiful curves in some parts meaning that it could be challenging with LEGO bricks as well. I was convinced that I could nicely express those aspects in LEGO style. I also thought that if LEGO fans could put this model beside their LEGO car collections, it would be fantastic.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was so shocked when the project hit 2,000 votes within the first week. I could see the possibility of achieving the 10,000 supporter goal once it broke the 5,000 milestone. I was too excited to focus on other stuff. Thanks to continuous support and encouragement from all LEGO Ideas fans and Jeep enthusiasts, I was able to achieve the 10,000 supporter goal in only 112 days. It is absolutely one of the greatest experience of my life.
Quest Builder
Name:
Yvonne Strijbos
LEGO Ideas Username:
Ymarilego
Nationality:
Dutch
Tell us a little about your model:
Quest Builder is a set that allows you to create all kinds of medieval dungeons. The individual parts can be combined in any way you see fit to make bigger or smaller rooms, corridors, lairs, etc.
What was your motivation for building it?
I decided to create the model when me and my friends started roleplaying again (Dungeons and Dragons). I thought it would be nice to have something to make instant scenes for the story to take place. It had to be quick and versatile, so small floor parts with walls and furniture in all kinds of shapes were the best solution. With a number of those floor tiles, any game leader is set to go and create a wonderful adventure for the players.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was stunned, flabbergasted. I tend to check from time to time to see how projects are going. The first two weeks it was going ok but not very fast. After that at some point it went viral. Twitter and Reddit were going crazy and within one day, the model gained 9500 votes! The servers were completely overworked and unresponsive, reacting was impossible. It was insane! I still do not know exactly what happened but I am happy it did :)
Gilmore Girls - Luke's Diner
Name:
Arne Jahnke
LEGO Ideas Username:
Versteinert (formerly Rainer Zufall)
Nationality:
German
Tell us a little about your model:
This model shows the interior of Luke's Diner from the TV show "Gilmore Girls". Luke's Diner is one of the most important places in Stars Hollow, where the TV show takes place. The minifigures that are currently around represent Luke, Lorelai, Rory, Kirk and Jess as the waiter. These are some of the most important characters in "Gilmore Girls". The model counts about 1100 parts.
What was your motivation for building it?
The idea of building Luke's Diner came to me, because my wife is a really big "Gilmore Girls" fan and she asked me to build Luke's Diner for her. So building this model gave me the possibility to do my wife a favour while pursuing my favorite hobby, creating with LEGO bricks.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
When the project reached the 10,000 supporters, it was a great feeling. But since I had a lot of luck and gathering these supporters only took three weeks, the whole gathering period was as amazing as the moment when it was done. I never thought this could happen.
NASA Space Shuttle (Saturn V Scale)
Name:
Andrew Harkins
LEGO Ideas Username:
KingsKnight
Nationality:
American
Tell us a little about your model:
This model represents the NASA Space Shuttle in operation from 1981 to 2011. The model is about 1400 parts and is built at 1:110 scale. It includes the Orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters, and the large red-orange External Tank. The orbiter includes a two-level crew compartment, functional flaps and split tail rudder, a large cargo bay with functioning cargo bay doors and a Remote Manipulator Arm called the Canadarm. The Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank detach like the real Shuttle after launch.
What was your motivation for building it?
The Space Shuttle fascinated me as a child. I used to love watching the launches, and hearing about their missions in space. One of my favorite LEGO sets as a child was the 1682 Space Shuttle set. More recently, I’ve been visiting my local museum, The California Science Center, where they house the Space Shuttle Endeavour. In a couple of years they will be displaying Endeavour vertically with a real External Tank and real Solid Rocket Boosters as if ready for liftoff! This may very well be the last time we will get to see the Space Shuttle in this full stack configuration. I wanted to celebrate this achievement by remembering this iconic ship in LEGO bricks!
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
I was both ecstatic and exhausted when it finally hit 10,000! I have to admit I was refreshing the LEGO Ideas website constantly as it got closer and closer. It was a relief to get to 10,000 supporters. I never imagined it would ever get there, so I was amazed with how quickly the support seemed to grow. It took a little over 5 weeks.
Addams Family Mansion
Name:
Hugh Scandrett
LEGO Ideas Username:
Afol777
Nationality:
Canadian/American
Tell us a little about your model:
Firstly, the project was a challenge because it was my first MOC. Lots to learn about translating an idea into a large implementation. Lots of building, and rebuilding and finding out a better way to do something right.
I did the project entirely freehand, from looking at several source materials mostly screen captures from the original TV series on DVD, and one fictional sketch of the rear of the mansion (never shown on TV) that I found.
I started by prototyping the greenhouse, portico and the 45-degree front corner of the mansion. Once I had solid designs, I could layout the whole footprint. Sourcing was one of the toughest parts of this project. Most of the purchases were made through the Brick Owl marketplace for the harder to find parts while bulk orders came in through LEGO Pick a Brick.
I really like the Addams Family minifigures.
What was your motivation for building it?
I loved the 1960s TV series Addams Family and wanted to do a building that was big and creepy! The mansion is an “end of series” 50th anniversary tribute to the 1966 finale. The Addams Family Mansion Modular consists of three fully detailed floors with each of the floors separable. The family looks right at home. It took me about six months of studying the old TV series DVDs, trial and error on the greenhouse, and angled corner section, and sourcing the 2,900 parts.
How did you feel when it reached 10,000 supporters?
Super! Dare I saw awesome! The most rewarding part of the 50-day process were the hundreds of positive comments and questions. I answered every one.
By
hasanjensen