The LEGO Icons design team has revealed how a surprising number of unusual elements were used to create the final look of 10366 Tropical Aquarium.
The launch of 10366 Tropical Aquarium next month represents a distinctly different offering from the theme, one that may not be immediately associated with more organic models. The 4,154-piece set combines various marine life, plants and other elements into a large, open fish tank, with the build bursting with plenty of colour.
In a new interview on LEGO.com, LEGO Icons designer Sven Franic has talked about the key decisions that were made during the development of 10366 Tropical Aquarium, including its striking coral creations and fishy friends selection.
“I think a lot of our consumers appreciate when we use a minifigure hat, for example, in a different way to create a pattern or plant,” explained Sven about some of the unlikely pieces that can be found lurking in the LEGO Icons set. “We wanted to have variation in shapes to keep it interesting. I’ve previously worked on models that were exact replicas of things like cars, so this set was really liberating – you could play a little with the design.
“From dinosaur tails to chefs’ hats, many Easter eggs in this set come from the unusual pieces we’ve used,” said Sven, a statement that also refers to elements that have been repurposed and recoloured from a recognisable LEGO Disney set.
One of the key selling points of 10366 Tropical Aquarium are its brick-built fish, each of which required serious thought and experimentation before being added to the LEGO Icons build.
“We had to consider how the fish would interact in the real world,” Sven notes. “When you break down fish into LEGO form, you’ll find that the builds look similar in shape. So, as much as possible, we wanted to differentiate them.”
Possibly the most useful piece of advice came from a surprising source, veteran LEGO Star Wars designer César Soares, who said to the 10366 Tropical Aquarium team, “Please don’t put something in that is obviously a freshwater fish in a saltwater tank!”
10366 Tropical Aquarium will launch on November 13 for Insiders members, alongside a dedicated GPW (while stocks last), with wider availability for all from November 16, priced at £399.99 / $479.99 / €449.99.
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