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21018 - UN Building - Large Scale Unveiled

DadsAFOLDadsAFOL Member Posts: 617
in Collecting
via Lego's Facebook page...

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon adds the last LEGO element to a large scale LEGO model of U.N. Headquarters, built as part of the LEGO Foundation's commitment to the U.N. Global Compact, Friday, Sept. 20, 2013, in New York.
un.jpg 72.5K

Comments

  • tom4086tom4086 Member Posts: 689
    So the rumour was true!
    http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/8566/possible-upcoming-architecture-set-united-nations-building
  • DadsAFOLDadsAFOL Member Posts: 617
    Yeah, I think we already knew that :)

    brickset.com/detail/?set=21018-1
    thenos
  • BuriedinBricksBuriedinBricks Member Posts: 1,367
    Even the large scale version is boring.
    pharmjodBumblepantsBrickDancer
  • vitreolumvitreolum Member Posts: 1,406
    Well, it's not a very exciting building in the first place...
  • jon11380jon11380 Member Posts: 56
    The architecture set looks a good build though despite the subject building not being the most interesting. If you look at the left hand side of the build with the smaller sections of the building there is quite a lot of SNOT going on. IT will be good to get of of the Trans Light Blue also.
  • caperberrycaperberry Member Posts: 2,226
    I think it's a very interesting building, although I understand it probably just screams 'office block' to people. The history will make a good read in the booklet too. Disappointed that it's another building in NYC, although strictly speaking not on American soil :O)

    Looking forward to the inventive build and I think the cluster of buildings will make a nicely balanced final model. And very nice to see white lever handles back again especially in quantity. Despite Maersk Container Ship there are still very few New available on BL.
  • murphquakemurphquake Member Posts: 651
    easy there @caperberry.... that disgusting monstrosity on the east end of 42nd street is on Manhattan Island, in the Borough of Manhattan, in New York County, in New York City and they call all go home and we'll find something useful to do with the place.
  • beabea Member Posts: 227
    Aw, I was hoping this meant they announced a larger version of this set, like they did with the Sydney opera. I actually like this set.
  • atxleeatxlee Member Posts: 155
    I am actually looking forward to this set as well :-)
  • coachiecoachie Member Posts: 476
    At the back left of the set, how are the 1x2 tiles connected to the 1x2 tiles with grill underneath? Or are they 1x3 tiles on top?
  • LegoMom1LegoMom1 Member Posts: 651
    Hey @murphquake, have some NY pride. It really is not a disgusting monstrosity at all. It is a unique, distinctive and very recognizable building, which was the aim of the original design.

    And, although I don't like that @caperberry is "disappointed that it's another building in NYC," he is absolutely correct in saying that it is, "not on American soil." It is actually considered its own country and the land it is on is an 'international zone.'

    Now, as far as the actual Lego set, I have to agree with @bea about that. It would have translated better if they had done a larger version. Still looks like a good build though.
  • caperberrycaperberry Member Posts: 2,226
    It'd just be nice if they chose more cities before doing two from the same city, is all I mean.
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    Fairly typical of the UN to get someone else to do 99.9% of the work, then step in at the last minute to get the credit for the whole thing.
    LegoBumblepantsFollowsClosely
  • LostInTranslationLostInTranslation Member Posts: 5,572
    caperberry said:

    It'd just be nice if they chose more cities before doing two from the same city, is all I mean.

    We already have the Empire State Building, Rockefeller centre and the Guggenheim from NYC in the Architecture range, so there's three before you add the UN (depending on if you consider it part of New York or on international soil.)

    I don't personally own any Architecture sets (though might buy Space Needle cos I'm going to Seattle next year :-)) but as long as the landmark represented is done in an accurate, faithful way and is an interesting model to look at I don't think it matters where it is situated.
  • caperberrycaperberry Member Posts: 2,226
    That's part of what I'm suggesting...you're thinking of buying a Seattle model because you're going to Seattle. I imagine the souvenir sales are one reason why Architecture is still going, from that angle it makes sense to cover more cities with the Landmark Series.

    But generally, I just feel its "nicer" for the residents of more cities to feel the pride of their landmark buildings being released by Lego. Much as I'd love another London one, I'd prefer other cities to get a look-in.
  • masterX244masterX244 Member Posts: 532
    LostInTranslation said:

    caperberry said:

    It'd just be nice if they chose more cities before doing two from the same city, is all I mean.

    We already have the Empire State Building, Rockefeller centre and the Guggenheim from NYC in the Architecture range, so there's three before you add the UN (depending on if you consider it part of New York or on international soil.)

    I don't personally own any Architecture sets (though might buy Space Needle cos I'm going to Seattle next year :-)) but as long as the landmark represented is done in an accurate, faithful way and is an interesting model to look at I don't think it matters where it is situated.
    When they made space needle they should do one of "Stuttgarter Fernsehturm", too cause that was the first one of that type (concrete tower with visitor platform) so it inspired even the berlin one and partially the space needle :P
  • XefanXefan Member Posts: 1,148
    What I'm trying to figure out is where on earth you put a Lego set that appears to be taller than Ban Ki Moon.


  • TheLoneTensorTheLoneTensor Member Posts: 3,937
    caperberry said:

    That's part of what I'm suggesting...you're thinking of buying a Seattle model because you're going to Seattle. I imagine the souvenir sales are one reason why Architecture is still going, from that angle it makes sense to cover more cities with the Landmark Series.

    But generally, I just feel its "nicer" for the residents of more cities to feel the pride of their landmark buildings being released by Lego. Much as I'd love another London one, I'd prefer other cities to get a look-in.

    What cities though? While I'm sure there are numerous buildings that are of architechtual awesomeness around the world, the problem is finding ones that are lego-architectually-doable, recognizable and above all, lucratively marketable.
  • XefanXefan Member Posts: 1,148
    Do they have to be recognisable? isn't it as much the point that an incredibly impressive Lego set helps you learn and recognise what the building is?

    I'll guiltily admit that despite being a constant follower of global politics and understanding in some decent depth how the UN works I wouldn't have recognised the UN building and it's only through seeing the Lego sets of it that I really now know what it looks like, I've never seen any memorable pictures.

    I was in Canada a few weeks back, in Ottawa, their parliament is exactly the sort of building Lego could make a fantastic job of and is in quite a beautiful setting. Most people have no idea what it looks like but I don't think for a second that'd stop people buying it because such a set could be quite amazing.

    Looking at the size of things like the UN building above and the Sydney Opera house Lego aren't targeting these things at kids, no kid is going to say "Mummy, I want the UN building for Christmas!" are they? These things are aimed at adults and possibly even businesses first and foremost I suspect, and with a decent amount of display space judging by their size. Those sorts of customers are going to be more interested in the scale and quality of architecture rather than recognisable landmarks.

    But even if you stick to recognisable landmarks then there's still plenty of scope in different countries - the Sphinx, Machu Picchu, Christ the Redeemer, Petra, the Colosseum, the Parthenon, Chichen Itza, Buddhas of Bamiyan (well, before the Taliban thought it'd be fun to blow them up)?
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,526
    Xefan said:


    But even if you stick to recognisable landmarks then there's still plenty of scope in different countries - Christ the Redeemer, Buddhas of Bamiyan

    No chance for those two.
  • XefanXefan Member Posts: 1,148
    Ah yes, I forgot religious symbols were the other taboo :)

    Which is a shame because I'm as much of an atheist as they come, but I wouldn't begrudge the impressive architecture of these two things turning into decent Lego sets.
  • caperberrycaperberry Member Posts: 2,226
    tensor said:

    caperberry said:

    That's part of what I'm suggesting...you're thinking of buying a Seattle model because you're going to Seattle. I imagine the souvenir sales are one reason why Architecture is still going, from that angle it makes sense to cover more cities with the Landmark Series.

    But generally, I just feel its "nicer" for the residents of more cities to feel the pride of their landmark buildings being released by Lego. Much as I'd love another London one, I'd prefer other cities to get a look-in.

    What cities though? While I'm sure there are numerous buildings that are of architechtual awesomeness around the world, the problem is finding ones that are lego-architectually-doable, recognizable and above all, lucratively marketable.
    They had a voting system on the official Architecture site for a long time, seems to have gone now. Wasn't like CUUSOO or anything; I assume it was just intended to gauge interest in the potential buildings they had shortlisted. From memory they had two rounds of voting with maybe 8 buildings in each?
  • caperberrycaperberry Member Posts: 2,226
    Quite by coincidence I just came across a partial list of the buildings TLG had in those "competitions", in case anyone is interested.
    http://www.architizer.com/blog/habitat-67-wins-lego-contest-will-not-be-made-into-a-toy-yet/
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