≡ Menu

The LEGO Architecture Skyline series started back in 2016, with two sets; the #21027 LEGO Architecture Berlin Skyline, and the #21028 LEGO Architecture New York City Skyline. The series proved to be very popular with adult LEGO fans and collectors, so in 2017 three more sets were added; the #21032 LEGO Architecture Sydney Skyline, the #21033 LEGO Architecture Chicago Skyline, and the #21034 LEGO Architecture London Skyline. They were followed by the #21039 LEGO Architecture Shanghai Skyline, and the #21047 LEGO Architecture Las Vegas Skyline in 2018. This year we got two new skyline sets; the #21043 LEGO Architecture San Francisco Skyline, and the #21044 LEGO Architecture Paris Skyline. Both sets have some interesting features to let’s check them out. 🙂

The #21043 LEGO Architecture San Francisco Skyline features iconic San Francisco sights and famous landmarks, including the Painted Ladies buildings, 555 California Street, the Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower, Coit Tower, Fort Point, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. As usual with this series, the included booklet contains information about the designer, the architecture and history of each attraction, as well as historical facts about San Francisco and its architectural heritage. So, even if you are not as familiar with a particular city in the series, you can learn some interesting facts. I always enjoy reading this section.

The most striking feature of the #21043 LEGO Architecture San Francisco Skyline set is that it uses forced-perspective techniques in the construction of the bridge to give the skyline greater depth. I believe this is the first time we see the use of forced-perspective in an official LEGO set. It looks brilliant, especially on such a small scale. It’s worth studying how the techniques were implemented, as forced-perspective is very useful, especially when you have limited space and/or number of pieces. The entire set measures only about 6” (16cm) high, 11” (28cm) wide and 2” (7cm) deep, but it feels much larger due to the forced-perspective techniques.

The set has many other nice features, including the path for the cable cars, and the constructions of the buildings. Note the unique printed pieces that add additional details to the structures. And, of course, there is a printed name tile for the city, like in all the other LEGO Architecture Skyline sets. This is a very nice set overall, and a worthy addition to the collection. The total piece-count is 565 pieces, and the price is $49.99. You can get the set at the LEGO Architecture section of the Online LEGO Shop.

The second LEGO Architecture set that was released this year is the #21044 LEGO Architecture Paris Skyline. It features a selection of Paris’s famous landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, Tour Montparnasse, Grand Palais, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre (plus grass and tree areas). It’s interesting to note that three of the six buildings also appeared in the past as stand-alone LEGO Architecture sets.

I really like the angling of the Eiffel Tower in relation to the other buildings, and the printed arches at the bottom of the tower are very effective. The same printed 1×1 plates that were in the other set are also used here. They are great for adding small details to already tiny buildings. On such a small scale, it’s very important to take advantage of the shapes of small LEGO pieces. This is especially visible in the construction of the Grand Palace.

Here again, the included booklet contains information about the designer, architecture and history of each structure, as well as historical facts about Paris and its architectural heritage. The set measures about 8” (22cm) high, 11” (28cm) wide and 4” (11cm) deep. The total piece-count is 694 pieces, and the price is $49.99. You can get it at the LEGO Architecture section of the Online LEGO Shop.

Although LEGO Architecture sets may not be as exciting as sets based on movies and sets with lots of play-features, they do have a dedicated and appreciative following. Putting together LEGO Architecture sets is always full of delightful surprises as you are presented with clever and unusual building techniques. The sets also look great on display both in the home and at the office, and thus are especially appealing to adult LEGO fans.

The LEGO Architecture series includes stand-alone structures, like the #21029 LEGO Architecture Buckingham Palace, the #21030 LEGO Architecture United States Capitol Building, the #21035 LEGO Architecture Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the #21041 LEGO Architecture Great Wall of China, the #21042 LEGO Architecture Statue of Liberty, and many more. These sets tend to be larger, more involved to build, and more expensive. The above-mentioned LEGO Architecture Skyline series includes several buildings that represent a city on a small scale. They are usually more interesting to build for beginners, and they also make excellent gifts for those new to the LEGO hobby. You can check out the current selection at 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 any of the sets already? Which one is your favorite? And do you prefer the stand-alone LEGO Architecture sets or the city skylines? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

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

{ 5 comments }

LEGO Creator Ford Mustang printing issues

The recently released #10265 LEGO Creator Ford Mustang is considered by many LEGO fans as one of the most beautiful cars ever released. The set features an authentic replica of a 1960s Ford Mustang with dark-blue bodywork, white racing stripes, air scoop, 5-spoke rims with road-gripping tires, opening doors, opening trunk, opening hood to reveal a detailed Ford Mustang V8 engine, removable roof panel to access the detailed interior, working steering, and a selection customization add-ons. You can read about the set, as well as watch the designer-video here: LEGO Ford Mustang Designer-Video & More! 🙂

While the LEGO Creator Ford Mustang is awesome, a number of LEGO fans reported having issues with the printed pieces not aligning correctly. The set includes both stickers and printed parts. The stickers are used for the license plates and some of the interior decorations, while the printed parts are used on the body of the car to create the lines on the hood, the roof, and the side of the car. The hood and roof uses white 2×3 and 2×4 tiles and curved slopes with dark-blue printed stripes, and the side of the car uses curved slopes with white printed stripes.

Even when the stripes are all aligned correctly with each other to form a continuous stripe, there is a bit of gap where the pieces connect, as the printing does not go all the way to the edges. This is a limitation in LEGO’s printing, and is not considered an issue. If the lines are properly aligned, they are not as noticeable and won’t take away from the beauty of the car.

However, for some LEGO fans, the stripes on the hood, roof, and the sides do not align correctly, creating weirdly jagged lines. If you have received a set like this, you might be able to remedy the issue by removing all the striped pieces, and switching them around. The tiles on the hood and roof of the car could possibly align better just by turning them around or putting them in a different order. You can also play around with the curved slopes on the sides for the most optimal alignment. It’s a good thing that the pieces are the same, so you have lots of ways to line them up. If you are part of a LEGO User Group, or you have friends who also have the car with the same issue, you can get together and line up all the printed pieces to get the best combination for all the cars.

LEGO acknowledges that this has been a problem with certain batches of the set, and they request to please call customer service to report it. Currently, there is no solution to the issue as the printing falls within LEGO’s established tolerance levels. However, if they receive a large number of complaints, they will look into the possibility of adjusting the tolerance margins for sets that need such straight continuous lines over several pieces. They are also offering to send out non-printed replacement parts.

In addition, some LEGO fans reported that there is an inconsistency of the opacity of the white stripes on the dark-blue pieces. This is not as distracting as the jagged lines though. Here, also, you might be able to put the pieces in a different order to smooth out the differences in opacity. Again, call customer service to report if you have this issue with your set. Looking at the codes on the box, they can pinpoint which factory produced the parts, which is tremendously helpful when trying to track down an issue like this.

Not all LEGO fans  have problems with their #10265 LEGO Creator Ford Mustang. Some people have cars with perfectly straight lines, for some it’s just one or two pieces that are slightly misaligned, and for some the lines are seriously crooked. If you have a set with such defects, calling customer service is the best solution.

On a more positive, note, I have included a full review of the LEGO Creator Ford Mustang below by Sariel. He will show you all the wonderful details of the car, as well as all the customization features. It really is a great set even with the occasionally crooked lines.

For your reference, here is the full description of the set: Discover the magic of an iconic 1960s American muscle car with the LEGO Creator Ford Mustang, featuring dark-blue bodywork with white racing stripes, bonnet scoop, printed mustang grille badge, GT emblems, and 5-spoke rims with road-gripping tires. Developed with input from Ford, this authentic replica comes with optional add-ons for customization, including a selection of license plates, supercharger, rear ducktail spoiler, beefy exhaust pipes, front chin spoiler, and a nitrous oxide tank. You can even adjust the lift of the rear axle for an extra-mean look! Remove the roof panel or open the doors and you have access to the detailed interior with handsome seats, radio, working steering and a mid-console gearshift. Store items in the trunk or lift the hood to reveal a detailed big block 390 V8 engine with battery, hoses, and air filter detailing. This advanced building set has been designed to provide a challenging and rewarding building experience full of nostalgia and makes a great centerpiece for the home or office. Measures over 3” (10cm) high, 13” (34cm) long and 5” (14cm) wide. 1,471 pieces. Price: $149.99 – BUY HERE

Remember that LEGO is currently offering a really sweet Ford Mustang key ring when you purchase the set. Please note that this offer is only for LEGO VIP members. The key ring features the LEGO logo on one side, the Ford Mustang logo on the other side, and a small LEGO VIP tag. This offer is valid until supplies last at official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop.

And, you can also check out the other LEGO Creator Expert Builder cars, like the #10220 LEGO Creator Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, the #10242 LEGO Creator MINI Cooper, the #10252 LEGO Creator Volkswagen Beetle, the #10258 LEGO Creator London Bus, and the #10262 LEGO Creator James Bond Aston Martin BD5. You can find them all at the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? Do you have the #10265 LEGO Creator Ford Mustang already? How do you like it? And did you notice any issues with the printing of the straight lines? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below! 😉

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

{ 16 comments }