Hi Everyone.

Since it seems that I am probably the only person to have this set at this moment I decided to do this review.

It's my first post here, first review ever, first pictures of lego etc... so please be nice.

21011 Brandenburg Gate

General information:

Theme: Architecture, Landmark series

Pieces: 362 + 6 spare parts

Box size: 260mm (10.25") x 190mm (7.5") x 60mm (2.36")

Model size: 224mm x 95mm x 92mm

Instructions booklet: 197mm x 125mm, 56 pages, glued spine

Year released: 2011 (not yet released)

us availability / price: ?

uk availability / price: ? bought for £35 (Manchester Legoland Discovery Centre)

link brickset

I found this set at Manchester Legoland Discovery Centre on 21/07/2011 - quick search on google revealed that it was a new unknown set and there was only few rumors about it - true rumors as it turned out. So here it is...

BOX

Front of the box looks like all other Architecture boxes

Back has some details about contents and the landmark. The number of languages suggests that this set can be available in many countries - unless it is for tourists visiting shops with souvenirs at the real gate.

Sides - usual things; barcode, notes pictures of the set. The other sides: one says that set was designed by the usual suspect Adam Reed Tucker, the other side has a small picture of the set.

Box is nicely filled with parts - no waste of space inside.

THE PARTS

Parts are packed in 5 bags by size. One bag is especially interesting. It contains 82 sand green slopes 1x1. Other part that might be of interest is Tan Fence Spindled 1x4x2 - there is 12 of them and so far only one was used in 2003 in 7417 Temple of the Mountain - It's £1.32 a piece on bricklink.

BUILD

Base is very simple as you can see. There is an additional tile with name of the landmark in German.

The build starts with some foundations and colonnade around the gate houses.

This is the most boring and tiring part - application of 80 1x1 slopes. Things are starting to look nice.

And the gate itself. 12 columns - each made of 4 1x1 round bricks, 4 walls made of 1x1x2 bricks, 4 6x2 plates on top of that and then the last layer you can see

This part of the build is quite interesting.

The roof was simple but very close to the original. And now its time for the last feature:

The capital Quadriga - I gave my wife 5 minutes to work out what is the thing on the roof... she didn't see there neither horses nor chariot. Some people will be very critical because of this detail as it's quite an important piece of German history.

As you can see there is some parts left.

PARTS LIST

FINISHED MODEL

Build took around 30 minutes.

This is my first Architecture set. An impulse buy really as i didn't plan this purchase. Well I couldn't plan it really - it was an unexpected find. I have to say that this model isn't too bad comparing with other landmark sets - especially with the new parts. As the other sets it is meant for bookshelves not for playing with it. It's more of souvenir or gift set for someone interested in history of architecture.

RATING

I have be careful here as next set I will be building is 21010 Robie House. My marks then are:

Build: 6/10 - A bit monotonous build with all the small pieces .

Design: 8/10 - Quadriga is a bit disappointing but on the other hand how do you make 4 horse drawn chariot 2 studs high. There is no flag mast - original has it.

Parts: 9/10 - Looks like a number of people will buy this just for the new parts.

Playability: 0/10 - Not for playing - don't give it to a child you love :)

Price: 8/10 - £35 wasn't bad taking inconsideration number of parts, the new 82 sand green slopes and 12 sand fences.

Hope you like this review. Any constructive comments are most welcome. Please come back for a review of 21010 Robie House.

Thanks for reading

Lucas - bricknation

Edited August 30, 201113 yr by Rufus
Poll added

What a great review. That sure is a lot of cheese slopes, 80!!!! i thought I bought a lot from a pick a brick purchase earlier this month, but 80 is a lot.

I really like these architecture series, but they are too expensive for what they are.

Your review is great though.

I've just noticed something interesting

The design seems to be VERY similar to "DESIGN by ME" by brickshelf user sheep

See for yourself:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/sheep/MOC/Architektur/10-gruppenbild.jpg

If it was me and if I could afford good lawyers...

Edited August 7, 201113 yr by bricknation.com
Too big an image

Thanks for this review.

This set looks pretty nice, though quite simple. It does have a fairly good piece selection, and the second printed tile is a nice touch. All the Architecture sets are too expensive for my tastes, though, especially since they wouldn't be display pieces. This one's price doesn't seem that bad, but I probably wouldn't use most of the pieces, and they're mostly pretty small.

Excellent review, bricknation - you've done a particularly good job with the photographs which are superb. Well done !

I agree that there are some interesting similarities with the Design By Me MOC you've highlighted - good detective work ! The photo is dated July 2010, however, and given the lead time for design of official LEGO sets, I guess there's every chance that the official version had already been designed by that point.

Dr. D.

Edited August 6, 201113 yr by drdavewatford

Thank you for the review!

The detail is very good for the scale though they should have worked more on the Quadriga of Victory..

I will consider getting this. Maybe.

Edited August 7, 201113 yr by ceroknight

Good review of one of the more interesting architecture sets. The fence pieces (like in the White House set) work really well for creating columns at this scale. The half-stud offsetting on the roof is clever and makes up for a bit of a boring build up til then I guess. The horse-drawn chariot is pretty hard to recreate at this scale and I certainly wouldn't be able to come up with anything more recognizable.

If it was me and if I could afford good lawyers...

I agree that there are some interesting similarities with the Design By Me MOC you've highlighted - good detective work ! The photo is dated July 2010, however, and given the lead time for design of official LEGO sets, I guess there's every chance that the official version had already been designed by that point.

It's a model of a real structure and at this scale there are bound to be many similarities.

Thanks for the review 'bricknation', great set if you need a stack of slope 30's in sand green, plus assorted tan parts !

I wonder what's next in the series ?

Great review !

The design seems to be VERY similar to "DESIGM by ME" by brickshelf user sheep

Typical today. :/

The MOC is IMO much better.

The street lamps are a very nice addition (edit : well they are not at scale, but I like them ^^ /edit). Moreover, there are more variation in the colors. And that's nice.

On the official model, the roof has some "stair effect". It doesn't look good at all.

Instead of the 2x4, I'm nearly certain that there was room for some SNOT (like the front of the Marsk train for example) to avoid that.

Edited August 7, 201113 yr by Siegfried
Please don't quote images...

Thanks for adding the partslist, very much appreciated

The MOC is IMO much better.

The street lamps are a very nice addition (edit : well they are not at scale, but I like them ^^ /edit). Moreover, there are more variation in the colors. And that's nice.

i'm a bit puzzled as to why Lego produces these models, really... i think they're too expensive for what they're actually worth

still, the color combination looks nice, but the model, as such, is not all that interesting

Well... the only thing I note about this creation are the sand green cheese slopes (finaly!). I'll wait to see them available on Bricklink

I like this and I'm certainly going to get it as I've got all the other buildings in the series. As I don't want to spoil too much of the building fun I didn't look too closely at the pictures though :)

The fence pieces (like in the White House set) work really well for creating columns at this scale.

I agree that they work well, but there are no (spindled) fence pieces in my White House set...

I've just noticed something interesting

The design seems to be VERY similar to "DESIGN by ME" by brickshelf user sheep

See for yourself:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/sheep/MOC/Architektur/10-gruppenbild.jpg

If it was me and if I could afford good lawyers...

Would you have done it any differently? If I built my own, I'm sure mine would look like the official LEGO one and the one by Sheep. There's only so many ways to make the exact same thing at the same scale.

Nice review.

I've just noticed something interesting

The design seems to be VERY similar to "DESIGN by ME" by brickshelf user sheep

See for yourself:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/sheep/MOC/Architektur/10-gruppenbild.jpg

If it was me and if I could afford good lawyers...

I personally think sheep's looks better.

But it's a nice set anyway, good review. Now to hit bricklink

Nice,that mite have to be my next desplay build,thanks for the review.

ps.Happy to see that the sand bar fences are back in production after the

last apperance in the harry potter sets and adventurers.

A very interesting set. I have ancestry over in Eastern Brandenburg along the Oder River. So, I love German designs.

Cool set. But its price is too high. And in my country it will not be sold, so he will be more expensive... But I still buy it! :)

Thanks for review!

Hi Lucas,

unfortunately the 21011 set is not available in my Country (Italy).

Because I'm a Bricklink member (and I hope you're a menber too), do you think is it possible that you buy the set on my behalf if I'll send you a payment via paypal ?

You don't know me and I don't know you, but we both love Lego, so...........

Cheers,

Francesco

PS : my English is awful, I know, but I'm trying to learn it as fast as I can ;-)