Back in 2020, LEGO released a couple of nicely designed LEGO Architecture Skyline sets (#21051 LEGO Architecture Tokyo and #21052 LEGO Architecture Dubai), plus the #21054 LEGO Architecture White House. In 2021, we only got one set; the #21056 LEGO Architecture Taj Mahal. This year, it looks like LEGO is continuing with the LEGO Architecture Skyline series, and released the #21057 LEGO Architecture Singapore set.
Just like with other LEGO Architecture sets, the instruction booklet includes fairly extensive information about the city and buildings; Marina Bay Sands, the OCBC Center, One Raffles Place, Lau Pa Sat food market (also known as Telok Ayer Market), The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, and Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay. In addition, there are LEGO elements representing the Singapore River and trees.
Lying at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, the city-state of Singapore is the gateway between East and West. This is especially evident in the city’s architecture, which is a melting pot of many styles and influences set against a backdrop of lush greenery and a vibrant riverfront. It is mentioned in the instructions that LEGO Designer Rok Zgalin Kobe focused on capturing the unique atmosphere of the city even more so than mixing old and new structures.
Although the buildings aren’t really to scale with each other, and their comparative location isn’t right either, you can instantly recognize the Singapore skyline. I also really like the mixture of modern buildings, older neighborhoods, and natural elements. This allows a nice combination of colors, textures, and shapes using unusual LEGO pieces and exclusive printed elements.
It’s interesting to note that the earlier LEGO Architecture sets used less color and more basic shapes, making the sets look like architectural modeling kits. The LEGO Architecture Skyline series introduced brighter colors and unique elements to spice up the sets and thus make them more interesting for a wider audience.
The LEGO Architecture Singapore set measures over 6.5 in. (16 cm) high, 11 in (28 cm) wide, and 3.5 in. (9 cm) deep, and comes with 827 pieces. Like other LEGO Architecture sets, it is densely built with lots of small elements to recreate shapes and mimic real buildings. In fact, these sets are surprisingly heavy for their size due to how closely small pieces are packed together. And the building techniques give you an introduction to micro-building, as well as the pieces to build your own micro cities.
LEGO Architecture sets are basically small models of real cities and because they don’t really have any play features, they won’t appeal to everyone. However, they do make nice gifts and impressive home/office displays. Building them is an engaging experience that isn’t too long or too short (usually about an hour) and doesn’t cost nearly as much or take up as much space as the larger adult-oriented sets. However, they do require pretty good finger dexterity to align all those tiny pieces. If you would like to check out the currently available LEGO Architecture sets, including the LEGO Architecture Skyline series, visit the LEGO Architecture section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Architecture Skyline series? Do you have a favorite LEGO Architecture set? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!
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