Several of you have pointed out to me the very short article posted by Courrier International regarding the pressure that LEGO employees face at work. The article is succinct and it refers to a more substantial dossier published yesterday on the front page of the Danish daily Western-Posten.

Anxious to know more before reporting here on the situation described, I therefore subscribed to the online version of this daily (it's free for the first 40 days) to read the article which motivated the publication of International mail.

That being said, it would seem that LEGO, often presented as paradise on earth for all those who dream of working one day in contact with their favorite toys, is not spared by the perpetual quest for performance and profitability at the expense of the well-being of its employees.

By reading the article of Western-Posten, we therefore learn that the LEGO group, led by its savior and current CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, is putting pressure on its employees. Sophisticated performance evaluation methods are in place, each employee is constantly assessed on various criteria on which a possible bonus depends. Nothing new here, these methods are used in many businesses, large and small, and they have been proven successful when used with good judgment.

But employees of the group are protesting against these methods considered to be counterproductive and which are the source of stress and discomfort that are gaining ground, not only at the LEGO headquarters in Billund but also in various offshore departments. around the world.

Mads Nipper, marketing manager at LEGO since 1991 and who left the company this year, weighs the statements of certain employees or their union representatives by recalling that the rigorous management put in place in the 2000s was necessary to save the group of an announced bankruptcy and that it has borne fruit.

Some employees, however, evoke the permanent confusion between private and professional life, the high availability required by the geographical distribution of the various LEGO entities on a global scale which means that somewhere on the planet there is always an open office, the misuse of the evaluation methods in place by some local managers recruited to support the development of the brand over the past ten years anxious to promote their work and their ego to the detriment of that of their colleagues, etc ...

Anyone who complains about the gradual disappearance of what they call "The LEGO Spirit" would like to point out, however, that they remain grateful to Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, the savior of the business that sustains them ...

The situation described above is nothing new for anyone who knows the world of work. Constant pressure, the cult of results, and the near-sick concern for performance are common elements in today's business. But for many, LEGO remains a great place to work, and regular surveys of the group's employees confirm this impression: They were 56% in 2013 (62% in 2011) to indicate that they would recommend to others. to come and work at LEGO.

I'm bouncing off my own theory regarding MicroFighters from the LEGO Star Wars range (See this article) by taking a look at the exclusive LEGO The Hobbit set sold for the modest sum of $ 40 at the last San Diego Comic Con: Micro Scale Bag End.

On the menu, 130 pieces, a minifigure of Bilbo and finally a miniature version of the set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering released in 2012.

I come to my interpretation of this set: What if LEGO decided to decline this principle of mini-set for the Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit range? This format would make it possible to offer buildings or more generally scenes that are difficult to transpose to the System format because of the prohibitive price that the number of parts required would imply: Minas Tirith, Barad-Dûr, Erebor or even Rivendell would be perfectly suited customers. Several remakes of existing sets in System format would eventually join these mini-sets: Helm's Deep (9474 The Battle of Helm's Deep) or Orthanc (10237 The Tower of Orthanc) for example.

If we admit that LEGO is testing concepts with these exclusive sets sold at various conventions, then this theory could be realistic. As far as I'm concerned, a range of mini-sets accompanied by a minifig, would be welcome. It would allow us to add iconic scenes or locations to our collection that LEGO will probably never release on a larger scale ...

If you want to treat yourself to this souvenir of the Comic Con printed in 1000 copies, you will find it for sale on eBay by clicking here.

He just talked about it in the comments but it deserves a mention here: Khalim offers an improved version of the Black Gate (Black gate) designed only with parts from two copies of the set 79007 Battle at the Black Gate.

It's a great job, the final rendering is excellent and the gentleman is not selfish since he even offers you to download the LDD file (to be used under Lego digital designer) of this MOC / MOD.

It is true that you have to afford two copies of the 79007 set to achieve this result, but the game is well worth the effort. No more frustration of having half a door, here is the version with two leaves and with two watchtowers!

It's more expensive, but it's prettier.

Further views of Khalim's work on his flickr gallery. The LDD file is to download at this address.

Two and a half years of work, 120.000 bricks, 112 kg of LEGO, dimensions of 2.40 x 1.40 x 2.05 m, here is yet another extraordinary creation which should amaze visitors at future conventions where it will be exhibited. 

Here I particularly appreciate the ability of MOCeur to cultivate a certain sense of detail despite the extraordinary dimensions of this MOC / Diorama.

Fans of the Lord of the Ring saga will immediately recognize Minas Tirith, the gigantic capital of Gondor.

Rather than burying yourself in superlatives, I suggest you go and admire it all in the dedicated album of Chaiduro's flickr gallery.

(Thanks to Amonerate for his email)

Back to a DanSto MOC which obviously appeals to me by the chosen format. And this R2-D2 more compact than the version of set 10225 released in 2012 (see this comparative visual) deserves that you take the time to look into it.

DanSto succeeds in delivering a detailed astromech droid in a relatively compact format, while retaining essential functionality. The dome with visible studs becomes as far as I'm concerned more consistent at this scale than on the official UCS version and the angle of inclination of the feet seems to me to be closer to the model in the film.

Instructions in pdf format are available free of charge at this address (13 MB): R2-D2 Mid Size by DanSto and this is good news because I know that many of you are expressing your frustration in front of an OMC that you would like to reproduce in your spare time but for which the instructions are not available.

This MOC is subject to Cuusoo project that you can support if, like me, you have an activist soul in favor of the Midi-Scale format. This project will struggle to find 10.000 supporters, but a conviction vote to remind LEGO that the Midi-Scale has its followers is never too much.

DanSto has also posted its MOC on his flickr gallery and you can also find it on Rebrickable.