Brickistan

Name of Model: Brickistan

Created by: Sandy Cash

Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32171754@N00/sets/72157622144870704/

Details: What happens when you combine extreme landscaping, strict Islamic architecture, and the fantasies of a madman in minifig form? In a word: Brickistan. This isn't, strictly speaking, a "purist" creation or family-friendly fare. A few minifigs have been drilled open to let weapons stab them in unusual places. The ambitious and strange nature of this project led its builder to avoid giving it too much exposure - unveiling the full layout was saved for BrickFair this year (smaller sections did make appearances at NCLUG meetings and the NCLUG show LEGOPalooza, but this is the first time the whole layout has been displayed). From a builder's standpoint, there is much to love here: brilliant landscaping, clever vignettes and techniques, great uses of rare colors, and a staggering amount of height. I'm not kidding, though, when I say that this is very strict Islamic architecture. Architectural elements from specific buildings have been carefully touched upon. Sandy will never admit it (I've talked to him about this offline), but even though the modules that comprise Brickistan are supposedly only "loosely based" on the life-size buildings used as inspiration, the details are frighteningly accurate.