Mini Birmingham takes shape ready for new Lego centre

IT’S Birmingham as you’ve never seen it before – famous city landmarks have been recreated in Lego for the city’s new £7 million family fun attraction.

Builders have used more than 1.5 million bricks to build the iconic structures ready for the opening of the Legoland Discovery Centre in Birmingham this summer.

The miniature replicas include the Library of Birmingham, the Mailbox, Council House and Town Hall.

There will also be The Cube, the University of Birmingham – with its iconic Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower – and Warwick Castle.

Others will include reproductions of Spaghetti Junction, New Street Station and the BT Tower.

All the landmarks will feature in an exhibit called Miniland, which will boast glowing towers, lighting effects, animations, working traffic lights, and vehicles.

And in keeping with modern-day Birmingham, there will also be roadworks.

The BT Tower will stand at 1.73m tall, the highest model to feature in the Miniland, and will comprise 4,700 individual elements.

Meanwhile, the Library’s symbolic circles have been fashioned from Lego car tyres.

More than 6,800 man-hours will be ploughed into the design and construction of the Miniland complex over the forthcoming months.

Lego model-makers behind the ... constructions are working to a set of meticulously detailed and confidential designs, photographs and computer-aided designs.

The models will be transported up to Birmingham in May ready for more than 2,500 mini Lego people to move in to their new homes.

The Legoland Discovery Centre will open in Brindleyplace in July and feature 10 themed Lego play zones, a Build and Test area, a 4D cinema and themed rides.

Amy Langham, general manager of Legoland Discovery Centre, says: “The 45 landmarks that will make up our Miniland have been selected as the best representation of our region.

“Enormous care has gone in to this behind the scenes to ensure that the end result will resonate and connect with all of our visitors.

“The models under construction are incredible and so clever.

“When they are all in situ at the centre it really will be a Birmingham Miniland spectacle.”