Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Architecture set 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris, a box of 4383 pieces currently for pre-order on the official online store at the public price of €229,99 and which will be available from June 1, 2024.

The reactions were generally rather positive when the manufacturer announced the product, it therefore remained to be verified whether the assembly experience is commensurate with the final result knowing that the LEGO Architecture range must be up to the mark. lives up to the expectations of the most demanding fans on this specific point.

It was my sidekick Chloé who carried out the exercise with a progression spread over several days so as not to saturate and make the most of what the product has to offer. Slightly repetitive sequences are obviously on the program, it is the subject covered which imposes them, and weariness can quickly set in and degrade the promised experience.

The single instruction booklet which distills the 393 assembly steps, however, remains readable even when it comes to sequences requiring the installation of elements at the heart of a well-advanced construction, it is tone on tone ( or Tan on Tan) and the risk was to get a little visually lost during certain stages.

The systematic use of the red border to demarcate the parts or sub-assemblies concerned by the step in question is of great help, we never find ourselves lost in this pile of parts of the same color with the added bonus of an effect of perspective which can quickly become problematic on certain pages, even for the most seasoned fans.

My usual advice: if you intend to purchase this product, do not spoil too much the construction process as well as the techniques used and keep the pleasure of discovery intact. Your decision to buy or not this box from the LEGO Architecture range is not based simply on these arguments and knowing too much before opening the box will only spoil the promised experience.

The instruction booklet is put into context by the addition of a few pages of information on the process of building the real cathedral through four major eras, this information is in English on the document provided in the box but the booklet will be available in French in digital format as soon as the product becomes available.

Some facts come to enhance the assembly process throughout the pages, it is always a very appreciated attention which allows to put the product in its context and to explain certain aesthetic choices. The set is not, however, a history lesson; read up on the subject if you feel like it.

At the chosen scale, certain details are simply suggested or necessarily overlooked, this is inevitable and we cannot blame the designer who here did his best to preserve the main attributes of the building. We recognize Notre-Dame de Paris at first glance and anyone who still has any doubts will in any case have before their eyes the Tile pad printing usually used in sets from the LEGO Architecture range to specify what it is.

We could debate for a long time concerning the proportions of certain parts of the building, quibble over the inevitable aesthetic shortcuts, regret the absence of stained glass windows which are simply symbolized by transparent pieces or even discuss the choice of color Tan (beige) for the walls of the cathedral, the proposal is there with its scale and its constraints and we must accept it as it is or ignore it.

The beige used here corresponds to the "idealized" and sun-saturated visuals that we find almost everywhere, it is more or less in line with the image we generally have of places. For the rest, don't expect to come across a few gargoyles or install the fittings on the doors, this model gets to the point and it makes rather intelligent use of what the current inventory at LEGO has to offer.

Enjoy the internal spaces of the cathedral as construction progresses, they will then only become visible by removing the portion of roof which will allow a quick look at the cluttered interior of the model. The floor is partially covered with paving alternating black and white pieces, with a pattern which is obviously not on the scale of the rest of the construction but it works visually and the reference at least has the merit of existing.

We spend a lot of time adjusting certain sub-assemblies that only fit on a single stud so that the result conforms to the wishes of the product designer, with for example droid arms at the back or magic wands that you must orient at 45° at the level of the two towers on the facade.

We will also endeavor to straighten the flexible foils planted at the top of the two facade towers and the spire so that the construction does not lose its splendor. It is sometimes a little tedious, but by spreading the assembly of the product over several days we will enjoy coming back to it occasionally.

For those who are wondering, the three dish pad printed used on the model are identical, it is the same piece with the same pattern. No stickers in this box, they weren't necessary at this scale anyway. The twelve statues which surround the spire of the place are there, they are embodied by nanofigs which seem to me judiciously used and that of Viollet-le-Duc is turned towards the spire of the building. No particular religious symbols on this construction, if we obviously forget that the roof of this Gothic cathedral is itself a cross.

LEGO asks 230 € for this product, one could imagine that it is a lot to pay for a construction which ultimately only occupies 41 cm long by 22 cm wide but the invoice includes the many hours spent building the thing and the contract seems to me here to be filled with a global experience which features more than 4000 pieces, which can really be spread over time and which will not leave purchasers of the product unsatisfied as is sometimes the case with other boxes shipped too quickly.

Meticulousness is necessarily required here, coupled with a few steps of careful deciphering of the instructions and the challenge seems sufficiently high to satisfy even the most demanding fans of the LEGO Architecture range.

This product from the LEGO Architecture range therefore, in my opinion, largely lives up to what we can expect in this range with the qualities we know about it but also the usual limitations linked to the reduced scale of the products concerned. This model of Notre-Dame de Paris seems to me to be a good compromise with a pretty, sufficiently detailed model with a small footprint, a relatively reasonable price and obvious exhibition potential.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 18th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

Today we quickly take a look at the contents of the LEGO Harry Potter set 76433 Mandrake, a box of 579 pieces which will be available on the official online store from June 1, 2024 at the public price of €69,99.

We have known for a long time that the plastic variations of flowers and other plants regularly offered by LEGO have largely found their audience among the brand's adult customers, we therefore understand that the manufacturer wishes to capitalize on this popularity by adding a license which is also very popular to a product that imitates a plant seen in the Harry Potter saga.

Was it absolutely necessary to stretch the license to this extent by marketing a simple plant? Many fans will think that this is a good idea and it is not me, who regularly settles for products with sometimes even more anecdotal content marketed in the LEGO Star Wars ranges, who would contradict them.

We therefore assemble a Mandrake and its pot to replay the famous botany lesson and we can then have fun removing it and setting it in motion. However, don't expect to hear it scream, LEGO hasn't bothered to try to integrate a sound brick into the heart of the construction and you will have to shout instead of the plant.

However, there was undoubtedly a technical solution that could be used on this product to offer it a little more interactivity, similar to what was done earlier in the year in the LEGO Harry Potter set. 76429 Talking Sorting Hat which features a vaguely interactive Sorting Hat.

That being said, the result obtained here seems rather convincing to me with a plant whose root is quite faithful to the version seen on the screen and some large green leaves which can be adjusted as you wish. Pressure on the torso of the root sets the mouth and arms of this Mandrake in motion. It's fun for five minutes and the effect is guaranteed during your evenings with friends.

However, we regret that the sheets are flanked by huge stickers, they would have benefited from being properly pad printed to guarantee the product aging in the best conditions under the onslaught of the sun and dust. Especially for €70.

The Mandrake comes with its pot whose label confirms what it is, it is aesthetically very successful and the accessory will allow you to display everything in a very suitable way on the corner of a shelf. To store the plant in the pot, simply fold the legs of the figure and find the right angle so that the construction fits perfectly into the pot.

The product will undoubtedly seem too anecdotal for many fans who will prefer the sections of playsets available elsewhere within the June 2024 wave, but there will be quite a few fans of the Harry Potter universe who will be satisfied with this nod. have an eye for accomplished aesthetics and not be burdened with constructions intended to amuse the youngest.

It's well executed, the product has the essential functionality that allows it to make sense, all that was missing was that the Mandrake really screams that LEGO is making the effort to pad print the leaves of the plant. As is often the case, I remain a little mixed because the manufacturer quibbles over details which should no longer be an issue given the high-end positioning of its products, which is a shame.

This product is currently on pre-order at the public price of €69,99, I think we should wait carefully for its actual availability scheduled for June 1st to try to get it for a little cheaper from Amazon and others.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 17th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

LEGO today announces a new addition to the LEGO ART range: the reference 31213 Mona Lisa. This box of 1503 pieces will be available on the official online store from October 1, 2024 at the public price of €99,99 and its contents will make it possible to assemble a three-dimensional, LEGO-style reproduction of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci exhibited at the Louvre Museum. At first glance, it's still very figurative so as not to be more mean. The removable gold frame, however, is well done. Dimensions of the thing: 43 cm high, 30 cm wide and 4 cm deep.

If your interior absolutely needs this version of the Mona Lisa in a LEGO version, know that this box is already up for pre-order on the official online store:

31213 MONA LISA ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

LEGO today unveils an imposing new 2024 addition to the Architecture range: the benchmark 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris. This box of 4383 pieces will be available on the official online store from June 1, 2024 at the public price of €229,99 and its inventory will allow, as the title of the product indicates, to assemble a model of the Parisian cathedral 44 cm long by 22 cm wide and 33 cm high.

This product is already up for pre-order on the official online store, we will talk about it again quickly in these columns as well as in live on Twitch with Chloé tomorrow from 15:00 p.m.

21061 NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

LEGO has just added the set 75394 Imperial Star Destroyer on the official online store and therefore confirms in passing the public price of this product of 1555 pieces which is set at €169.99 as well as the availability date announced for August 1, 2024.

You already know if you are following, this product celebrating 25 years of the LEGO Star Wars range will allow you to obtain a minifig of Cal Kestis, the hero of the video game Jedi Star Wars: Fallen Order.

No pre-order for France, you will have to wait until the product is actually available to treat yourself. We will have talked about it again by then.

75394 IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER ON THE LEGO SHOP >>