Designing LEGO Ideas 21311 Voltron: Exclusive interview

The LEGO Ideas Creative Lead and Designer of 21311 Voltron speak to Brick Fanatics about bringing the massive mech to LEGO life

[geot exclude_country=”United States”]LEGO Ideas 21311 Voltron[/geot][geot country=”United States”]LEGO Ideas 21311 Voltron[/geot] has been on public display for the first time at San Diego Comic Con, towering over the other sets on show at the LEGO stand. At [geot exclude_country=”United States”]£159.99[/geot][geot country=”United States”]$179.99[/geot], it is the most expensive LEGO Ideas set released so far – but with the model comprising of 2,321 pieces, it is also the largest by far. To find out more about how this epic LEGO release came to be, Brick Fanatics sits down with LEGO Ideas Creative Lead Samuel Johnson and LEGO Designer Niek van Slagmaat.

Perhaps the most asked question about successful LEGO Ideas projects is why they get selected to become official releases, so Brick Fanatics asked just that about 21311 Voltron. “It’s a pretty unique type of model for starters. We’ve never really made these big robots that can change into smaller robots,” Samuel explains.

The complexity of the design offering the Ideas team a particular challenge. “The opportunity to show everyone over there in the LEGO design team that we could really push the boundaries without creating new parts, that’s why it has been chosen,” the Creative Lead says.

After working on the initial designs, Samuel passed the model over to Niek who worked up the finished set, collaborating with his fellow designers at the LEGO Group. One of the most impressive things about the set is just how well it breaks up from the large mech into the individual mechs.

“We really wanted to capture the original submission, which is a huge, huge robot and the entire point of a super robot is that they are so massive,” says Niek, revealing why the designers decided that the set such be the biggest LEGO robot ever released.

Attendees at San Diego Comic Con have had the opportunity to buy the set early, but fans around the world will be able to own LEGO Ideas 21311 Voltron from July 23, when it launches at [geot exclude_country=”United States”]shop.LEGO.com[/geot][geot country=”United States”]shop.LEGO.com[/geot].