Some landmarks practically demand the brick treatment. Lisbon’s Torre de Belém has the name, the history, and the waterfront address to make a LEGO architecture fan sit up straighter. Jakob.Escher takes on the Portuguese icon with this MOC, bringing a little Tagus-side grandeur to the hobby table.
Commissioned by King Manuel I in 1515 and completed in 1521, the tower is one of the notable Manueline-style buildings to have survived Lisbon’s 1755 earthquake. Its upper level, 35 meters high, now serves as a viewing platform. That’s quite a pedigree for your next brick-built neighbor.
For me, the appeal of a subject like this is the architectural puzzle: translating an ornate historic building into LEGO without losing what makes it distinctive. It’s a fitting challenge for Jakob, whose profile describes an ongoing LEGO city and a completed Estação da Luz project. Clearly, this builder isn’t afraid of architecture with homework attached. My kind of sightseeing.
Build by Jakob.Escher on Flickr.
