“The Conversation Piece” is a monthly BrickNerd series about creativity and building with LEGO authored by our friends over at the Builder Improvement Initiative (BII), a Discord-based community that helps LEGO builders of all levels get better at their craft through knowledge-sharing and constructive feedback. Have a question you would like us to consider for a future article? You can submit it here. Enjoy! Who Are My People? At its core, LEGO building tends to be a rather individualistic hobby. Putting a set together is often a time to relax and mindlessly follow prescribed instructions to create a display piece or playset. When building a creation of your own, it is your personal accomplishment, shaped from your original inspiration to your final masterpiece. Even a builder’s collection, from their sorting system to part assortment, is tailored to their personal interests. However, the individualistic nature of the hobby can also lead to...

Today, we’re excited to visit an absolutely fantastic LEGO kitchen and discuss its thoughtfully crafted design with the creator of this masterpiece, Victor van den Berg! Victor’s gorgeous creations are rich with eye-catching details, and their magical realism leaves a lasting impression on anyone who sees them. Ann: Hi Victor! We’re happy to welcome you back to BrickNerd and learn more about your new LEGO kitchen! Victor: Hi Ann, it's nice to be back! I'm always delighted and proud to be interviewed. It's a great idea that people can read about building and especially what it can bring you. In my case, I was already featured in the Masterpiece Gallery at LEGO House in Denmark, which is a dream come true, of course, but also that people recognize your building style and even know your name. So the solitary nature of building at home definitely has a very social side and...

I paid more for the figure on the right than the one on the left… Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all you people out there who are Irish, or have Irish ancestors… or just feel like celebrating Saint Patrick! The closest I’ve personally come to celebrating Saint Patrick is visiting his namesake cathedral in Dublin because this is a holiday that isn’t commonly celebrated in Norway. Oh, and many years ago I did climb Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain in Ireland where the saint is said to have fasted for forty days back in the year 441. The mountain of Croagh Patrick and its namesake, the saint. Incidentally, there is gold in the mountain, potentially over €360 million in worth according to Wikipedia, but the county council decided not to allow mining. What’s all this got to do with LEGO and Mr. Gold? Well, it’s said that the leprechauns had gold...

Today’s guest article comes from Chris Castagnetto, who shares his experience visiting LEGOLAND California’s new LEGO Galaxy area. Welcome to LEGO Galaxy LEGOLAND parks are known for having LEGO bricks everywhere, cool sculptures, kid-friendly rides, and plenty of places to sit down while your children burn off their energy. What they haven’t traditionally been known for is large-scale, story-driven thrill attractions. That changes with LEGO Galaxy, a new land at both LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida that pushes the park further into more immersive territory than we’ve seen before. Instead of a simple ride or two dropped into a themed area, LEGO Galaxy is designed as a full experience: part coaster, part interactive game, part nostalgic celebration of classic LEGO Space. For longtime LEGO fans, stepping into the land feels a little like opening a time capsule. The designers clearly drew inspiration from the deep history of LEGO Space. If you...

Every now and then, a set comes along that makes you remember the past and makes you realise how many things have changed in the world of LEGO sets. The new 40955 Maersk Dual-Fuel Container Vessel is one of those sets, so let’s take a closer look at where it all started and how the new set shapes up. Container ship “Ane Maersk”, the first ship of the new dual-fuel class. A History of Blue The partnership between two of Denmark’s biggest companies dates back to 1974. The year before LEGO had started a line of floating ships (that I’ve written about before), and a Maersk container ship was a perfect fit for the next one. Set 1650 was produced as a promotional set for employees and partners of Maersk. The company has its own trademarked shade of blue, and ABS pellets were produced in that specific colour (read all about...