This model of the Empire State Building is over 2.5 meters (8.5 feet) tall and took over 450 hours to design and build using 53,368 LEGO pieces. This is the third time I’ve created a large-scale model of the Empire State Building… more on that below!

The top of my model is built in Red, White, and Blue LEGO bricks to simulate the way the real building is lit every night. When I first moved to New York City in 2001, the building was lit with the same red, white, and blue pattern every night for over a decade.

The bottom of my model is filled with a bustling street scene that both portrays and re-imagines New York … more on that below, too!

Art deco details

It was loads of fun to re-imagine the art-deco detailing of the original building using lots of tiny specialty LEGO elements. The building is chock full of sideways-building techniques and all kinds of nice parts use. Some of my favorites are the use of Minifigure “lipstick” pieces in white as small antennae (below) and white fences built sideways to simulate the X-pattern in the main entry windows (above).

In order to build the thin vertical strips of chrome alongside the windows, I had to build every façade of the building completely sideways. They are attached with thousands of SNOT bricks hidden all throughout the model. This way I could use thin LEGO plates to get thinner lines and more detail than would otherwise be possible in a standard studs-up construction.

I also didn’t like the look of LEGO studs jutting into the windows, so I placed thousands of smooth, studless LEGO tiles — one under every window — for a cleaner look.

The street scene

The bottom of my model is filled with a bustling street scene that both portrays and re-imagines New York:

I am a New Yorker currently living in Amsterdam, so there are two versions of the street: The “real” 34th Street, and the “imagined” New York, in which I imagine what 34th Street might look like if it were redesigned by the Dutch.

Both versions of the street are moving the same number of people, both have the same amount of deliveries, both have mass transit, but the “Imagined” version has opted to consider the public space a place worth spending time in. It’s graced with a sidewalk cafe, places to sit and chat, lots of flowers and trees, and is built with higher-quality materials like brick and tile instead of asphalt and concrete.

And since —in real life— the vast majority of the people passing through this part of New York City are not in a car, priority is given to ensure that the space is safe and enjoyable for pedestrians, cyclists, the elderly, children, and … well, everyone. The tram and busses get their own dedicated space that can also be used by emergency vehicles. (Meanwhile, on the “real” New York side of the street, an oversized American pickup truck is parked in the bus stop.).

This idea of livable streets is a continuing theme across my work.

History

This is the third and largest model of the Empire State Building that I have created. My first design, standing 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, was the centerpiece of a global media and celebrity gala in Manhattan in 2002. My second design was installed at the top of the real Empire State Building observation deck in 2008. Now, this third one is traveling as part of my exhibition Brick Planet.

Behind the scenes

The model took about 450 hours to design and build — about 3 months of full-time work. The entire model is built with standard off-the-shelf LEGO pieces; there are no custom shapes or colors. To withstand the rigors of transport and public display, the model is fully glued piece-by-piece. But there’s no cheating involved… every piece is connected together the way LEGO bricks are meant to be used.

The building has over 5,000 tiny windows, each of which have a white or black LEGO piece behind them to simulate whether someone has closed their blinds or not. I think this really helps bring the model to life, as if tiny little people really are working in there! And the radio mast is removable to simulate “1931 Empire State Building”. (But mostly just in case it needs to be displayed in a room with a low ceiling!)

I designed the model by scouring online maps, tourist photos, Google Street View, and anything else I could find. I also referenced the real building’s size and dimensions to make sure it was proportionally correct. Prototypes like the one above helped guide the overall look and scale of the final model.

And the streets and sidewalks are filled with more sideways building than you can shake a stick at!

The city is populated with hundreds of micro-scale LEGO people, and tons of tiny cars, trucks, buses, and bikes. I really enjoy designing these tiny 2-stud wide models and have made a lot of cities at this scale. My favorite detail is the use of a yellow LEGO “tooth” piece as the shield-shaped logo on the side of the UPS van.

You can see this model in person! It’s touring as part of my new exhibit, Brick Planet. The exhibit is chock full real science, LEGO building fun, and cool hands-on activities. Check to see if Brick Planet is visiting your city and come by and have fun!