Theme: Creator
No: 40519; 40564; 40568; 40569
Release Year: 2022
Cost: AU $24.99 ea
While I don’t have that many Architecture sets, I’ve always enjoyed building them. If I’m lucky, there a destination I’ve been to, so it’s a nice chance to reminisce about the trip. Something nee has come from LEGO recently in the form of a series of Creator Postcards. These sets depict a build of a typical postcard scene of four major cities around the world – Beijing, London, New York and Paris. They’re a cobbled together highlight of the big sights to see in that location, interestingly with a similar build approach to Starry Night.
Each set begins with a back plate being built – an array of tiles on a series of plates, with a single line of exposed studs at the bottom. These mostly give the illusion of a larger city, with the exception being Beijing’s Great Wall. The rest of the build focuses on the highlights of the set – big city locations and attractions, that get connected to the base row of studs. Starry Night is considerably more sophisticated in its approach, but when it comes down to it, it’s a very similar concept. Let’s take a trip around the world and check out these four locations. They also all use the cloud plate in the background.
40519 New York
There’s four attractions on this one – the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, and the Empire State Building. I love the Statue of Liberty minifigure. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this minifigure – it’s a repeat of the one seen in CMF Season 6. The two skyscrapers are simple examples of SNOT, but the bridge is a little more complex. Not a whole lot, granted, but the bridge is built on a wedge, allowing it to smoothly be hidden behind Lady Liberty. Add in the ferry and the taxi cab and it’s a great little build.
40568 Paris
Paris isn’t Paris without the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the eternal flame, the Pont Neuf bridge, plus a hot air balloon. The top half of the Eiffel Tower is attached to the back board of the postcard. The use of a wheel arch for the shape of the base section is great. I also like the bridge – there’s a couple of road stickers on the back tiles for a nice little detail. I also love the PARIS sticker – very unique.
40569 London
London is a favourite of mine, with Elizabeth Tower (otherwise known as Big Ben), Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, with a London Bus. Loads of detail, but it’s not perfect. Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus look great – sorry, Brickadilly Circus. There’s a nice sticker for the Sound of Music (Bricks), and a LEGO fish for what I’m guessing is fish and chips. Big Ben is built on wedge plates and attached to tan clips on the back plate. The London Eye looks good but it’s not perfect. The carriages aren’t able to be set at even spaces due to the parts used, and it’s just a little odd to look at.
40654 Beijing
Finally, there’s Beijing, featuring just the two locations – the Great Wall of China and the Summer Palace. Part of the Great Wall is on the back plate, and the rest built at an angle on a raised portion. The teal, gold and red in the Palace is great – it’s been proven in many Chinese New Year sets and looks just as good in microscale. Once again the candles are used cleverly as pillars. I would have liked to see a bit more of a round look for the palace, but it’s still good. There’s also an alternate sticker plate, with Beijing written in Chinese.
These builds are really enjoyable. They’re quick, include some great cities, fun techniques and are unique. I’m really looking forward to seeing what else comes in this range.
A special thank you to LEGO for sending me a copy to review. All thoughts on this set are my own and are not influenced in any way, shape or form. The provision of sets for review does not guarantee a favourable review.