Lego in Spaaaace

Some of my very favourite Lego sets are ones based on real-world space-stuff. Indeed throughout my childhood my dream Lego set was one the space shuttles; and I had no lack of sets to choose from, to date there have been at least fifteen different Lego representations of the space shuttles! My dream came true in 2010, when I decided to get a newly released set, what I think is the best model of a space shuttle Lego ever made (and indeed one of the best Lego sets outright), 10213 Shuttle Adventure.

This is by far the most detailed and accurate Lego model of the shuttle, one of just four that includes the fuel tanks and booster rockets. In a perhaps ironic reflection of the problems in the real shuttle program, there were design issues with the fuel tank, prompting Lego to reissue a tweaked version of the set in 2011, 20131 Shuttle Expedition.

This set is a thing of beauty, but it's just one of many wonderful Lego sets based on real space science. Continue below for a look back at Lego's long-time fascination with space.

Chocolate Lego

Artist Akihiro Mizuuchi, has come up with an excellent alternative material to make Lego out of, chocolate! Mizuuchi has made Lego blocks out of dark, milk, white, and pink (presumably strawberry flavoured white) chocolate, which can then be built into delicious Lego creations.

It appears real Lego blocks were used to create the molds, as you can still see the Lego logo on each stud. Lego should totally start making these, they would surely be a hit!

You can see more edible creations on Mizuuchi's Behance page. Found via Colossal.

Minifigure head clock

Here's a cool creation from Etsy creator Jean-Philippe Lannoy, a Lego minifigure-head clock, made from Lego, of course. This is available now from Lannoy's Etsy story, MakeItBrickIt, where it can be bought either pre-assembled, or as a kit, complete with instructions, to built it yourself. Everything but the clock kit at the center is Lego, even the wall mounting!

A Lego bus stop in London

Lego and Transport for London have teamed up to build a whole full size and real bus stop in London, just outside the Hamleys toy shop on Regents Street.

The one-hundred thousand brick build will be in active use as a real working bus stop for the next four weeks. It comes complete with Lego signage, huge transparent Lego windows, and really comfortable looking Lego benches.

Photos via Transport for London on Twitter, and Lego's Facebook and Twitter. More after the jump:

This huge glassy chandelier, is made from Lego!

Believe it not, this giant chandelier, large enough for a person to stand in the center, is made almost entirely from Lego bricks, standing on just a few rings of metal:

It was designed and, rather delicately, built, by Tobias Toestesen, for Milan Design Week. The idea, taking the same basic transparent shape to create a larger construct, is to manipulate the light, using the Lego pieces to create shifting patterns and distortions.

Some eight thousand of the large half-cyclinder pieces are used in it's construction. Here is Toestesen at work building it:

You can see more images on Design Boom.