LEGO Enterprise designer reveals how the Icons team made it so

The designer behind the upcoming 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D has added more insight into how the LEGO Star Trek ship and its minifigure crew came to be.

In just over one week, the first-ever LEGO Star Trek sets will depart from space dock and head out into fans’ collections. 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D drops on November 28 (Black Friday), along with 40768 Type-15 Shuttlepod, a free GWP available between November 28 and December 1, or while stocks last.

Ahead of the LEGO Icons model’s imminent arrival, the designer behind the brick-built version of Starfleet’s legendary flagship has been discussing the 3,600-piece set’s creation and why specific versions of its bold crew were ultimately chosen as minifigures.

“My first Star Trek experience was watching the original series on our black-and-white TV,” said Senior Model Designer Hans Burkhard Schlömer on LEGO.com. “I was just a little kid, but even so, I sensed that this show was special in many ways.

“The premise of the show is timeless: humanity’s voyage to the stars. To travel into the unknown, to discover and explore – but always with a set of underlying moral beliefs. Star Trek shows us a positive version of the future, where every problem can be solved by teamwork, diplomacy, science and reason.”

That appreciation of the long-running sci-fi franchise led to the LEGO Icons designer adding a certain little-seen feature to 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, while employing unique building techniques to capture the look of the Galaxy-class vessel.

“We wanted a model of substantial size that could balance on a single display stand arm,” said Captain Hans. “The shape of the primary hull (the saucer section) was designed with angled panels that add density to the disc, and to get this oval shape right, we developed two new LEGO bow elements.

“The two warp nacelles, connected to thin, curved pylons, and the attachment of the detachable saucer disc were another challenge in terms of model stability. But the saucer separation function, although rarely used in the series, is such a key feature. We applied sideways building with plates, especially in the neck area, to achieve the right sturdiness.”

In addition to the main LEGO Star Trek ship, 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D also boasts a crew of nine minifigures, each one of which is based on an essential fan-favourite character from the show.

“The line-up had to include all the main characters, of course,” Hans explained, “which is mostly the bridge crew. We didn’t go for any particular season of the show, but for the most iconic look of the characters.”

To find out everything you need to know about 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D, check out our in-depth review of the LEGO Icons set here, 40768 Type-15 Shuttlepod here and its very impressive minifigure selection here.

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