LEGO Tropical Aquarium’s colours were key to making the set work

LEGO Icons 10366 Tropical Aquarium’s designer reveals how he had to submerge himself in his work in order to achieve the look of the upcoming set.

The LEGO Icons theme will be welcoming a colourful new build next month, with the arrival of 10366 Tropical Aquarium. Coming in at a whopping 4,154 pieces (with a hefty price tag to match), the model offers up a brick-built fish tank with a variety of exotic marine life and even a degree of functionality.

In a new interview on LEGO.com, the designer behind 10366 Tropical Aquarium has revealed exactly what went into the set’s creation, what he discovered along the way and why the choice of specific colours used in the LEGO Icons build were ultimately the key to making the model work.

“People really enjoy nature and LEGO building,” explained Sven Franic, “so, we thought, how can we replicate this aquatic topiary? There was a lot of research I had to do, but if it doesn’t exactly compare to real life, it’s okay because that’s an artistic liberty we’ve given ourselves from the beginning.

Research also included the LEGO Botanicals team offering their expertise when it came to crafting organic shapes and the natural look of the set’s coral formations. That new approach to thinking allowed the LEGO Icons design team plenty of creative freedom to explore potential ideas without having to make an exact replica of a real aquarium.

When it came to which colours to include in 10366 Tropical Aquarium, the designer notes that variety was the key. “The most important thing for us was balancing the hot, warm and cold colours,” said Sven, “because aquariums tend to be on the colder side due to the blue hue to the water.

“A background was essential. If there’s a lot of visual noise behind the aquarium, it becomes hard to decode what you’re looking at. So, the background plays a huge role in how the colours work.”

10366 Tropical Aquarium will be released on November 13 for Insiders members, complete with a dedicated GWP (while stocks last), followed by wider availability for everyone else from November 16. The LEGO Icons set is priced at £399.99 / $479.99 / €449.99.

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