preface in this book you’ll discover how to build a dazzling LEGO city that you can hold in your hands Once you unlock the potential of microscale building you’ll be able to create a miniature metropolis complete with skyscrapers infrastructure parks and monuments all inside an area just over 6 square inches rome wasn’t built in a day but your LEGO micro city can be LEGO microscale building techniques rely far more on the imagination than on having a large pile of bricks at your disposal in the pages ahead you’ll learn many different ways to make buildings whose components can fit into an espresso cup You’ll also learn how to reimagine minifigure accessories as architectural ornaments You’ll soon see that building with LEGO is much more than stacking bricks on top of each other simplicity is the ultimate sophistication is a quote often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and although he was deprived of a life with LEGO bricks it’s easy to imagine that he would have enjoyed a medium that combines art with engineering as LEGO does da Vinci would have been especially intrigued by microscale building where size constraints constraints force your creations into sophisticated simplicity the built-in minimalism of microscale construction lends itself to a beautiful streamlined elegance reminiscent of early video game art and just like early video game artists who had to work with limited technology to convey complex images in creative ways microscale builders work with certain restrictions to produce their unique aesthetic Even when LEGO building is reduced to its essence it’s astonishing how flexible it can be For example a LEGO micro city made on a 20 20-stud base can convincingly convey convey every real-world architectural style as well as other styles seen only in fantasy and science fiction the following chapters will give you the tools to build your own micro city from creating the base to adding the finishing touches that are the grace notes of every build don’t be afraid to mix and match buildings from the examples that follow after all real cities feature feature buildings from many different eras so you can combine several styles to suit your own tastes Let this book be a starting point for your own fantastic designs
BUYING BRICKS Every brick used in this book came from an official LEGO set a pick a Brick wall at a LEGO store or BrickLink BrickLink is a website https bricklink com where thousands of people around the world sell their bricks You can search for bricks by entering the part number that accompanies the LEGO elements in the building instructions You can also narrow your search to display BrickLink stores within your own country for faster and less expensive shipping it’s an amazing brick resource that would be hard to live without USING THE BRICKS YOU HAVE Sometimes the best LEGO bricks are the ones you already have the instructions in this book all feature build variations and you’re encouraged to add customizations of your own it’s seldom the case that only one specific brick will do For example you can easily easily replace a 2 8 brick with four 2 2 bricks You can be even more flexible when choosing choosing bricks for building ornamentation since you can let your preferences guide your decisions Being restricted to the bricks you already have can open up new stylistic possibilities as more limitations require more innovative thinking this kind of creative mindset lets you embrace the constraints of using rare colors that are available only in limited shapes soon you might even come to enjoy the challenges of building with just three or four piece types which is much like solving a puzzle it’s been said that children don’t play because it’s easy they play because it’s hard that’s what microscale building is all about serious play now it’s time to build your own LEGO micro city ACKNOWLEDGMENTS thanks to the worldwide LEGO community for providing continuous building inspira tion while simultaneously being the nicest people on the internet a special thanks to the Brothers Brick https www brothers-brick com the world’s best LEGO blog for honoring my LEGO micro city models as its 2017 LEGO creation of the Year it’s been a pleasure to work with annie choi serena Yang and tyler Ortman along with the other staff at no starch press who are dedicated to producing such high-quality and imaginative imaginative LEGO books x prEFacE
BASE CAMP Your city’s base is the bedrock upon which your buildings will rest In LEGO as in life a solid foundation is the key to building anything of lasting value Bases may seem like humble structures but they’re worth fussing over In this chapter you’ll build a micro city base that is both functional and beautiful The LEGO micro cities you’ll find in this book appear to have been carved out of the ground with a square cookie cutter This results in a dynamic diorama that reveals some of the city’s underground secrets The secret to building a great micro city is to think of it as a work of art Every part of your city is important and every brick should be considered with care As your city grows so does its story A beguiling base is only the beginning
