Lego Architecture has always been a source of fascination. The collection of Lego Architecture sets has been pursued intermittently, though never as a primary focus. While the intricate designs and iconic landmarks in the Lego Architecture series captivate, the interest remains more of a casual pursuit rather than a dedicated passion.
21032 Sydney Skyline:
- Date released: January 2017
- Date retired: December 2018
- Price: $29.99 (£29.99, €29.99)
- Piece count: 361
- Price-per-piece: $0.08
The Lego Architecture Skylines theme introduced both a macro and micro perspective, with models scaling up to showcase the skylines and landmarks of some of the world’s most famous cities while scaling down to incorporate smaller builds. This unique approach in the Lego Architecture series allows for a blend of detailed representation and compact design, making Lego Architecture Skylines sets a distinctive addition to the broader Lego Architecture collection.
The Model
The Lego Architecture Sydney Skyline set consists of only four structures, yet remains instantly recognizable. This is largely due to the inclusion of the Sydney Opera House, a signature landmark often photographed with the Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background. The Lego Architecture design effectively captures the essence of Sydney, making this set a standout piece within the Lego Architecture series.
The two other buildings in the Lego Architecture Sydney Skyline set may be less famous to a global audience but are easily recognizable to those who have visited the city. On the far left stands the sleek Sydney Tower Eye, a prominent feature of the skyline, followed by the Deutsche Bank Building, distinguished by its unique triangular roofline. This careful selection of structures ensures that the Lego Architecture set captures both the iconic and locally significant elements of Sydney’s skyline.
Unbox
Opening the box of the Lego Architecture set, the first detail that stands out is the welcoming message, "Enjoy your building experience." There's something oddly heartwarming about it—similar to the feeling of checking into a luxury hotel where the staff greets you by name.
Inside, the set includes three unnumbered bags and a carefully designed instruction manual, staying true to the premium presentation that defines the Lego Architecture series.
The Lego Architecture instruction manual begins with an introduction to Sydney, featuring stunning photos of the city's CBD and skyline. These detailed descriptions and visuals add depth to the Lego Architecture experience, providing valuable context for the build. They not only showcase the landmarks included in the set but also immerse builders in the essence of Sydney, turning the assembly process into a miniature architectural journey through Lego Architecture bricks.
The Lego Architecture instruction manual begins with an introduction to Sydney, featuring stunning photos of the city's CBD and skyline. These detailed descriptions and visuals add depth to the Lego Architecture experience, providing valuable context for the build. They not only showcase the landmarks included in the set but also immerse builders in the essence of Sydney, turning the assembly process into a miniature architectural journey through Lego Architecture bricks.
Build
After assembling the base of the Lego Architecture model, the first structure to be built is the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. This massive bridge, which took nine years to construct, officially opened in 1932. Spanning 503 meters (1,650 feet) between its four supporting pylons, it held the title of the widest long-span bridge in the world for 80 years, featuring eight lanes for traffic, along with dedicated pedestrian and cycle paths. The Lego Architecture rendition captures the essence of this engineering marvel, making it a key highlight of the Sydney Skyline set.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge has always stood out as a remarkable feat of engineering, largely due to its immense scale. For those who have never visited Sydney, photographs simply don’t capture its true grandeur. This colossal structure is a testament to the ingenuity of engineers and architects, boldly spanning the harbour to connect the CBD with the North Shore, carrying both cars and trains across its length.
In the Lego Architecture rendition, the bridge’s sheer presence is impressively distilled into a micro-scale model. One of the standout design elements is the tan pylons, which are remarkably well-represented despite the small scale, showcasing the attention to detail that defines the Lego Architecture series.
Beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the Lego Architecture set, two sailboats are positioned in the water. The creative use of the “tooth” piece to form the sails adds a unique touch to the model, showcasing the ingenuity of the Lego Architecture design. The sailboats are beautifully complemented by a sea of transparent blue tiles, which mimic the sparkling water beneath the bridge. This thoughtful detail enhances the scene, capturing the vibrancy of Sydney’s iconic harbour in stunning micro-scale form.
The Lego Architecture model of the Sydney Harbour Bridge truly impresses with its attention to detail. One particularly thoughtful touch is the inclusion of dark green tiles at the foot of the pylons on the Sydney side, representing Dawes Point Park. This park is a special spot for many, and for the builder, it's one of their favorite places to relax and enjoy the balmy weather. The Lego Architecture set does a wonderful job of capturing these personal touches, adding depth and authenticity to the experience of assembling the iconic landmarks of Sydney.
Deutsche Bank Place
Next, we assemble Deutsche Bank Place, a distinctive building in Sydney's skyline. Its asymmetrical triangular top makes it instantly recognizable, but despite its architectural significance, the building itself isn’t particularly interesting to visit since it's closed to the public beyond the street-level café. Designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, the building was completed in 2005. Over the years, it has become harder to capture in photographs as taller structures have risen around it, gradually obscuring its once-prominent view. In the Lego Architecture set, the building’s unique shape is faithfully represented, adding another layer of detail to the Sydney skyline.
The Lego Architecture model of Deutsche Bank Place is impressively crafted, using clips and bars to replicate the exposed structural elements of the building. While it takes some artistic liberties—such as the vertical supporting beams extending beyond the ends of the building (a detail not present in the real structure)—this slight exaggeration feels like a fair tradeoff given the model’s microscale. Despite the modifications, the building remains instantly recognizable to those familiar with the real-life version, which is a strong indicator of the model’s success in capturing the essence of architectural landmarks at such a small scale.
Starting from the left, Sydney Tower Eye is the tallest structure in the city. Standing at 309 meters (1,014 feet), the tower was completed in 1981 and was originally named Centrepoint Tower. In 2001, the tower and the shopping mall beneath it were purchased by the Westfield Group, which is why a large Westfield logo is featured on the exterior of the four-story gold turret near the top of the tower. This gold turret is supported by a black central tower, with a lattice of metallic tubes that connect halfway up to the top.
The highest of these four stories is open to the public as a viewing platform. Access to the Sydney Tower Eye is managed by Merlin Entertainment (which also operates the LEGOLAND parks), and the other floors house a bar, restaurant, and event space. The Lego Architecture model captures the towering structure and its distinct design, reflecting the real building’s iconic status in Sydney’s skyline.
Last but not least is the crown jewel of Sydney – the Sydney Opera House. This iconic, shell-like landmark has been featured in Lego sets three times now, first as part of the Lego Architecture series and more recently as a Creator Expert set.
This particular version in the Lego Architecture Sydney Skyline set is the smallest rendition to date, yet in many ways, it looks even better than the previous Architecture set. The streamlined design of the sails is beautifully captured, showcasing the elegance of this world-renowned building in stunning microscale. It’s a fitting highlight in the set, perfectly encapsulating the spirit of Sydney.
Technique Highlights
The relatively new Bar Holder with Clip (part 11090) plays a key role in the Deutsche Bank Place model, where it is used to attach the diagonal bars at the top of the building. This innovative piece helps create the sleek, geometric look of the building’s triangular roof while adding structural stability in the Lego Architecture set.
For the Sydney Tower Eye, two 2x2x2 Cones (part 3942) are cleverly used. One of the cones is inverted using Technic Pins and Bar elements, allowing for the distinctive shape of the tower’s gold turret to be represented with precision. These creative piece choices are excellent examples of how Lego Architecture makes use of a variety of parts to bring iconic landmarks to life at a smaller scale.
conclusion
Final thoughts on the 21032 Sydney Skyline set are overwhelmingly positive. It serves as an excellent introduction to the Lego Architecture Skylines theme, and being based on an Australian city adds a special connection for those familiar with Sydney. The set captures the essence of the city's landmarks beautifully, and like most Lego Architecture sets, its strongest feature is how it looks on display. With its sleek, mature, and classy aesthetic, it perfectly suits the theme's target audience of older builders.
The build itself is varied and enjoyable. For those who appreciate working with smaller elements, the experience is particularly satisfying. The set offers a balanced length—not too long, nor too short—with just the right amount of variety to keep it from feeling repetitive. Sydney's landmarks are represented well, with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House standing out as highlights.
However, there are a couple of minor drawbacks. While the Deutsche Bank Place and Sydney Tower are accurate, their designs feel somewhat dull, which is mostly a reflection of the source material rather than the designers' efforts. In a set full of iconic structures, these two can feel a bit underwhelming. Additionally, the absence of a LEGO statuette—a feature in the earlier sets of the Skylines range—is a small disappointment, though it doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the set.
While some might have enjoyed the inclusion of more notable Sydney landmarks, such as Luna Park, capturing its look at this scale would likely have been a challenge. All in all, this set is a fun, affordable entry into the Lego Architecture world, and it's highly recommended for those looking for something different from the typical LEGO sets. If you’re a fan of Lego Architecture or have a personal connection to Sydney, this set will certainly make a great addition to your collection.
