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Price: $119.99/£89.99
Model number: 21042
Number of pieces: 1,685
Dimensions: 17 x 5 x 5 inches / 44 x 14 x 14 cm
Recommended age: 16+
Few monuments in the world are as iconic as the Statue of Liberty. Standing 305 feet tall on New York’s Liberty Island, it is a statue that almost everyone is instantly familiar with, no matter where in the world they live.
So, Lego Architecture’s recreation of the Lady Liberty, measuring about 1/100th of the real thing, is just as recognizable. No detail has been spared in bringing the monument into your living room, even down to matching the colors and brickwork on the pedestal.
Be part of the Lego Architecture series (opens in a new tab), which started back in 2008, is expected to pay attention to detail. This is one of the first ranges to be marketed to adults, designed to bring real-life structures and buildings to life in Lego form. The Statue of Liberty is without a doubt one of the most impressive sets (and one of the longest running series) in the range, capturing the beauty of the 19th century statue beautifully.
Is it the perfect Lego set? Maybe not as its nature means you’ll encounter some repetition when building, and the small pieces mean it can be fiddly at times.
Despite this, it’s definitely up there with our personal favourites, striking a fine balance between specs, size and price. It looks great, and it’s not going to break the bank. And, with Lego sets getting bigger and more expensive as time goes on, that’s not something to be sniffed at.
Lego Architecture Review of the Statue of Liberty: Construction
- Some fiddly sections
- Having so many pieces of the same color sometimes makes the instructions unclear
As previously mentioned, the Lego Architecture Statue of Liberty has some fiddle parts to build. That’s mostly because (1) Lego Architecture sets are made up almost entirely of smaller types of pieces and (2) the Statue of Liberty is mostly just two colors.
The sea of ​​beige and green means that following directions can be a bit complicated as one brick goes into another. So, you’ll have to pay extra attention to make sure everything is exactly where it should be, especially when you’re building Lady Liberty herself.
The plinth is perhaps the easiest part of the construction, although it is the most repetitive part. Because it is symmetrical on all four sides, it is fairly easy to follow through to completion, and is probably the fastest part of the model. When it comes to the statue, however, Lady Liberty’s textured body can cause some problems. We’ve found that having a small piece or two out of place doesn’t detract from the overall effect; the texture on the sculpture is meant to represent a flowing cape so it’s almost impossible to spot a few errant pieces.
All that being said, a few tricky parts aren’t enough to ruin the experience of assembling the glorious Lego Architectural Statue of Liberty. We were kept busy in the two hours or so it took us to build this. When the finished model looks as good as this, some technical niggles are easily overlooked.
Lego Architecture Review of the Statue of Liberty: Design
- Incredible details
- It really looks like a scaled down version of the real thing
The Lego Statue of Liberty model is so realistic it looks like it should have a micro-scale version of Liberty Island on it. It’s beautiful, with so much detail applied to the pint – with its intricate bricks – and the copper sculpture itself, with the bricks layered to create a textured effect. Finer details, such as the statue’s seven-rayed crown and the golden torch in its hand, have also been recreated.
The only thing we’re missing is a face, but that can be forgiven. We imagine the only way Lego could recreate that is with a sticker, and we’re glad the set is still sticker-free (although a Lego-style face on the Statue of Liberty would be pretty funny) .
A small detail, too, but we love the box style that the Lego Architecture Statue of Liberty comes in. Like many Architecture sets, it opens like a pizza box, making it useful for emptying pieces into (and generally better for storage and reuse). It adds a premium touch to the model, which is much appreciated.
Should you buy Lego Architecture Statue of Liberty?
While adult Lego fans have more choice than ever when it comes to intricate, worthwhile sets, the Lego Architecture range (opens in a new tab) still one of the best options. Look at this in the corner of the room and many guests will do a double take when you tell them it’s made of Lego bricks. (Not that you have anything to be ashamed of having a Lego, we hasten to add!)
But if you’re looking for an unobtrusive display piece that also happens to be great fun to put together, then yes, you should absolutely buy the Lego Architecture Statue of Liberty. Especially if you have any ties or ties to New York City. What better memo could you have?
Another Lego set to consider
A later entry in the Lego Architecture series we love is the Great Pyramid of Giza (opens in a new tab). It’s only slightly more expensive than the Statue of Liberty at $130/£120 and with a much wider footprint it feels quite substantial (technically it’s only half a pyramid, but it still looks incredible and this makes it easier to display).
We also love the Taj Mahal (opens in a new tab), although this is a very complex set with lots of small pieces, which will require a lot more patience than most Lego builds! This retails for $120/£105.
If you’re looking for another NYC souvenir, why not consider the New York City Skyline (opens in a new tab)? At $60/£45 it features several iconic buildings from the city: the Flatiron Building, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, the One World Trade Center, and, of course, a comparatively small statue of Liberty.
Or travelers will love the Lego Ideas The Globe with its antique-style frame and small country and ocean nameplates, all for $230/£200 (opens in a new tab).
