Tema: Lego

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The new high-speed passenger train is ready to departure! Use the IR handset to toot the horn and control the speed. Set includes locomotive, wagons and lots of rails! Batteries not included.

No electricity – new IR remote-controlled, 7-speed LEGO City Passenger Train.
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Fuente: http://city.lego.com/en-gb/Products/Trains/b7897.aspx

21004 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

De la serie Lego Architecture:



Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
"Entering into the spirit of this interior, you will discover the best possible atmosphere in which to show fine paintings or listen to music. It is this atmosphere that seems to me most lacking in our art galleries, museums, music halls and theaters." - Frank Lloyd Wright *

LEGO® Architecture introduces The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
In search of a suitable place for displaying his large collection of modern art, collector & philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim, together with personal art adviser, German painter Hilla Rebay, set his focus on Frank Lloyd Wright.


Persuading a visionary
Wright was a man of strong opinions, not known to be easily persuaded when his mind was set. However, this time he agreed to take on the task, even if he initially had been opposed to the idea of creating the museum in New York, a city he characterized as already overbuilt and way too populated.

From when he was hired by Solomon in 1943, Wright spent 16 years, drawing 700 sketches and six sets of working plans for The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, better known simply as The Guggenheim.


Perfect curves between the angles
Overlooking Central Park, located on the corners of 5th Avenue and 89th street, Wright´s most recognized piece is an organic treat to the eye, breaking apart and breathing life into the (in comparison), monotony of the surrounding right angled Manhattan buildings.

The Guggenheim rises as an expanding perfect light-beige helix, implementing lines from nature as well as strict geometrical shapes. As one of the first users of Gunite (sprayed concrete), Wright was able to create the very smooth, seamless curves.
Seen by so many, but never the mind behind...

As he died the 9th of April 1959, Wright himself did not live to see the grand opening of his last masterpiece, it would open October 21st the same year. Solomon had by this time been gone nearly 10 years.

Since 2005 a lot of planning and reconstruction prepared The Guggenheim for it´s 50th anniversary in 2009.

With its 50 years of age, The Guggenheim´s original, almost alien design, still sets it ahead of our time. Wright himself got his inspiration from the past, through his impressions of nature.

Words from the LEGO Architect:
“This model embraces 3 creative techniques. The first of these is using the natural joints between a series of bricks as a subtle way of indicating geometric details. The second is the playful ways the curved bricks interact with each other really capture the forms essence that gives this museum its distinctive architectural style. Last, the iconic upside down truncated spiral gallery was recreated by clever use of illusion. Here I employed a visual technique making the “cone” seem top heavy by using 3 discs, then 2 and then finally 1. Since the discs share the same size diameter, making them seem heavy aloft was the necessary trick to fool your eyes into creating the tapering effect through your subconscious imagination. This effect is very subtle, but nonetheless there and effective." - Adam Reed Tucker



*Quote — Frank Lloyd Wright. "Frank Lloyd Wright", The Architectural Forum, January, 1948, Vol 88 Number 1. p89.

21001 John Hancock Center (Chicago)



LEGO® Architecture brings you Hancock Center, the tapering Giant.
The John Hancock Center is one of Downtown Chicago’s tallest buildings as well as one of the most famous buildings representing the structural expressionist style. It´s 100 stories exterior consists of anodized black aluminum with delicate bronze tinted glass.


Dressed in X´s for more than one reason.
The skyscraper’s distinctive X-bracing (aka cross-trussing) and angular facade has made it an architectural icon throughout the world. The technique has given the building its visually aesthetic look but perhaps more importantly (especially in the eyes of its many tenants) made it rigid, enabling it to carelessly withstand the often fast-paced winds of the "windy" city.
The “diagonalized trussed-tube” is essentially the spine that helps the building stand upright during
wind and earthquake events. This is one of the architectural techniques building used to climb to record heights which eliminated the need for inner support beams.
The overall form can be described as a truncated rectangular-pyramid.


Natural light & stability.
As a result of the building tapering, or having all four sides lean inward, it effectively reduces the floor area from 43,725 sq. ft. at the base to 16,000 sq. ft. at the top, thus serving the upper floors with natural illumination.


Multi Purpose Giant.
The obelisk building is used for many purposes. The two first floors are used for lobby and retail, the next ten for parking. In the 13th to 41st you find offices while the 94th is an observatory. Floor 95 & 96 houses restaurants and supposedly the best women´s bathrooms in the city.
The 45th to the 92nd floor is occupied by more than 600 residential units varying in size, often personally customized to suit their owners’ needs as well as preferences. After entering through ground floor lobby leading to a high-speed elevator ride, residents and their guests are welcomed at the 44th floor skybox lobby, adding further security and comfort.
With its own supermarket, shops, library, day-care center and other amenities, it is said the tenants of Hancock won´t ever need to leave the building. There are probably those who don´t.
The floors not mentioned are mainly used for mechanical and transmission related purposes.


Notes from the LEGO Architect:
"This model offered our first real design challenge. The real building has sloping sides at two different
opposing angles that compound each other at the buildings 4 corners. This, especially at this
scale, was nearly impossible to achieve. So, I relied on a bit of illusion to help imply the angles
since a literal interpretation could not be done aesthetically or structurally. The illusion is simply
achieved by viewing the model at a perspective; the alternating setbacks strategically located at key points naturally create 2 opposing slopes
right before your eyes."
- Adam Reed Tucker

LEGO® Architecture presents the Empire State Building
What would be voted one of the 7 wonders of the modern world was enabled by unfortunate circumstances.

Depression gives birth to the impossible
On the heels of the roaring 20’s, the Great Depression soon set in and America’s optimism was at an all-time low. During this time, America’s labor force was at its highest supply and the value of the dollar was cut in half over night... So ironically, it was this combination of events that made a construction project of this magnitude possible.

With the help of already existing drawings, made for several other buildings, Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm, Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, managed to complete the paper plan design of Empire State Building in only two weeks. Still a great deal of thought and consideration was demonstrated during the 16 redesigns of the building’s design. After all, this would be the world’s first building to touch the sky with over 100 stories.

One location, generations of fame
Built on the previous site of the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the construction took seven million man hours and had a feverish pace of 4½ floors per week. Iron workers erected 60 thousand tons of riveted steel frames into a series of stacked boxes. They became known as “Sky-walkers” due to the dizzying heights they worked at – heights never previously attempted.

With just one year and 45 days of intense construction, the building was actually completed ahead of schedule. The Empire State Building opened May 1st, 1931, and remained the tallest building in the world until 1972 when the World Trade Center opened.

ESB celebrates the Art Deco movement, exemplifying this style from top to bottom in the highest degree.

A giant cultural chameleon
In 1964, floodlights were installed to decorate the top 30 floors. For different occasions the lights are used to illuminate the building at night, using colors chosen to match & mark seasonal, political, memorial, commercial as well as pop-cultural events. As an example it was covered in red, white and blue for several months after the World Trade Center attacks while it´s colored by the team colors every time New York Knicks (orange, blue & white) and New York Rangers (blue & white) plays a home match. On Valentine’s day it is lit in red, white and pink.

The building is a member of the “World Federation of Great Towers” and was named by the American Society of Civil Engineers; one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

Words from the LEGO Architect:
"This model used unique building techniques to accurately represent the shifting geometry as the building rises in height. Half stud construction, Technic pieces and placement of “Jumper Plates” were both needed at several locations. The other design challenge was choosing an element for the crowning mast. Originally a single antenna piece was used, but in the end it was the combination of a rod inserted into a cone that
best captured the tapering pinnacle."

- Adam Reed Tucker

LEGO® Architecture takes a peak into the future with the great Seattle Space Needle
1959, inspired by an observation tower in Stuttgart, on a napkin at a coffee house, artist Edward E. Carlson made the initial drawings of what would become the Seattle Space Needle. The top house first resembled a balloon, it would go through many transformations with the help of architect John Graham & associates before it reached it´s famous flying saucer look.


A bumpy road
The daring, futuristic, beautiful construction would meet a good amount of hurdles on its road to completion. Driven by private funds, finding an appropriate location proved to be so difficult that the project was just about to be terminated when suitable ground was finally found, only 13 months before its deadline for the 1962 World Fair.

467 cement trucks worked a full day to fill the hole dug for the foundation block, a 120 foot square that reaches 30 feet into the ground. It would weigh as much as the needle itself, placing the center of gravity close above ground.


Palette of the future
The theme of the 1962 World´s Fair was unmistakably about futurism and American optimism, and was appropriately named, The Century 21 Exposition. The Needle was specifically designed to embrace the Race into Space or now more commonly referred to as the Space Age. In keeping with the 21st Century theme, even the final coats of paint were dubbed Astronaut White for the supporting legs, Orbital Olive for the core, Re entry Red for the halo and Galaxy Gold for the sunburst and pagoda roof.


Economical precision.
Built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph, the Seattle Space Needle clearly demonstrates the inherent strength of the unique tripod design. “SkyCity”, the rotating restaurant located 500 feet above the ground, cleverly rotates 360 degrees every 47 minutes using only a one horsepower motor, this is accomplished thanks to skillful and incredibly precise craftsmanship.

Words from the LEGO Architect:
“This model interested me the most primarily due to the futuristic design and Tri-Pod configuration. Studying other LEGO elements such as gears, connectors and saucer shaped discs would be necessary as traditional bricks would obviously not be required. For instance, using a large Technic gear to represent the radial fins at “Sky City” observation deck & restaurant level or smaller beveled gears to represent the “Sky Line” banquet facility.

The model is a neat example of what thinking outside the box can achieve for you with non-brick elements.” - Adam Reed Tucker

LEGO® Architecture proudly pays tribute to Fallingwater.
1935, across Bear Run, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, a home was planned with a goal in mind to merge man with nature...they would succeed in a way that surprised both the makers and the public. To this date "Fallingwater" is seen by many as architect Frank Lloyd Wright´s masterpiece, a marvel in terms of architecture and a world famous landmark.


From business to pleasure…
Edgar Kaufmann Sr., a successful businessman & nature loving family man owned a piece of land by the Bear Run, the property included a waterfall plus a set of cabins that had become a summer camp for his employees down in Pittsburgh. During the Great Depression the employees no longer could afford making the escape. The well used cabins were begging to be replaced and Edgar started thinking about setting up a private Kaufmanns family estate, he wanted something special.

Wright who had had only a couple of small architectural jobs in the last decade, had started teaching and even created his very own school, the Tallesin Fellowship. Kaufmann´s son, Edgar Jr., had been fascinated by Wright´s ideas for years and was studying at Tallesin, the connection was made and soon Kaufmann signed Wright on to design his new home.


Mutual interests, differing perspectives
With the knowledge of his client´s love for nature and their close ties to the mountain stream, Wright had his clients trust to dig deep into himself. He implemented his own lifelong passion for nature by designing an organic home that would melt with it´s surroundings.

As Wright presented his brilliance & vision he surprised the Kaufmanns. They imagined a modern home overlooking their much beloved waterfall, but Wright´s drawings had almost totally eliminated its visibility by placing the building above and not beside it. Wright convinced them, explained that hearing the water instead of looking at it once in a while would properly connect them, man with nature, he wanted them to live With the waterfall, making it a thoroughly integrated part of their life.


A natural embrace
Constructed using local craftsmen building with local sandstone, the daring ground breaking project would catch instant fame after being featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1938, making it the world’s most famous Private Residence.

In his design, Wright made use of similar shapes as those found in its surroundings. It consists of climbing levels shaped by large sandstone ledges. Built upon a waterfall, Fallingwater is an architectural gem that seems to hover above ground, stretching itself across the diving stream.

Fallingwater is the only piece of Wright that to this date has kept its setting, art-work & original furnishings intact...furniture specially designed by Wright himself.


Words from the LEGO Architect:
"This model underwent a total of 14 design concepts as it delicately incorporates a unique “pull-apart” interactive feature. Unlike the first 5 models in the LEGO Architecture series which are static by design, I wanted to explore the use of the LEGO Brick even further by expressing the dynamic nature of Fallingwater; with this in mind I was able to have sections of the model slide out. The design challenge was in figuring out how to cleverly disguise, in an almost puzzle-like design where the model comes apart without distorting one of Mr. Wright’s most recognizable achievements. Another design concern was how to carefully balance the playful nature of the river, waterfall, woods, and bridge that embrace and define Fallingwater. These subtle details give Fallingwater context, without which it would not be possible to truly illustrate its beautiful, sensitive and thoughtful design."
- Adam Reed Tucker

Para todos los que le interese, el Foro de Internet de referencia en España es Hispalug,
http://www.hispalug.com/foro/index.php

Hombre, aquí nos gustaría hacer nuestra parcelita...

Yo desde pequeño que soy un fan de LEGO. (Hay gente que no entiende qu aun lo sea )

Estas navidades después de pedirlo numerables veces resultando ya cansino me regalaron esas dos preciosidades que tanto anhelaba desde hace tanto tiempo