LEGO Architecture Reviews

Themes

About LEGO Architecture

In 2008, architect and LEGO Certified Professional Adam Reed Tucker teamed up with Paal Smith-Meyer in the LEGO New Business Group to produce two short-run, limited edition sets that featured the LEGO logo subtly in the bottom left corner of the box. Those early sets, 19710 Sears Tower and 19720 John Hancock Center, were early test releases to see how the concept would work, with only 1,250 of each produced.

It was not long until the official versions of the models arrived, with 21000 Sears Tower and 21001 John Hancock Center officially launching the LEGO Architecture theme. It is no coincidence that both of those sets are based on Chicago landmarks, as it is the US city that Adam Reed Tucker hails from. 

Those first two sets established a lot about this very different LEGO theme. Unlike traditional play sets, these were explicitly targeted at adults. Each release still comes in a sleek, black box and features a premium booklet with facts about the landmark and architect as well as the instructions to follow. 

While the single-coloured, simple designs of some of the early releases have evolved to become more sophisticated, the theme favours a single colour for a stylised representation that differs from the usual multi-coloured LEGO models. 

Buildings recreated in the theme over the years have included structures admired by architects, such as 21005 Fallingwater and 21009 Farnsworth House, alongside recognisable landmarks, such as 21006 The White House and 21013 Big Ben.

After a few years, Tucker’s name stopped appearing on the LEGO Architecture boxes and it is now entirely handled by the LEGO Group’s in-house design team. In 2016, the Skyline subtheme was introduced, allowing for a neat little model depicting an entire city. This new interpretation of LEGO Architecture began with 21026 Venice, 21027 Berlin and 21028 New York City.

With over 50 sets launched since LEGO Architecture’s inception, it is a LEGO theme that has gone from small beginnings to become a fan-favourite. It brings a different flavour to the LEGO portfolio for those with a discerning palette, offering something for those who enjoy a building experience beyond the typical minifigure compatible models.