9 Uniquely Singapore Lego sets
Lego is a part of almost every kid’s childhood. Those building blocks allowed you to create anything you could imagine (as long as you had the parts), and kept children entertained for hours. They were so much fun that it was worth the occasional spasm of agony you would get from stepping on an errant piece (those 4×2 bricks are the worst, I tell you).
The thing about Lego is that it was distinctively Danish in nature, with maybe a few American references thrown in. It wasn’t until a few years ago that we got Lego sets that were truly Singaporean, with sets that might not make sense anywhere else in the world.
In fact, we’ve got nine of them since then.
So here are some of the most Singaporean Lego sets around. Have you gotten your hands on all of them?
1. Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands. Credit: Marina Bay Sands Facebook Page
If you would like to look up the set number, it’s 21021. It retailed for around $79.90 when it first came out, but within a few short months, scalpers snapped them all up. Now they can go for over $200 on resale markets like eBay.
For poor collectors like yours truly, I would just like to have a Lego set of an iconic Singapore building. I hope Lego reissues this set one day.
2. Dragon Playground
Dragon Playground. Credit: Lego Facebook Page
Unless you live in Toa Payoh, you probably don’t have a dragon playground nearby anymore. But did you ever stop to think how awesome this actually was when you were a child? How many countries in the world can boast that their playgrounds contained a dragon that was integrated into its features?
So during SG50, we could get a Dragon Playground set. Right in the childhood.
3. HDB Flat
HDB Flat. Credit: Robinsons Facebook Page
Admittedly this is a slight copout since a HDB flat isn’t all that hard to build on a small scale, provided you have the blocks. But this HDB Flat set comes complete with with void decks and rooftop water tanks, in the architectural style typical of the 80s! It would have been even more awesome if they could have included a small little mama shop inside too.
4. Cable Car
Cable car. Credit: Lego Facebook Page
Although it’s been a while since we’ve taken cable cars, they were one of the highlights of 80’s Singapore, since you could ride one to Sentosa. More infamously though, was the cable car disaster of 1983, when an errant oil rig sailed right into the cables. Our PM (then Colonel) led the rescue operations to save those passengers, showing us that he was already pretty badass 30 years ago.
5. Ice Cream Bike
Ice cream bike. Credit: Lego Facebook Page
I feel this is pushing it a little, since we mostly remember the ice cream sandwiches/wafers (that BuzzFeed derided, tsk!) rather than the bike. But the motorised bikes with the fridges and umbrella attached would ring every time they were in the HDB carpark, and their milkshake ice cream would bring all the boys to the yard. And the girls, too.
6. Changi Airport
Changi Airport, Gardens By The Bay, Cavenagh Bridge. Credit: Lego Facebook Page
If you were a student during 2015, you’d have received a commemorative SG50 Lego set that could build several interesting sets. Changi Airport was one of the builds you could create, or more accurately, the control tower.
7. Cavenagh Bridge
This is the second build you could create from the commemorative SG50 Lego set. Why is Cavenagh Bridge so significant? It’s the only suspension bridge in Singapore. If you look carefully, the pieces for the suspension cable parts of the set are the same as the one used for Spider-Man’s webbing in Lego Spider-Man sets. It’s amazing how the same part can serve different purposes, depending on the scale of the set!
8. Gardens By The Bay
And finally, you can build the Skytrees of Gardens By The Bay with the comemorative SG50 set! They’re tiny and kind of in scale with the HDB Flat set too.
9. Merlion
Merlion. Credit: Lego Singapore Marketplace Facebook Group
To top it off, there’s actually an unofficial Lego Merlion set that you can buy that’s made out of Lego parts! Designed by a brilliant Singaporean, Gavin Foo, it even has effects parts to simulate the Merlion spouting water. If there’s one Uniquely Singaporean Lego set you should buy, it’s this one – support our local designers!
The Lego Batman Movie. Credit: Golden Village Cinemas
It’d be amazing if all these Lego pieces came to life – and they do, in The Lego Batman Movie! A spinoff of The Lego Movie, the film sees Lego Batman facing off against Lego Joker and his army of Lego bad guys. But our hero must overcome his own fears and weaknesses if he is to defeat his nemesis for good. It’s also probably one of the best films this year (and it’s only February).
Bring a The Lego Batman Movie Guide in with you, because you’ll definitely need it to keep track of all the characters in the film!
Credits: Marina Bay Sands Lego Facebook Page, Lego Facebook Page, Robinsons Facebook Page, Lego Facebook Page, Lego Facebook Page, Lego Marketplace Singapore Facebook Group, Lego Facebook Page, Golden Village Cinemas
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