The world in microscale

Here's a challenge for you. How do you build an accurate representation of a famous landmark using as few LEGO pieces as possible? Welcome to the world of microscale building, where tiny Sears Towers rule and the search for the perfect piece never ends.

Microscale building seems to come with a set of unique advantages in that your final product will ideally be less expensive, more portable, and instantly identifiable.

The expense portion goes out the window fairly quickly as specialty pieces in rare colors (which I've learned can be basically distilled to adding "dark" to any common color, ie. dark red), can be five to 20 times more than a basic part. So, a small structure with several window panes or unique elements can still have a hefty price tag. The other catch appears to be balancing identity and minimalism. You don't want to sacrifice too many architectural details, otherwise you'll just have created a generic building.

But with a healthy childhood addiction to Micro Machines and potential storage space limitations, the possibilities for microscale building choices seem endless.

The photo above is the Taj Mahal by Arthur Gugick from a display at Brickworld2008.