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Brick Breakdown: LEGO Red London Telephone Box

(Written by William)

It’s always exciting to check out a new LEGO Ideas set. There is something about them that feels fresh and different. Often, it’s because it is a model that we normally wouldn’t get from any other LEGO theme. The #21347 LEGO Red London Telephone Box is a great example of this.

Taken at face value, it’s a good-looking model full of nice detail. However, what exactly would draw a LEGO fan to pick it up? I mean, if you have a special connection with London, I can see a lot of appeal for the model. Perhaps a fan of history could respect the hundred-year-old design. But on the whole, this seems to be a rather niche product.

Fortunately, I still found some interesting features and building techniques that are worth talking about and that you might find appealing, even if you have no interest in phone booths or London icons.

LEGO LONDON TELEPHONE BOX – BUILDING EXPERIENCE

Whenever you increase the scale of any model, there is a lot more room for fine detail work. The London Phone Box is an excellent example of this. The building process is straightforward and divided into 11 numbered bags, so anyone can follow along with ease. But it’s what you build that’s impressive.

For one, large brick-built doors and hinges are often problematic. Hinges can appear rather bulky and obvious. Additionally, a door itself tends to have weak points. This is not the case with this model.

The door consists of a simple interlocking design to give it stability, while also building in the hinges to the door with LEGO Technic elements. Slotting these axle connectors into the side of the box is both very secure and cleverly disguised. There are even small tile protrusions to act as doorstops without looking too obvious and ruining the overall appearance.

The phone booth also gives builders an option of a rotary phone or a more modern design. There’s just one catch; when you get to bag #5 you must choose one or the other. The set is not really designed to make this change an easy swap. Also, many of the parts are used in both designs, so you will have to completely dismantle one to build the other option.

Finally, a part of the model that blew me away was the roof. Sure, it has a nifty domed top, and you are probably well aware of the light-brick inside. What really caught my attention though is the less visible inside section of the roof. In fact, the interior of this phone booth is a work of art.

In order to accomplish this, a large frame is made around the top of the booth. You will then build an interior frame that will eventually hold the light fixture. This interior frame is inserted upside down with no connection. This frame is simply made to recreate the interior molding found at the top of the booth.

By the time you add the light fixture, also upside down, you end up with this amazingly molded interior that looks much more complex than the already impressive top section of the dome. It’s definitely something made more for the builder than anyone who is just looking at the finished product.

LEGO LONDON TELEPHONE BOX – PARTS

The set does boast a few newer parts. There is the bar holder with clip connectors set at 90 degrees in the lamppost. You also get some printed elements like the brick with “Telephone” print and the ones featuring a crown at the top of the phone box. The interior elements featuring graphics are all stickers though. However, LEGO tends to do this when the graphics in question are meant to be items like flyers and ads posted up on a wall.

But what this set really excels in parts-wise is the quantity. A set that has a great part or two, tends to give very few copies of said part. But this set gives an abundance of useful pieces. There are a lot of red window frames with glass for any building you might create. The cobbled sidewalk is a treasure of lots of small tiles including the fairly new 1×2 rounded tile. The wrought iron fence is a mass of LEGO Technic connectors and bars that you rarely see in sufficient quantities, but this set gives you dozens. Pretty much every aspect of this model is a phenomenal parts pack.

The $114.99 price tag also appeals to those looking at this set as a parts-pack. With 1,460 pieces that’s only 8 cents/piece – a good price in today’s market. And the set may go on sale at some point due to lower interest, which would make it even more appealing. So, if you’re looking for lots of red elements, keep an eye on this set. It’s available at the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.

LEGO LONDON TELEPHONE BOX – FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I highly recommend this set for the building experience and the parts, although I know it’s not for most people. It was fun to build and has a ton of great parts for building my own creations. The scaling of the model is superb and the set designers managed to pack in more details than what I was expecting. I also think it looks good from every angle, which is no easy task with a display model. The subject of a Red London Telephone Box is interesting, but something I’m not sure many are clamoring to build. It’s actually kind of sad that LEGO didn’t do a blue Police box instead, then they could have gotten the Doctor Who fans as well. In the video below, I talk a bit more about the set.

What do you think? How do you like the Red London Telephone Box? Is this a set you’re interested in? Have you built it already? If so, feel free to share your own reviews in the comment section below!

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I was recently browsing the LEGO Ideas platform and found some interesting projects that I thought you might like. You can vote for your favorites so LEGO will consider them for production, or you can use them for inspiration.

Overture of Blossoms: Journey to Freedom by Jiwoo was built for the recent Create Your Own Exhibition Challenge. The creator of this beautiful project shares the following: “This work represents my life’s journey in a different color with the light of flowers. Yellow represents the energy of the sun, red represents the combination of light and space, blue represents the inner side, and white represents space and time gone by. The colors harmonize with each other to express that my steps in the past become nutrients.” I know many of our readers like the LEGO Art and LEGO Botanical sets, so you find this project inspirational. You can find more pictures at this LEGO Ideas page.

The Circus by Goannas89 was inspired by classic traveling circus tents, used since the 19th century. It features both traditional performances like juggling and contemporary circus acts. The roof of the tent can be removed making the interior completely accessible. The central stage with the two support poles of the tent can be removed to position the various artists with their equipment (trapeze, circle, swing, etc.), so you can easily alternate between different performances. Eleven minifigures allow you to create numerous stories and performances: a ringmaster, six artists, and four spectators. However, other minifigures can also be accommodated, there is room for everyone in the stands and the circus is always looking for new artists and performances! This would be such a great model to add to a LEGO city diorama! You can find more pictures and details and also vote for this project at this LEGO Ideas page.

I always liked LEGO city dioramas with multiple levels as they make cities multi-dimensional and a lot more interesting. Sewer Heroes by MOCingbird and Overpass Park by terauma are two excellent examples. You can follow the links to learn more about these projects and give them your support.

If you’re a fan of LEGO Classic Space, I think you will like Mech Combat Bay by topogigio3647. features a command center, mech repair bay, mech, a small space fighter, a refueling vehicle, and a radar station. It’s all in the colors of LEGO Classic Space but with modern building techniques and fresh concepts. You can find more pictures and support this project at this LEGO Ideas page.

A lovely build with lively colors is the Italian Riviera by LEGOParadise. From the orange terracotta roofs to the brightly painted walls, this colorful coastal village includes all of the most iconic parts of Italy’s most famous seaside towns. It was inspired by the designer’s visit to Cinque Terre, a beautiful part of Italy known for its five villages that stretch along a coastline of rocky cliffs and steep terraces. There are so many delightful little details to see here, so make sure you visit this LEGO Ideas page.

Another project that caught my eye is this pair of brick-built statues of lion cubs Simba and Nala from The Lion King by teljesnegyzet. This would be a fun and challenging project for fans of the Disney film. The lions are 12 inches high! For more info and to vote for this project, visit this LEGO Ideas page.

Speaking of film-inspired projects, take a look at this one based on King Kong by Water Leaper. It includes the fabled lost spider pit scene deleted sequence that was removed from the film before it was released. The famous log sequence and of course Kong himself, the characters as minifigures and a part of the jungle as well as the rest of the ravine. For more info and to vote for this project, visit this LEGO Ideas page.

And of course, if you would like to see the currently available LEGO sets originally designed by LEGO fans, visit the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like these LEGO Ideas creations? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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