LEGO® sets have been getting increasingly bigger but most pale in comparison to LEGO ICONS Eiffel Tower. The 10,001-piece set stands at almost 5ft in height and is almost as impactful as the landmark which has inspired it. The Eiffel Tower’s piece count and scale make it one of the largest LEGO set yet, but is size everything? I’ve been building the set and it’s finally complete, ahead of its Black Friday release, here’s my review of the LEGO ICONS Eiffel Tower. Please note that the sheer size of the set has made taking good images of it almost impossible but I hope those included in my review help capture some of its detail, you can check out the official shots of the set here.
Product Details
Ready for an awe-inspiring challenge? Standing at almost 5 feet tall, the LEGO® Eiffel tower (10307) set for adults is the flagship model in the LEGO Travel & History series. And it’s not just one of the tallest LEGO sets ever, it’s got one of the largest piece counts too – with 10,001 pieces for an immersive experience from start to finish. It also makes a top gift idea for travel or history lovers.
A journey to the top
Just like the original construction, this collectible model is assembled in 4 sections. The process closely follows the way the real tower was built, giving you a unique insight into Gustave Eiffel’s engineering brilliance. Discover true-to-life details throughout, including landscaping, 3 observation platforms, lifts and a broadcast tower, topped off with the French flag.
- Set Name: Eiffel Tower
- Set Number: 10307
- Pieces: 10001
- RRP: £554.99/$629.99/629.99€
- Number of Bags: Bags x 74 + loose elements
- Stickers: N/A
- Minifigures: N/A
- Instructions: Booklet x 3 + LEGO Building Instructions App
- Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO Retailers
The Eiffel Tower is an iconic symbol of France and dominates the Paris skyline. Its construction began in 1887 and took 2 years to complete. It was meant as a showcase for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which marked the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Despite being the icon it is today, at the time it was being built it had plenty of critics and the tower was due to be destroyed a number of years after it was completed. But Gustave Eiffel’s design has stood the test of time so much so it’s the subject of this very review.
As this is such a huge set both through the number of elements it contains and its scale, the packaging is quite important. Of course, the box is massive but within it, there are 3 separate numbered boxes. These each includes the necessary numbered bags to get building. These smaller boxes are a godsend as they are much easier to move around and stop you from having to search through a mass of 74 bags. It may not seem like much but these sorts of things are really helpful, especially for those lacking in space. It also makes the build slightly less daunting. Each box features its own instruction booklet, thankfully the awful ‘basic’ design isn’t used for these but they do each come in the new recycling-friendly carded envelopes. The first booklet also details the history of the Eiffel Tower and the designer of the set. With additional facts dotted throughout the build.
You will have seen from the sets reveal assets that it’s built in 3 separate sections, which combine to create the tower. You would obviously assume, each box would relate to a section of the tower. I certainly did and I was very wrong. Box 1 and quite a lot of Box 2 are used to create the base of the tower. Which is obviously where the build begins.
The design of the set has been chosen to represent the era when the tower first opened. So around the legs of the tower are bushes and trees. These are very fiddly to build and can quite tedious when you are building masses of them. I also found it tricky to decipher which shade of green was to be used. Much of the surface of the base uses the new LEGO City road plates. These are perfectly suited to the area, giving it a stable base as well as being easy to connect to the larger web of elements beneath. It’s here you’ll also find a fun Easter Egg, with a pattern of red, white and blue elements representing the flag of France.
In a similar fashion to how the real Eiffel Tower was built, the legs are constructed independently of the base. Here the build gets very repetitive. The legs are all four-sided and each side is basically built in the same way. Connecting the various pieces needed to create the iconic ‘ironwork’ that the Eiffel Tower is known for, calls for plenty of repetition and I must admit it does take some enjoyment out of the build experience. But once you are piecing these sections together, that feeling does wane. Unfortunately, it soon returns as you continue up the tower. There are a couple of sections here I found hard to attach and can easily drop off if you are not careful. To achieve the curved design which arches between the legs, various smaller pieces are attached, which are then used to hold bigger pieces. The curves are crafted from a mix of roller coaster tracks and flexible pipes. I found some of the parts added to create these were difficult to attach and due to their connection method, they can fall off and take out the trees below.
The middle section does mix things up a little bit, with a few different details such as a viewing deck within the tower but again much of the details that make up the exterior requires piecing together lots of the same elements. When you see a step that requires it to be done 140 times, it does make your heart sink. However, this repetition is necessary to achieve the appearance of the tower and some will revel in it. I personally like to build any sections which require something to be built multiple times at the same time instead of having to go back through the instructions. That becomes a little more tricky with this particular set.
The final part of the set is the most intricate. The tower’s large spire continues with the repetitive nature found elsewhere in the set but on a slightly smaller scale. The grid-like design which runs along each side of the tower is a little more elongated compared to similar sections lower down on the tower. You have to really pay attention here as there are many pieces you clip on which are very similar. If you get these wrong you may have an issue when trying to set these lattice panels into the frame of the tower. Thankfully, there are 1:1 graphics at the end of each build, which you can marry the physically built section, up to the illustration in the instructions. These also help you to position the various bits correctly. Again this is important when trying to slot them into the frame of the tower’s spire. This is the only other part of the build I found difficult as you really have to make sure every one of the little clipped-on arms is in the right place.
Finally, the tower is topped with its famous viewing deck, which is also where Gustave’s secret apartment is also found. There are some fun details here in particular more grey sausage elements and bucket handles on the tower’s antenna pole, which is topped with the French flag. I like this section as it offered something different to the rest of the set.
As proven numerous times, the only acceptable way to show the scale of a large LEGO set is via the use of pets. BricksFanz resident head of resting, Lola, has used her exceptional sitting skills to show just how big the LEGO ICONS Eiffel Tower is. Enjoy.
Review Round-up
The build of this set was very contrasting for me. The repetition was tiring at times but then seeing how the numerous sections you had to build combined to create larger sections of the tower was quite satisfying. Seeing the set fully constructed is an amazing sight. It really is a huge and imposing set, which makes its appeal limited. There will be many who will not have the space to display this set. It has a massive footprint and requires plenty of height to safely be able to display it. Plus it’s another expensive set and in the current climate, not many can afford to spend over £500/$600/600€ on a LEGO set. Reading this review may seem like I’m pretty down on the set but it really is a marvel. If you pace out the build over a few days, a leisurely construction will certainly make the experience more enjoyable If you are planning to buy the set, I recommend getting it during Black Friday as you’ll get the exclusive Eiffel’s Apartment set along with 2 other free sets.
For
+ The finished build is a truly impressive sight
+ Extremely detailed build
+ Interesting use of parts
+ Another great example of what can be done with LEGO bricks
+ The build process is well thought out
Against
– It will be far too big for many people to display
– The build is very repetitive
– Its size means it’s another costly set
Available From November 25th: UKIrelandUSCanadaGermanyDenmarkAustraliaNew Zealand
This set was provided by BricksFanz and provided by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
