Paris is a lively and dynamic city, world-famous for the iconic Eiffel Tower, as well as its rich artistic heritage, exquisite cuisine, and charming low-rise architecture. The city has been beautifully captured in the LEGO Architecture series, with LEGO Paris sets showcasing its most renowned landmarks and celebrating its timeless elegance.

Box and contents

The parts are organized into numbered bags, and as usual, the manual includes details about the construction along with step-by-step instructions.

The set is packaged in the same high-quality flip-top box that is used for the other Lego Architecture sets, and it includes a bound softcover instruction booklet. #21043 San Francisco and #21044 Paris are the 9th and 10th entries in the Skyline series, which first launched in 2016 under the Lego Architecture collection. The sets in this series continue to grow in size, with both of the 2019 sets being larger than most of the earlier releases.

It’s great to see multiple numbered bags, even in a set this small. The build is divided into two stages, with two bags marked ‘1’ and two bags marked ‘2’. Numbered bags help streamline the building process by reducing the time spent searching for parts, and they allow the set to be built on a smaller table!

Bag 1

In the first bag, we begin by constructing the base of the model. Fans of the LEGO Architecture Paris series will immediately recognize that the base has an unusual shape, featuring several protrusions at the back. Based on the front cover and the placement of the four 2×2 gray plates, it’s clear that these are designed to support the iconic Eiffel Tower in this set.

The first structure we build is the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, a grand exhibition hall and museum originally constructed for the 1900 Universal Exposition. Known for its curvaceous Beaux Arts architecture, the building features an impressive iron, steel, and glass vaulted roof that floods the interior with natural light. This elegant design is thoughtfully captured in the LEGO model using transparent 2×2 round bricks, effectively mimicking the glass roof.

Next, we build a miniature version of the iconic tree-lined avenue that links the Arc de Triomphe to the rest of Paris. While the real avenue stretches across many city blocks, this LEGO version gives us a charming glimpse, featuring brightly colored buildings and a beautiful row of trees. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity that they couldn’t include tiny cyclists racing for the Tour de France, but at this scale, it’s a delightful representation nonetheless!

Tour Montparnasse, notorious for inspiring Paris to impose a height limit of 8 stories for buildings in the city center, stands as a rather uninspiring black tower amidst an otherwise stunning cityscape. The building features two gently curved sections that meet with a narrow V-shaped wall, a design faithfully recreated in the LEGO model using stacked 1×4 double bow elements, connected by a column of cheese slopes. The subtle stripes on the tower’s surface are artistically exaggerated in the LEGO version with the use of Dark Gray elements.

Bag 2

This LEGO version of the Louvre offers a broader perspective compared to the dedicated LEGO set, which only depicts one of the three wings surrounding the Pyramid. Although this version is quite small, it clearly shows how the museum encircles the pyramid on three sides. However, for a more accurate representation, it would need seven towers rather than just one, and these towers would feature mansard roofs instead of the dark gray dome used in the model.

Arc de Triomphe

I have to admit, this model is a bit disappointing. The real building is rectangular, with a large arch on the long side and two smaller, lower arches on the shorter sides. However, this version is square, and the same 1×3 arch piece is used on both the front and sides. A 1×4 arch on the front would have been a much more effective and realistic choice. That said, I do appreciate the detailing on the roof, which adds a nice touch to the model.

Eiffel Tower

Last, but certainly not least, the focus shifts to the Eiffel Tower, a centerpiece of the LEGO Architecture Paris set. Recreating the iconic steel arches at the base of the structure has always been a challenge in LEGO, but this version takes a fresh and innovative approach by using four printed 'speed racer' windshields. This clever technique gives the tower’s base a unique and impressive look, fitting perfectly within the elegance of the Parisian skyline.

Here it is, standing next to the 2014 21019 The Eiffel Tower, which reaches about 30cm in height. Aside from the arches, this version is essentially a scaled-down rendition of the iconic structure, showcasing the elegance of the Eiffel Tower in a more compact form.

Printed parts

The set includes two different printed elements, with only one being exclusive to this set.

• Four (4x) Trans-clear 3 x 6 x 1 Curved Windscreens (part 62360), used for the curved support at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
• Six (6x) White 1×1 plate with a black stripe on one side. (It is 3024pb010, which was introduced in 2017 set #70620 Ninjago City.)

 completed model

Conclusion

It’s a solid representation of the City of Lights, and nearly all the structures, with the possible exception of the skyscraper, are instantly recognizable. The use of parts in unconventional ways and the sophisticated techniques to capture details at such a small scale is impressive. There's a good balance of building heights and styles, and the overall look is quite appealing.

That said, I don’t find it particularly exciting. Perhaps it’s because three of the buildings have already been featured in previous Architecture sets, and it feels like it was just yesterday that I last built an Eiffel Tower (even though it was actually 5 years ago!).

There are several Skylines I would purchase before this one (21043 San Francisco, for instance), but if you love the city (and who doesn’t?), or if you’re collecting them all, this set will definitely be a worthwhile addition to your collection.