Where to start with this wonderful set. I love nature and plants and I’m always excited when there are some in a LEGO set. So, I was really drawn to this set.
THE BUILDING
I can start by saying that visually, this building attracts the eye with the white of its structure and the many windows.
The interior of the great hall is simply beautiful. The curved flowerbed is visually very attractive. On the photography side, I have to say I’m very disappointed that the main room is no longer as accessible after the set is finished. It is possible to remove the roof for top access, but if the side could have been opened with a panel, this would have been perfect. I took lots of photos before closing the main room. For the first time, I even built a bag in advance so I could access the trees inside. I know, you can judge me!
The building contains two adjoining rooms which allow one side of the wall to be opened for access. This is a great thing for photography. A beautiful Coffee Shop and a cactus room.
THE EXTERIOR
The front of the building is very charming with its sidewalk surrounded by numerous flowers. It’s possible to peacefully observe the fountain in this beautiful setting.
Or watch the tree looking for little creatures! This little beetle is really cute!
The front of the building is really a beautiful structure.
PLANTS AND FLOWERS
There is a lot of kinds of flowers! I’m not a builder master so I’m always excited when I’m building new stuff.
I particularly love these two flowers! I loved finding the officer’s epaulettes for the red flower, and what about the roller skates for the pink flowers. Simple but brilliant.
THE MINIFIGURES
This set comes with 12 minifigures! This is a lot. I just love it! Perfect for a lot of different pictures!
BEHIND THE SCENE
As a photographer, I love when it’s possible to remove sections of the building to gain better access to the interior. For this set, it is possible to remove all the roofs as well as one wall for each of the annex buildings. For side shots, the removed wall is really handy. It’s possible to take photos from the side, not just from above.
However, I must admit that the point that bothers me the most is accessing the interior of the great hall. Once the construction is complete, it’s difficult to take side photos. You have to take them from above. Also, the staircase and balcony are superb, but photographing them is a bit more complicated. Maybe with another lens like a probe lens it would be good, but I don’t have one. I like that both trees in the great room are removable. This allows for better access and is convenient for using them during another photoshoot.
It’s impossible to miss the building’s many windows. This is an element that I really like.They let beautiful light into the various rooms. It’s easy to position the lights in different ways to achieve the desired result.
CONCLUSION
This set is aesthetically splendid. The structure, the windows, the sidewalk, just perfect. It was very pleasant to build. Visually, it’s a 10/10. Photographically, however, I would say an 8.5/10. The only thing is the main room which is not as accessible as I would have liked to take picture of.
The price is a little bit expansive but it’s a very nice set to be displayed in a setting with a lot of minifigures. US$329,99 – CAD429,99$ – €329.99
I am very happy with my purchase and I’m already looking forward to using it for other photos.
