Legos are toys, but they also inspire incredible creations. LEGO artists make use of tiny plastic bricks to create everything from robots to architectural models. Even the engineers from the company design new elements to allow builders to build more complex models. Erik Varszegi, a Master Builder working for the Lego Group in Billund, Denmark created a new element this year: the curve of the slope. It allows Lego users to design more slanted forms while still adhering to the company’s strict colour palette. The slopes can be used to create more dynamic shapes, for example, a curving staircase.
While certain Lego designs are the creations of professional designers, others are the result of the wildly popular Lego Ideas set-design program. The Ideas line allows anyone to create a set, and it’s possible to make. It gives fame and one percent of sales for anyone who convinces 10,000 other designers that their work is worthy of being be produced. It’s no surprise that the most elaborate and impressive sets typically garner the most acclaim — especially when they feature iconic scenes or characters from movies, TV shows or even real life.
Among the best Lego designs are two space-themed icons which include the NASA space shuttle Discovery and an exact replica of the Hubble Telescope. Each telescope comes with a display plaque and an exact Lego version of its inventor. Other impressive models include a frame Rainbow, a Steampunk Dragon, and a replica of Westminster Palace.