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\n\tRecently, I had the opportunity to see the traveling LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition exhibit at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, MI. This exhibit contains 14 scale models of buildings from around the world built entirely out of LEGO bricks. The exhibition will be at The Henry Ford until February 24, 2013.
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\n\tThe first model is of Detroit’s Ford Field, which was built before museum-goers’ eyes during the exhibit’s opening weekend November 3-4, 2012. Ford Field is the home of the Detroit Lions and was the home of Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006. As the model was built on-site during opening weekend by designer Adam Reed Tucker, there are no statistics on the model, unlike the other models in this gallery.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tA close-up of the Ford Field model’s outer wall and grandstand section.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tA close-up of the field in the Ford Field model. Even the field is designed in LEGO.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Burj Khalifa is the current tallest building on Earth, standing 2,325 ft. (2,684 ft. with the spire) and is 162 stories. It is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The model is 17’6″ tall, consists of 450,300 pieces and took 280 hours to design and 340 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThis is a close-up of the Burj Khalifa’s LEGO contruction. It’s no surprise there are over 450,000 pieces in the full model — I think I see hundreds in just this little sample.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe Empire State Building, located in New York City, New York, contains 102 stories and is 1,453 ft. tall with the tower. The model is 7’6″ tall, consists of 12,200 pieces and took 100 hours to design and 150 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe former #2 World Trade Center building, which once stood in New York City, New York, was 1,362 ft. tall and contained 110 stories. The model is 7’0″ tall and consists of 14,250 pieces, but only took 12 hours to design and 60 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tChina’s Jin Mao Tower is a 1,381 ft. tall tower (with the spire) in Shanghai. The model is 8’0″ tall, contains 16,450 pieces, and took 120 hours to design and 200 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe exhibit contained several quotes on the walls near the building models. This quote by Witold Rybczynski struck a chord in me as I would often be one of those “little architects.”
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tSan Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid is an 853 ft. building consisting of 48 stories. The model is one of the shortest in this exhibit, measuring only 4’0″ tall. It contains 4,800 pieces and took 20 hours to design and 40 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tSt. Louis, Missouri’s Gateway Arch is another popular American architectural wonder. At 630 ft. from top to bottom, and 630 ft. from base to base this catenary curve impresses millions of visitors anually. The model, though, stands a mere 3’0″ tall and contains 3,200 pieces. It look 60 hours to design and 40 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThis close-up of the observation deck shows the workmanship involved in a piece even of this relatively smaller size.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tFrank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house, located in Mill Run, Pennsylvania, is another popular tourist destination due to its position extending out over a waterfall and stream. The model is only 1’4″ tall, but it consists of 21,100 pieces. It took 170 hours to design and 130 hours to build.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThis is an up-close shot of the workmanship of the Fallingwater model. It’s another very complex and involved design, which can be seen by the intricate brickwork visible here.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThe last six buildings make up a cross section of what could have been the Chicago Skyline. Instead, however, both the Chicago Spire and 7 South Dearborn were never built. Here are the stats on the various models in this collection (from left to right — Marina City is the identical pair):
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
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\n\tThis is a close-up of the Marina City model. The LEGO architect (Adam Reed Tucker) purposefully left some sections open apparently to allow the viewer to see the internal construction methods.
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\n\tPhoto of LEGO Architecture exhibit by Wally Bahny for TechRepublic
