Take a deep dive into a selection of 10366 Tropical Aquarium development builds and discover just what went into the creation of the upcoming LEGO Icons set.
The LEGO Icons team revealed a hefty addition to the theme’s line-up this week in the shape of the 4,154-piece 10366 Tropical Aquarium. Launching on November 13 for Insiders and for everyone else from November 16, the colourful set boasts a vibrant collection of sea-life, all contained within a brick-built fish tank (minus any glass, that is).
During the development of the model, the LEGO Icons designers experimented with a variety of potential concepts and content, trying different approaches in order to capture the correct look for 10366 Tropical Aquarium, as revealed on LEGO.com.
One original take on the set was to include a lighthouse within the build, intended to be the focal point for the whole model. However, LEGO Icons designer Sven Franic ultimately decided that it would disrupt the flow of the set and draw attention away from the more natural look of 10366 Tropical Aquarium.
Another creative possibility that fell by the wayside was a shipwreck for builders to stack coral on. The challenge then became how to incorporate the broken vessel into the LEGO Icons model at a scale that made sense, without dominating the build. The shipwreck was eventually replaced by a treasure chest in the final version, described by Sven as, “a classic that never raises questions about its size.”
At roughly the same time, the team behind 10366 Tropical Aquarium experimented with different frame colours, before choosing a ‘more timeless’ black frame to the complete the build.
When it came to the various colourful plants and coral in 10366 Tropical Aquarium, the natural elements also went through a number of changes, including employing parts from some surprising sources, such as LEGO Ideas 21357 Pixar Luxo Jr.
“Fans really appreciate when we use pieces in unexpected ways,” Sven explained. “Like a minifigure hat or something like that used it in a different way.”
That diversity included purple dragon wings and ice creams in one 10366 Tropical Aquarium concept model, combining the latter with geometric shapes to achieve the desired look of certain plants.
10366 Tropical Aquarium will launch for Insiders first on November 13, with a wider release for all from November 16. The LEGO Icons set is priced at £399.99 / $479.99 / €449.99 and pre-orders for the model are now live.
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