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Agence France-Presse

To build his giant Lego structures, which usually take hundreds of thousands of bricks, Hungarian artist Balazs Doczy first must solve major “engineering challenges”.
“Every structure has an Achilles’ heel. Once it is solved, the rest of the work is easy,” the 48-year-old said.
He needed 90 helpers for one of his most recent works – a life-size Lego tram made up of a staggering 1.8 million pieces.
Together they put in around 6,800 man-hours to assemble the tram, Doczy’s most ambitious project, which is now on display in a bustling square in the centre of Hungary’s capital, Budapest.

The 11-metre-long (36 ft long) Lego tram – commissioned by Budapest’s transport companies and its tourist office to “public transport and creativity” – has attracted droves.
“We’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Malaysian tourist Lucas Chang, 32.
A professional Lego artist for more than 10 years, Doczy works more like an architect than a builder, relying on specialist software to draw up plans and only assembling bricks when he needs to test out a particular design.
“Initially, I do preliminary sketches much like a painter, stacking bricks on each other in a digital environment,” he says.
“I set up the scale, identifying recognisable elements and proportioning the other parts relative to that.”

For his intricate dioramas, such as his model of the Heroes’ Square in Budapest, every piece has to imitate a specific detail.
In “megastructures” such as the tram, imperfections even as small as a tenth of a millimetre could stack up, leading to instability, he said.
“I always compare it to quantum mechanics and gravity: in a smaller scope, matter behaves differently than on a grander scale,” he said.
Thus blocks are glued together, an internal frame is added for extra support, and experts are consulted to ensure structural integrity.
Doczy also added some baseplates on its sides to allow people to place their own Lego bricks, which “has always appealed to me, because it allows anyone to express their creativity and transform the sculpture into a community piece”.

Doczy became fascinated with Lego at an early age, assembling bricks with his older brother, though Western products were in short supply in then-communist Hungary.
“We begged the neighbour’s kids to bring their sets too, so we could build bigger structures. We had ambitions even back then,” Doczy said.
His childhood passion was reignited years later when his nephew became captivated by the colourful blocks.
When Doczy looked at his brother, “our eyes lit up and we realised we should start building again”, he said.
Moving back to Hungary from Indonesia – where he had been teaching diving – he and his brother set up a business called “Brick Workshop” in 2013 to create Lego designs and organise activities for children and adults.
In 2014, Doczy’s Lego model of Budapest’s iconic St Stephen’s Basilica was featured at a Guinness World Record attempt, when volunteers constructed the world’s highest Lego tower at the time in front of the basilica.

Three years later, he was officially recognised as a “Lego certified professional” (LCP) by the Danish company.
The coveted title – currently held by around two dozen creators – is awarded to talents who “create stunning, innovative designs that help push the boundaries of creativity and engineering”, a Lego spokesman said.
The perks are being able to regularly consult other LCPs and access Lego’s sculpting software that allows Doczy to order “from the 14,000 different pieces in production”, he said.
But for some projects, he has to scour the thriving second-hand market to search for pieces. Luckily for him, even bricks from the 1970s can be found there.
“As a diver, I’ve never seen Lego bricks pulled out of the sea,” said Doczy, who divides his time between Budapest and the Spanish island of Mallorca. “They are just too valuable to be thrown away.”


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Lego tram 11 metres long and made with 1.8 million pieces took 6,800 man-hours to assemble

Visitors look at a full-size tram built from Lego bricks by Hungarian artist Balazs Doczy in Deak Ferenc Square in downtown Budapest on November 21, 2024. Photo: AFP

The tram took Doczy and 90 helpers 6,800 man-hours to assemble. Photo: AFP

A child touches the front of the tram. Photo: AFP

Part of a giant Lego lion statue by Doczy, a replica of one of the lion statues of Hungary’s oldest bridge, in Budapest, on October 28, 2022. Photo: AFP

A 34.76-metre-high tower of Lego plastic bricks is seen in front of Budapest’s St Stephen’s Basilica as Doczy presents his miniature construction of the basilica on May 25, 2014. Photo: AFP

Can humans live under the sea? Engineer attempts world record to prove it’s a good option

Rudiger Koch in his underwater pod, where he aims to live for 120 days. Photo: AFP

German aerospace engineer Rudiger Koch in his underwater pod off the coast of Panama, where he aims to live for 120 days to set a world record. Photo: AFP

Koch looks through a porthole inside his underwater room off the coast of Puerto Lindo, Panama. Photo: AFP

Koch’s underwater pod provides a habitat for marine animals. He says he sees fish and other creatures around his temporary home that weren’t there before. Photo: AFP

A crew member sits on a boat near Koch’s underwater home, which is attached via a spiral staircase to a chamber above the water, from where cameras recording Koch and his electricity supply are managed. Photo: AFP

Koch keeps himself busy on his laptop in his submerged pod. He is hoping to ascend on January 24, 2025 after setting a world record. Photo: AFP

Koch’s underwater pod is 15 minutes by boat from the Puerto Lindo coast. Other than journalists, the aerospace engineer has only been visited by his wife, children and doctor. Photo: AFP

Lego for adults: how toy building sets have become mindfulness tools for adults, offering stress relief and a focus on the present

Many adult fans of Lego have discovered it can help them to de-stress. They describe how it helps them focus on the present and to be mindful. Photo: Shutterstock

Some adult fans of Lego find using their hands to build something makes them happy. Photo: Shutterstock

Vlada Botoric is an assistant professor at Zayed University in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Photo: Vlada Botoric

Deenaz Damania is a therapist and counsellor in Tamil Nadu, India. Photo: Deenaz Damania

Kamna Chhibber is a clinical psychologist in Delhi, India. Photo: Fortis Healthcare

Akash Mohan says Lego is his go-to de-stress mechanism over the weekends. Photo: Akash Mohan

Lego for adults combines nostalgia with intricate design. Its kits appeal to myriad interests. Photo: Akash Mohan

Stuffed animals for adults to help with anxiety are on the rise, as are Lego and other toys. Hugimals founder explains why she thinks that is

Adults are turning to stuffed toys like Hugimals (pictured) to help alleviate their anxiety and loneliness, and to reconnect with their inner child. Photo: Instagram/@hugimals

Squishmallows became the top-selling toy in the US and Canada last year. Photo: Squishmallows

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Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Hungarian ‘Lego certified professional’ Balazs Doczy enlisted 90 helpers to make the life-size replica tram now on display in Budapest


Hungarian ‘Lego certified professional’ Balazs Doczy enlisted 90 helpers to make the life-size replica tram now on display in Budapest.


Hungary

Offbeat