There is a LEGO Architecture set that was released just recently that is worth taking a look at. It is the #21024 LEGO Architecture Louvre, depicting in miniature form the famous museum in France. LEGO Architecture is a niche that mostly appeals to adults who are in the field of architecture and design, but the sets can also be interesting to other LEGO fans who are looking for a different building experience and unique LEGO elements. So let’s take a closer look at the latest addition to the LEGO Architecture line! 🙂
Here is the official description of the #21024 LEGO Architecture Louvre: Celebrate the world of architecture with the LEGO Louvre set! Build a LEGO brick model of the Louvre, the world’s largest museum of art. Located in the heart of Paris on the bank of the river Seine, this magnificent structure, renowned for its striking blend of Renaissance and Modernist architecture, welcomes over 9 million visitors a year and houses over 35,000 works of art, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The Louvre started life as a fortress, built by King Philip Augustus in 1190 to protect Parisians from foreign invasion, and has since undergone a number of renovations. The result is the architecturally stunning Louvre we know today. This detailed LEGO model features the prominent Pavillon de l’Horloge and the iconic, once controversial glass pyramid designed by the renowned Chinese-American architect, I. M. Pei. 695 pieces. Price: $59.99 – BUY HERE
The #21024 LEGO Architecture Louvre set comes in the same high quality and sleek looking box with a flip-up top as all other LEGO Architecture sets. The instruction book is also very high quality and it includes quite a bit of information on the history and design of the Louvre. Another thing you will notice about this set right away is that the box is surprisingly heavy. I have noticed this with other high piece-count LEGO Architecture sets as well. They tend to be very dense with a large number of small elements, which result in the unusually high weight.
As this is a micro-scale model, the actual size is 5” (13cm) tall, 6” (17cm) wide and 7” (19cm) deep, which puts this into the category of medium-size LEGO Architecture sets. However as I have mentioned above, the building-experience is very different than most LEGO sets; instead of an open, airy design to facilitate easy building and play, here the focus is on accuracy on a small scale. This is achieved by using lots of small pieces and advanced building techniques. If you have never built a LEGO Architecture set before, you would be surprised of how many interesting building-techniques are used. Assembling them is quite enjoyable – especially the medium-size sets. (The smallest ones tend to be too easy and quick to put together, while the largest ones can be a bit tedious.)
The final model is instantly recognizable with the big pyramid at the front, and LEGO even added the little pyramid that is behind the big one! I’m not sure what is going on with the fountains though. For some reason LEGO designers only added them on one side of the pyramid, which gives the set an unfinished, uneven, and even confusing look. Another downside is that only the building behind the pyramid has been added, and not the side-wings. This is understandable however as the set would had to be basically three times larger. Perhaps it would be worth getting a couple of extra sets to build up the sides, or if you have the right pieces you may be able to do it from your own collection. Note, though, that those tan pieces used for the columns are unique to this set and this is the first time they have been used. As I said earlier, LEGO Architecture sets can be excellent sources for unique parts, and this is definitely one of those sets. Below Jason from the BrickShow will show you the set in more detail.
To summarize, the #21024 LEGO Architecture Louvre set is a nice addition to the LEGO Architecture line, and a good representation of the original building. It is also an excellent source of rare parts and colors that you might want to take advantage of. You can find it, along with other great sets, under the LEGO Architecture section of the Online LEGO Shop. I would also like to remind you that the excellent #21050 LEGO Architecture Studio kit is available again, and also there is a gorgeous new coffee-table book, “LEGO Architecture: The Visual Guide” that features all the LEGO Architecture sets that have been released so far. It’s a bit on the expensive side at $39.99, but it is beautiful and definitely worth it. Anyhow, the point is that while other LEGO themes may get more buzz and news coverage, it is worth checking out the LEGO Architecture section once in a while because there are some really nice sets there specifically meant for serious LEGO fans who appreciate impressive looking display pieces.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Architecture Louvre set? Do you have it already? Or are you planning to get it? Do you collect the LEGO Architecture series? Which one is your favorite set so far? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉
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It’s definitely a cool set, but it doesn’t quite strike me as “accurate.” I know it’d be impossible to make a perfectly accurate version of the Louvre without making it UCS, 2000+ pieces, and $200+, but perhaps this could have been one of those larger, more tedious Architecture sets in order to include more of the museum. Same with the fountains; the designers were probably pushing the part count and had to cut them short. Although to me the whole design looks odd, perhaps because they’re raised. 😕 Anyways, it’s still good, especially for the parts and techniques. 🙂
Actually, I think that the side that has no “fountain” triangles is the side from which people enter the pyramid. That makes sense, although the orientation makes it seem as though the building in the set is one of the side buildings, not the main part that the set depicts.
I compared the set to aerial views of the actual building, and you could be right about this being one of the side structures. That would make more sense. I’m just not sure which one is the Pavillon de l’Horloge that this set suppose to represent.
According to Wikipedia, the Pavillon de l’Horloge was “built just north of the older Lescot Wing”. I think the Lescot Wing is the center part of the building, as shown on page 3 of the 21024 Lovre’s instruction manual. If we take the set’s pyramid’s entrance as the proper direction, I would guess the set depicts the building on the left side of the picture you put in the article. 😉
Hm… that makes sense. I just assumed it was the middle building, but I guess not. 😀
I think it is accurate in the sense that it is pretty obvious what it is. It could definitely look better in a larger scale, but neither the buildings, nor the pyramid are really that interesting on the outside, so it would just have been more of the same. It does have a really good parts selection.
Anyone else thinking about reenacting “Edge of tomorrow”? (lol)
Hm… that would be awesome! Although everything would have to be micro-scale, and that film is too epic to be so small. 😀
Too true. 😛
The designer did a good job with making the glass pyramid! I like that technique.
Yes, the pyramid is pretty sweet! 🙂