Architecture 21013 Big Ben

The LEGO Architecture series is one of our family's favorite Lego sets to assemble, and the Big Ben was fun for our family to sit down and complete. The instructions were easy to follow, the bricks fit snugly together, and the completed piece looked very detailed, but small. This is probably the largest gripe I have about this particular series - while the completed sculptures are very nice, they are a lot smaller than many of the other Lego sets out there. Pricing aside, the kids still had a great time, and the completed piece was nice enough for me to want to keep out and display. Overall, for fans of architectural pieces, the Architecture Series from Lego won't disappoint. This set can be assembled by kids much younger than the suggest age range as well.

The Lego Architecture: Big Ben model does a fantastic job of capturing the feel of a British icon. The choice of brick type and composition gives the appropriate impressions such as the "soaring" vertical lines and pointed spires that are so evident in Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture (Big Ben is Neo-Gothic). While not absolutely perfect in its depiction it leans more towards being impressionistic like most of the smaller Lego Architecture models; It is in this mode that the model is really quite fascinating, because it strives to use the least number of bricks to produce the largest amount of detail. So, because this model is so specific it's difficult to list "Pros and Cons" because different people will get different things out of this model. So, let me point out the perspective from which I'll be rating: I'm an adult fan of lego, architecture student, and I own all of the Lego Architecture products, with that disclaimer - Here are my Pros and Cons. Pros + Like other Lego Architecture models, Big Ben looks great as a display piece. + This product is small (7.7 inches tall); if you're a fan of miniatures you'll love it and it won't take up a lot of shelf space when displayed + Lots of detail for it's size. + Interesting additional information included in glossy instruction book. Cons - Slightly repetitive building during some parts of the construction. - Steep price for non-collectors who might like to buy just this one model. Neutral ? May or May not be fun for a child, really will depend on the child ? May or May not be worth the steep price, depending on your needs My Recommendation? Buy: + You like Lego Architecture, Neo-Gothic Architecture, Miniatures, and/or Big Ben + And you plan to display this model. Dont Buy: - You're not sure if your child, friend, coworker would like it. - You're friend, child, or self is not interested in displaying the completed model. - You're trying to get a long building experience for the money spent. - You're trying to buy a large model of Big Ben (remember this is only 7.7 inches tall). I hope my review gives you the confidence needed to make a wise purchasing decision. Good luck, and I hope you find the product you're looking for!

The Big Ben set is a great one to add to your collection. I've been a LEGO fanatic for over 20 years now, and I'm really pleased that LEGO has started making these sets in the Architecture line to appeal to the more mature children (or immature adults) out there. The instruction booklets for this series are very well made, and include history of the buildings and architects to enhance the educational value of these already wholesome toys. My only complaint about this series is that the price tag seems a little high for the brick count, so keep an eye out for sales.

Never having been to London, I’ve always equated Big Ben with the center of this British capital situated next to The House of Commons and at one time the center of the entire British Empire. First and foremost, I never knew that the clock was on four sides of the tower. Upon the final pieces of construction I was surprise the clock face all four directions. The construction of this model was to me the easiest of the three I’ve done so far. The other two being The Brandenburg Gate and the White House were far more complex than Big Ben. The building of this structure was somewhat straight forward and at times very repetitious. In fact while constructing this edifice I found a certain rhythm in which I started work at 7:45PM and completed my work at 10:00PM. The completed structure was very realistic and to me showed off the attributes of true architecture which displayed is a pleasure to see. To me, this structure reaffirms my testament as to the true realism and joy of construction of these precise models of true great architecture. I will continue to purchase other models to add to my collection. This to me represents a project which gives me a sense of accomplishment and an education in the minds of the great architects of the world.

This lego assembly although not complex, is small pieces. It is a pretty nice little setup that an 11 year old can do in an hour or so. It stands well and makes a nice addition to a bookshelf.

This is our third model from the architecture series. We had previously completed Fallingwater and the White House, so my review will mostly be a comparison of how Big Ben relates to those models. Building: My 9 year old son and I put this together in probably about an hour, which was much less time than it took to build the other two. Size: The model was a bit smaller than I had anticipated. I imagine this is the case for a lot of the "skyscraper" models in the architecture collection though. To put this in perspective, the base for Big Ben is probably only one-fourth that of the White House and even less than that when compared to Fallingwater. Detail: This is where the Big Ben model really shines. The detail on the tower looks great and I'd say outshines the other two models. Durability: The tower isn't particularly stable and isn't going to hold up to a lot of play, but I don't expect that from the architecture series. These models are all fun to put together and display somewhere, but probably shouldn't be used as an active "play" toy. Overall, we enjoyed building this model and are looking forward to our next build in the architecture series!

My son has been building Legos mostly in the "City" series for several years now. He's always enjoyed then so when he expressed an interest in the architectural series I was happy to see he was wanting to expand his abilities in Lego building. This was the second in the series he built and did it by himself with little help. He has fine motor and problem solving issues so Legos are a great fun way for him to get practice in these areas of skill. We both love the fact that it has facts about the actual building so it is a historical learning experience also. He looks forward to building more in the architecture series as he keeps asking for more.

This was my son's first Lego Architecture set and about 20th Lego set overall. He completed it in two sittings totaling about an hour and a half (I hoped for more time for $27). Most of the 346 pieces belong to just a few types, so finding the right part is very quick. The set would be a lot of fun for a detail-oriented kid who can follow clear and precise instructions. The resulting model is cute and elegant. The set is labelled "12+" which I think is misleading. Generally Lego's age ratings are pretty accurate.