We have talked about the new LEGO sets releases for August (see: All New LEGO Sets & Promotions for the Month), however there was one new set that I haven’t mentioned before: the #21020 LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain. So let’s take a look at this latest addition of the LEGO Architecture Landmark Series and see if it is worth to get. 🙂
If you have a chance to check out the #21020 LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain set in person the first thing you will notice is how heavy the box is. It is surely a largish box for a LEGO Architecture set, but the weight will still surprise you; over 2 pounds of LEGO goodness! This is partially because of the thick and very high quality booklet, and also because of the density of the LEGO model itself. While most LEGO buildings have a certain airiness to them both for facilitating play and also to keep down cost, LEGO Architecture sets (especially the larger ones) are characterized by this heavy, dense building style that aims for realism and for providing interesting building techniques that doesn’t skimp on pieces.
The booklet that comes with the #21020 LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain is 142 pages long, full color and super slick in black. Of course it includes the building instructions for the actual model, and also a lot about its history of the fountain; details about the design and construction, the architects, as well as the Trevi Fountain in the past and present. It is actually a really interesting read, and the same information is available both in English and Italian (other languages are available at the LEGO Architecture website). Below is a short excerpt to give you a taste:
The Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) is the most famous and arguably the most beautiful fountain in Rome. This impressive Baroque-styled monument was completed in 1762 and still dominates the small Trevi square located in the city’s Quirinale district… Many smaller fountains were constructed between 1400 and 1700, almost all of them at the behest of the reigning pope. It was also Pope Clement XII who organized a competition in 1730 to build a more dramatic fountain. Many of the most renowned architects of the day entered the competition, which architect Nicola Salvi eventually won. There are a lot more interesting details included in the first 10 pages, with some beautiful pictures of the fountain itself.
Once you admired the booklet and read the back-story of the fountain, of course you would be ready for building it! There are 731 pieces in this set with most of them in white. You also get a great number of trans-blue pieces as well; 34 1×1 bricks, 28 1×1 plates, and 97 1×2 plates. Below is a time-lapse video of building the LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain so you get an idea on how it looks during the building stages:
Larger LEGO Architecture sets like the Trevi Fountain take a while to build. It is a very different experience then putting a LEGO set together aimed at children. Here there is a lot more focus on realism and also using more sophisticated building techniques that experienced LEGO fans would appreciate. There is also quite a bit of repetition and putting small pieces together, which could make the building experience boring and painful, however I have never found this to be true with LEGO Architecture sets. Because the final models are not that large in size, whatever repetition is present it is spiced up with unique building techniques and beautiful color combinations that keeps your interest. I don’t know how many times I have said out loud “Wow! That was an interesting and clever design!” while building LEGO Architecture sets. So no, LEGO Architecture sets are not tedious or boring.
Here is the official description of the #21020 LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain with more information: Recreate a truly iconic landmark of Rome – the Trevi Fountain! Construct a detailed LEGO brick model of the world-famous Trevi Fountain, the largest fountain in Rome. Designed by Nicola Salvi, the ‘Fontana di Trevi’ took 30 years to build and was completed by his friend – the sculptor, Pietro Bracci – in 1762, 11 years after Salvi’s death. This stunning Baroque monument carved from Travertine stone has been the backdrop for many classic movies, including Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. And, today, over 250 years later, the 49-meter-wide fountain still draws thousands of visitors to the small Trevi square. The intricate LEGO model of this iconic symbol of Rome incorporates features such as the façade of the Palazzo Poli, the statues of Ocean, Abundance and Health, plus translucent blue water-effect LEGO bricks. This LEGO Architecture Landmark Series interpretation of the Trevi Fountain was designed by artist Rok Žgalin Kobe in close collaboration with the LEGO design team.
The final model of the LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain is 5 inches (14 cm) tall 7 inches (20 cm) wide and 5 inches (14 cm) deep, so yes, you get a nice size model; not too big, not too small. It stands on a tiled black base with the printed name of the fountain, and the rest of the model is mostly white with trans-blue (a color-combination I always really liked and a characteristic of several LEGO Architecture sets), and some gray for the rocks. LEGO Architecture sets are not so much for play but for display. And they in fact make beautiful show-pieces that look perfectly at home on an office-desk, shelf-space or coffee-table. If you are an architect or designer yourself having a few LEGO Architecture sets displayed in your office is a good way to get clients interested in your work. 🙄
I don’t really have anything negative to say about this set. The LEGO Architecture collection is not for everyone, but for those who like them, this is an excellent model. I also thought to mention that the #21018 LEGO Architecture United Nations Headquarters and the #21021 LEGO Architecture Marina Bay Sands has the same color scheme as the LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain, so if you can display all three of them together you would have a particularly impressive collection. (I have reviewed both sets previously, see links at the end of this article.)
If you are interested in the LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain or other LEGO Architecture sets, you can find the current selection at the Online LEGO Shop. Also, please note that the #21050 LEGO Architecture Studio set is now back in stock and also finally available in the UK and Europe. A lot of our readers have been inquiring about this set and it is nice to have it available again. You can read my full review on it here: LEGO Architecture Studio Set Review, William’s review on it here: LEGO Architecture Studio Hands-On Review, and buy it here: Online LEGO Shop
So what do you think? How do you like the LEGO Architecture series? And what do you think of the LEGO Architecture Trevi Fountain? Is this as set you are considering adding to your collection? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below! 😉
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