Cool LEGO® Site of the Week : Site #82

Site #82

= Models = Reference = Interactive


	April 12-18, 1998 Michael Ulring's LEGO® Castle Michael Ulring	This moat-encircled fortress, spanning half a ping-pong table, represents a landmark in narrative-style building which must be seen to be believed. The site itself is short and to-the-point, giving a couple dozen JPEG images and almost no descriptive text; yet many of the photos are so crisp that they nearly speak for themselves. As can be seen from the Overhead View image, this is a courtyard-style castle with hyper-abundant minifig activity. Several Interior Closeups show these activities in more detail. The use of color here as a design element is intriguing, spanning almost the entire LEGO^® spectrum of color but avoiding gawdy combinations. Further, the variety of colors adds a certain life-like randomness to the dwellings, and suggests historical developments and refinements by the inhabitants over the years, while a carefully-selected variation in architectural styles suggests both multi-cultural influences and local innovations in craftsmanship. These attributes are natural byproducts of Michael's 5-year construction effort, in which this castle represents a culmination of several previous works. The castle is also a living artwork in that it remains both constructed and under construction, as Michael adds new structures and new inhabitants whenever he has spare moments away from school.