Think back to the year 1901 – Queen Victoria passes away, handing down the legacy of her empire to her son, King Edward. This is considered to be the ‘decline’ of British Imperialism, but for most Londoners, it represented a time of hope and change. This was when a lot of modern-day inventions came about. The modern wristwatch was made in this time, cars became popular as roads moved from horse-drawn carriages to actual fuel-guzzling automobiles, and electricity finally became a mainstay in homes. The movie camera was just invented, creating a burgeoning film industry… As was the radio. This was, while remnants of the past still existed. Penny-farthing cycles, candles and gas lamps, post offices, et al.

Sure, one can argue that post offices still exist today, but for that time, the dichotomy between old and new must have been truly fascinating. The buildings represented classical Victorian architecture, but cobbled roads were increasingly becoming optimized for cars rather than horses. Pavements or ‘footpaths’ were a fairly recent invention. Watch a Sherlock Holmes episode and you’ll get a fair idea of the time. It’s no wonder that the Brits today fondly look back at that era as ‘the greatest era’ of Britain in recent history… and it also explains why Bricky_Brick chose this one particular moment in time for their LEGO MOC (My Own Creation).

Designer: Bricky_Brick

“The proposed model is composed of a four-storey architectural ensemble, carefully designed to capture the essence of the city and its life in constant movement,” says Bricky_Brick, a seasoned LEGO Ideas veteran. “Inspired by the Victorian aesthetic, but without neglecting the evolution towards the Edwardian that characterizes the turn of the century, this set invites builders to immerse themselves in a London where architecture, fashion and habits began to transform in just a couple of decades.”

The building absolutely captures the average London urban microcosm in sheer detail. The front facade is your bustling street, complete with Victorian and Edwardian architectural details featuring roofs, columns, and motifs that are both old as well as new. Flip the build over, however, and you’re greeted with a literal behind the scenes, featuring more than 13 different mini dioramas of old British life.

The scenes are rich with cultural elements. Fireplace living rooms, decked up Victorian ladies, coppers (with their iconic domed caps), rats (it’s London after all), vintage cars, typewriters, and people dressed in the fashion appropriate to those times. The front and back collectively showcase a whole gamut of London society. You’ve got a traditional post office, a poster/signage shop, a grocery store, a luthier (someone who makes stringed instruments), a street photographer, a policeman, and something you probably only see in Britain anymore – passage vaults, or arches connecting buildings while still giving enough space underneath for people and cars to cross.

Look further inside and you’re greeted with the subtleties of the modern London lifestyle. The interiors show all the rooms of your average London home, including a living room, reading room, stately bedroom, kitchen, toilet, and even two attics. The terrace (or observation area) is open to access too, with a telescope that would allow you to admire the starry skies of the biggest city on the banks of the Thames.

Bricky_Brick doesn’t mention the brick-count of this LEGO build but it’s probably somewhere in the 4000+ range given just the sheer level of detail here. The set includes 12 minifigures, dressed in garb appropriate for the times while still depicting nuances in the social stratification of different people living in the city. The elites are dressed flamboyantly, while the middle and lower class are dressed humbly. People in professions are clad in their appropriate uniforms too, like the grocer, the copper, and the sign painter.

“The set invites you to discover the differences – and continuities – between the Victorian and Edwardian eras: fashion changes, technology advances, but the essence of London life remains in the bustle of its streets, the warmth of its homes and the creativity of its inhabitants,” Bricky_Brick says.

Bricky_Brick’s MOC currently stands at the 7,269-vote mark on the LEGO Ideas platform. It’s just a few votes shy of hitting the 10,000 mark, which then gets it the unique distinction of going ‘into review’, where the LEGO internal team judges the MOC for creativity and feasibility. If all goes well, the LONDON: Early 20th Century LEGO Ideas build could potentially turn into a box set that we all could buy! If you want to see that happen, go cast your vote for the MOC on the LEGO Ideas website!

The post This gorgeous LEGO Set revives the aesthetic of Victorian-Edwardian 20th Century London first appeared on Yanko Design.

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