40503: Dagny Holm – Master Builder Set Review

Since the LEGO® House in Billund, Denmark opened it has provided visitors with a unique insight into the history of the LEGO Group and the world-famous bricks they create. It also offers LEGO fans a chance to pick up exclusive goodies including Limited Edition sets. The first few LEGO House sets were inspired by sections of the LEGO House including the Tree of Creativity and the Masterpiece Gallery Dinosaurs. In 2020, a new range of Limited Edition sets was introduced with the first being a brick-built recreation of the iconic Wooden Duck. Last year’s set was transformed a Moulding Machine into a miniature brick-built version. This year’s set was revealed earlier this week and thanks to the LEGO House team, I’ve been able to take a closer look at this interesting new Limited Edition – Dagny Holm – Master Builder.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

Product Details

Set Number: 40502 | Set Name: Dagny Holm – Master Builder| Piece Count: 1068 | Measures: 10” wide, 7.4” deep and 5.7” tall (25 cm wide, 19 cm deep and 14.5 cm tall.) Price: 599DKKLimited Edition: No 3 | Availablity: LEGO House Exclusive

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

Dagny Holm may not be a name you have heard of before, but it’s a name that has great importance to the story of the LEGO brand. Dagny has the honour of being the very first Master Builder, she was also the niece of LEGO founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen. She did an apprenticeship at the LEGO Group before moving away and returned to Billund many years later, where she was in charge of creating the wondersome models that made formed the first LEGOLAND park. She remained the LEGO Group’s Chief Designer until 1986. Her story is detailed in the instructions along with how she has inspired future Master Builders and this set.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

The set is a recreation of Dagny’s model maker workshop, including her adjustable workbench, storage cabinet filled with bricks and plenty of nods to her past work through minibuilds and unique printed tiles. The actual set follows a similar format to the previous Limited Edition sets, so its base is bordered in black and includes a couple of printed tiles featuring the set’s name.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

Upon the base is a tiled floor of Light Royal Blue plates, not only is this a nice new colour introduced recently to the LEGO colour palette, but it’s also a favourite of the sets designer, Markus Rollbühler. LEGO House Master Builder, Stuart Harris, provided the initial sketch model for the set, with parts of it inspired by his long career at the LEGO Group, which began at LEGOLAND Windsor.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

One of the two main sections of the build is a large wooden cabinet. These were often found in LEGO workshops and filled with elements so designers had easy access to a wide array of elements as they crated sets and models. This is no different here, every one of those draws you can see in the cabinet has different coloured elements inside of them. The rest of the cabinet is used to showcase a number of minibuilds, many of which are inspired by Dagny’s work. These include trains, a soldier, Miniland houses and even the classic LEGOLAND flag.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

The Miniland inspiration continues across other aspects of the set, including a trolley featuring a couple of larger Miniland buildings. But the most obvious build is the large giraffe, one of Dagny’s most famous builds. Not only were these featured in LEGOLAND Billund’s Safari ride, but there are also two inside LEGO House. I assume it could also be the inspiration for the life-sized giraffes outside many of the LEGOLAND Discovery Centres.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

The giraffe is showcased on a large table, these are still used in many workshops and they can be lowered and raised depending on what’s being built on them. This is something built into the set and was tricky to implement. During the product reveal, the set’s designer mentioned it took a long time to perfect the design. It largely uses a Technic frame, which provides a sturdy foundation for the top to be placed as well as providing the function to place the table at different heights.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

Finally, the set features a Miniland scale figure of Dagny Holm. If you’ve ever visited a LEGOLAND park, you’ll know special sized brick-built characters are used to inhabit Miniland. Although they have appeared in various promotional sets, this is one of the first retail sets to include a Miniland-scale character. I’m glad this sort of figure has been included as it works perfectly with the overall size of the set and links nicely to Dagny’s legacy and history with LEGOLAND.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

I have to admit, when I first saw the set during the press preview, it didn’t wow me. But the more it was linked to Dagny’s story the more delightful it became. Seeing how much of her work has been woven into the set through the minibuilds and the six exclusive printed tiles is very interesting. Once I got to build the set, that’s when it really clicked. Not only does it have some great minibuilds, but the cabinet alone is also one of my favourite parts of a set in recent years. There is so much detail packed into such a small area. If you are lucky enough to visit LEGO House or are able to get hold of the set, I definitely recommend it. It might not have the same appeal as the Wooden Duck or Dinosaurs, but it’s a genuinely interesting build and a nice showcase of the LEGO brand and it’s history.

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

40503: Dagny Holm - Master Builder Set Review

This set was provided to BricksFanz by LEGO House 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.

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Author: Adam White

Howdy I'm Adam, The editor of BricksFanz.com - your go to source for the latest LEGO news, reviews and much, much more. Some of you may know me from other LEGO sites so you'll know I have a good experience of the LEGO community and a deep, passionate commitment to all things LEGO. I specialize in seeking out the latest LEGO news and products, as well as being an expert on all things LEGO gaming. So welcome to BricksFanz - Fuelling Your LEGO Lifestyle.

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2 Comments

  1. Is there anywhere where I can get the building instructions for this please?

    Post a Reply
    • Unfortunately not, these sorts of sets don’t seem to get their instructions officially uploaded anywhere

      Post a Reply

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