LEGO Ideas Spotlight: Chinatown Double Happiness Archway
There’s just something mesmerising about Chinese architecture. It’s far grander and more detailed than anything native to the west. And its intricate nature means it lends itself very well to LEGO creations. We’ve seen some Chinese designs from LEGO’s recent range of Chinese New Year sets – and there’s a hint of it in some Monkie Kid releases. But nothing truly screams Chinese beauty like this Double Happiness Archway, submitted to LEGO Ideas by user Shihong.
Since being uploaded to LEGO Ideas on Friday, Shihong’s model has already amassed 128 supporters. It now has a full year to reach the next milestone of 1,000 supports. Ultimately, it’ll need 10,000 votes before it can be assessed by a panel of LEGO experts. But its success is no surprise; the Double Happiness Archway was first entered into a LEGO Ideas contest, held back in March. The contest had three categories, with winners having their sets displayed at LEGO House. This set was a winner in the Architecture category.
To us, this truly encapsulates Chinese architecture down to the last detail. It’s actually inspired by London’s Chinatown, a place where the creator spent a lot of time as a child. Anyone who’s wandered through that area of London will have undoubtedly walked under very similar arches
The Chinatown: Double Happiness Archway is made up of 2,885 bricks, and measures 49cm across. It’s no small set, then, but its stature allows for plenty of detail to be included. We love the careful carving of the roof, the ‘Double Happiness’ symbol built into the pavement, and the lanterns hanging from the arches. All in all, this is a breathtaking set, and one we’d love to one day have in our collection.
Show Shihong your support by voting for Chinatown: Double Happiness Archway now. Simply click here and press the ‘support’ button.
