Every LEGO Architecture Skylines Set Ever Released

LEGO Architecture has always been a popular theme among fans, especially AFOLs (Adult-Fan-Of-LEGO). Instead of building something imaginary, like a Star Wars ship or a City fire station, Architecture lets you recreate real-life structures using the beloved LEGO brick. You can show off the world’s most famous places and buildings, combined into a beautiful micro-scale display. Eight years after the release of the first Architecture set, the theme started a new subtheme of display pieces:

LEGO Architecture Skylines! Instead of building one place or building, fans can now recreate entire cities on an even smaller scale than before. Bonus advantages: most of them are relatively affordable compared to the rest of the themes! These sets include the most famous or iconic structures, which instantly let you recognize the city. The subtheme launched in 2016 with three cities to build. Now, there are 14 amazing sets.

In this article, we will discuss these sets in detail. Maybe you live in one of these cities or have travelled there before. Hopefully, you will be surprised by the amazing details that are possible at such a small scale. Are you ready to travel the world?

LEGO Venice – 21026

RRP: $29.99 | €29.99
Year Released: 2016
Pieces: 212
Minifigures: 0

The first set on this list was released in 2016, eight years after the first architecture set. We can instantly see why this subtheme is called “skylines”, as you can see mini-versions of multiple of Venice’s landmarks in a horizontal, almost 2-dimensional display piece. From left to right, there’s the Rialto bridge, St. Mark’s Basilica, St. Mark’s Campanile, two statues and the Bridge of Sighs. Especially the narrow waters and bridges give off a perfect Venice vibe. It looks like something that could be bought as a souvenir in the Italian city. 

With 212 pieces, and many of them being very small, this set is one of the smallest of the Architecture Skylines subtheme. In addition to that, it has quite a high price per piece. However, that does not affect the overall building experience! As with most Architecture sets, it comes in a nice box without the thumb tabs, and detailed instructions with some pictures and information about the real-life buildings. The patterns/text you see on the buildings and on the front of the display are all printed as well.

LEGO Berlin – 21027

RRP: $29.99 | €29.99
Year Released: 2016
Pieces: 289
Minifigures: 0

Next up, we are going a bit more north towards Berlin, Germany! This skyline represents both the historic and industrial sides of the city. From left to right, you can see the Berlin Wall, Reichstag, Victory Column, Deutsche Bahn tower, Berlin TV tower, and the Brandenburg Gate. If that doesn’t scream Berlin to you, I don’t know what will! In size, this set seems about the same as Venice, but it certainly is a little higher with the TV tower.

With an equal price compared to Venice, but 87 more pieces, this set gives more value for your money when looking at the price per piece. Many small pieces are included, although most are in a pretty boring colour. The small panels representing the Berlin Wall are a nice added touch, though! Personally, I think the Deutsche Bahn tower is a bit simple and does not really add anything to the color scheme. But, it is a major part of the city so I understand why they included it. Overall, a good addition to the first wave of sets.

LEGO New York City – 21028

RRP: $49.99 | €59.99
Year Released: 2016
Pieces: 598
Minifigures: 0 (but it does include 1 micro figure!)

Start spreading the news… I’m leaving today – New York, New York! Perhaps the most famous city on earth is represented by this set. Fans can build landmarks anyone would recognize: the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Flatiron Building and One World Trade Center. These are some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. That also shows in the set: even though the base is nearly the same as in the previous two sets, the buildings are much thicker and taller, can be viewed from all sides, and the set is double the price and (almost) piece count.

This set comes in a bigger box, just short of 600 pieces. Unlike the previous sets, the only printed part here is the text on the front of the display. The buildings also have simple color schemes. But, it fits the real-life buildings well, the building techniques used are quite interesting, and I think Lady Liberty is the best feature here (although not really a buildable object). If you want to get this set in 2022, you should be able to purchase one quite easily! The set is still available after almost 7 years and can often be seen on sale.

LEGO Sydney – 21032

RRP: $29.99 | €29.99
Year Released: 2017
Pieces: 361
Minifigures: 0

From New York City we will travel all the way across the world to a city in the land down under: Sydney. This is the first set of the second year of Architecture Skylines. Instantly, you can see that the variety of building techniques is a huge step up from the previous three. Many different angles, bars, and interesting pieces are used to replicate the city in probably the most authentic model yet compared to the city’s true geography. From left to right, the models represent Sydney Tower, Deutsche Bank Place, Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The set comes with different types of pieces than we have seen before, and has a much better price per piece ratio. The Sydney Opera House is probably the most famous structure here, and that is because of the unique architectural style it has. Overall, this set is a great addition to any LEGO fan’s collection and looks to be a good start to the second wave. Unfortunately, this set was discontinued after two years (like most of these are).

LEGO Chicago – 21033

RRP: $39.99 | €39.99
Year Released: 2017
Pieces: 444
Minifigures: 0

And again we return to the United States for this scaled replication of the city of Chicago, Illinois! Personally, I did not recognize any of the buildings, but that is probably due to the fact that I have never seen or heard anything from this city. The red building (CNA Headquarters) instantly draws attention due to its bright red color. However, the techniques used for most of these four buildings are similar to what we have seen in the New York City set. The drawbridge looks great, though. From left to right, you can see the CNA Headquarters Chicago, Willis Tower, Wrigley building, and the John Hancock Center.

Lots of black and translucent pieces are included in the set. The latter is probably meant to give the building a “shine” as it has in real life. Again, we see many of the grille pieces being used for the sides of the buildings. For fans of skyscrapers (and of course, Chicago), this set is a nice addition to their collection. For others who are not familiar with these buildings, probably not as desirable as the previous four.

LEGO London – 21034

RRP: $39.99 | €39.99
Year Released: 2017
Pieces: 468
Minifigures: 0

We are once again visiting an English-speaking country; this time, the capital of England: London! This set looks very interesting. It has some building techniques that represent some of the architecturally complex buildings, like the Sydney set from before. In the back, we see a shape that is rather hard to recreate with bricks: a circle. This is the London Eye, which immediately draws attention due to both its shape and size. The other buildings are also very representative of the England capital: the National Gallery, Nelson’s Column, Big Ben, London Eye and Tower Bridge. This set was pre-released in the (then) new LEGO Store in Leicester Square, London. The worldwide release was a bit later, in January of the next year.

As with the other two sets released in 2017, LEGO 21034 is definitely value for your money. There is a large variety of parts, with one printed brick as well for the clock of the Big Ben. I think the design for the London Eye cabins is rather simple, but that’s probably the best one can do at this scale and for such an irregular structure. More than half of the display (in width) is filled with translucent pieces, to shape the water below the Tower Bridge. The Sydney set made that more interesting by placing something in front of it; here, the London Eye is partially behind it, and that also works well in my opinion. This set is still available for sale at retailers and LEGO Stores.

LEGO Shanghai – 21039

RRP: $59.99 | €59.99
Year Released: 2018
Pieces: 597
Minifigures: 0

This set is the first Asian city to be represented in the LEGO Architecture Skylines subtheme: Shanghai, the largest city of China. The buildings are very architecturally diverse, both ancient and modern, and make for a cool display. They are arranged almost like a staircase, increasing in size from left to right. Furthermore, this set has the most buildings of the subtheme so far: the Longhua Pagoda, Chenghuang Miao Temple, HSBC Shanghai, Custom House, and Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World, all in the older (western) section of Shanghai. The Huangpu River separates this from the modern financial centre: Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai World Financial Centre, and last but not least the Shanghai Tower, the second tallest skyscraper in the world. Number one is discussed a bit further down in this article!

Where to begin? This set probably has the most color so far, and the most variety in pieces as well. Especially the larger structures have some interesting uses of parts and techniques. The way The LEGO Group designed the Shanghai Tower is very spectacular to me, it looks very organic. And the fact that they still managed to separate the city’s history and modern-day buildings on a relatively small base is surprising. This set had been in production for three years, and retired almost two years ago (late 2020).

LEGO San Francisco – 21043

RRP: $49.99 | €49.99
Year Released: 2019
Pieces: 565
Minifigures: 0

The next set is LEGO 21043 San Francisco, and it has a whole lot of features. On top of its overall colorful look, this set is the first to include quite a lot of greenery, which is connected by the Golden Gate Bridge. We see some tiny houses on the left, which are cleverly made with 1×1 plates with a square printed on. The buildings behind it are all very diverse in both color and shape. The bridge is very well designed with the use of flexible tubes to represent beams. My favorite part of this set is probably the tiny version of Alcatraz under the bridge, although the placement would be very inconvenient in real life! From left to right, we see the Painted Ladies (houses), 555 California St., Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. There are also tiny versions of Coit Tower and Fort Point, but those are not labelled on the box.

This set comes with 565 colorful and diverse pieces, including some printed parts for the buildings. You can see a couple being used on Alcatraz Island, which makes it look like multiple windows. As always, the set comes in a nice top-flap-opening box with detailed instructions, including some background information on the buildings. Unfortunately, this set retired at the end of last year (2021).

LEGO Paris – 21044

RRP: $49.99 | €49.99
Year Released: 2019
Pieces: 649
Minifigures: 0

Bonjour! Can you smell the croissants and other fresh pastries from the beautiful capital of France? The LEGO Architecture line once again visits Paris, as they released a buildable Eiffel Tower (set 21019) before in 2013. Just a month after that set retired, The Lego Group revealed 21044 Paris. This skyline perfectly represents the (mostly) historic side of the city. From left to right, we see l’Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Tour Montparnasse (once the tallest skyscraper in France), Grand Palais, Eiffel Tower, and last but not least the Louvre museum.

649 pieces are included in this set, among which we again see the 1×1 plates with squares for the floors of the Champs Elysees. The most interesting build here is the Eiffel Tower, as it cleverly makes use of printed windshields to represent the distinctive, curved steel arches of the structure. Regarding the smaller buildings, I think this set is probably the most detailed we have seen so far. You can still get this set at select retailers, at least as of 2022!

LEGO Las Vegas – 21047

RRP: $39.99 | €39.99
Year Released: 2018
Pieces: 487 / 501
Minifigures: 0

Back to the USA. This time, we have an interesting one to discuss. LEGO Las Vegas was initially designed with the Mandalay Bay hotel next to the famous sign on the left. But, because of the mass shooting that took place from that hotel in 2017, The LEGO Group decided to never release this set and replace the hotel with the Bellagio Hotel at a later time. Some people in the African continent reported that the early version somehow escaped to them, but I cannot seem to find any evidence of this online (none are on the aftermarket). Besides this unfortunate setback, the set looks good with all of its colours and odd shapes. From left to right, it includes the Las Vegas sign, Bellagio Hotel, Luxor Las Vegas, Encore at the Wynn, Stratosphere Las Vegas, and the Fremont Street Experience.

Very interesting pieces are included in this set, like the printed Las Vegas sign, a nemes (Pharaoh headpiece), and the beams for the tall Stratosphere. This is one of my personal favorites, as every building here is truly unique. I hope to visit the city one day! LEGO 21047 Las Vegas retired at the end of 2020 after being in production for just over two years.

LEGO Tokyo – 21051

RRP: $59.99 | €59.99
Year Released: 2020
Pieces: 547
Minifigures: 0

We take a trip across the Pacific Ocean to visit the capital of Japan – Tokyo. This set is almost fully built on a light grey underground. On top of it are some of the most iconic structures and nature that Tokyo has to offer. From left to right, we see a pagoda, Tokyo Tower (which base is very similar to that of the Eiffel Tower we just discussed), Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, Chidorigafuchi Park, Mt. Fuji (which is actually more than 100km away from the city), the infamous Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Skyline, and lastly Tokyo Big Sight.

Some very colorful and printed parts are included in this set. Not one of the structures has the same color scheme as another. The red windshields are not printed this time, but the outside walls of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower are printed exclusively for this set. If you want to get this set yourself, you would have to be quick, since it is scheduled for retirement at the end of this year (2022).

LEGO Dubai – 21052

RRP: $59.99 | €59.99
Year Released: 2020
Pieces: 740
Minifigures: 0

From Tokyo we travel far, to the very warm lands of the United Arab Emirates. We visit the city of Dubai, home to the largest building / skyscraper in the world: the Burj Khalifa. This nowadays popular city, with its futuristic and organic structures, was due for a set at some point in this subtheme. The models are built on a tan (sand) floor, which is to be expected for a city in the desert. From left to right, you can see the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai Frame, Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa, and Burj Al Arab. The Burj Khalifa has actually been released as a LEGO set twice before, with 21008 in 2011 and 21031 in 2016.

Most of the parts in this set go to the Burj Khalifa, with its many layers of grey and trans-blue plates. Some interesting parts are the palm trees made out of (then new) olive green plants, and the golden door frame. The Dubai Frame is probably the most simple model out of everything we have seen so far, but it does the job. Even though this set was released at the same time as 21051 Tokyo, it already retired at the end of last year.

LEGO Singapore – 21057

RRP: $59.99 | €59.99
Year Released: 2022
Pieces: 827
Minifigures: 0

The most recent set of the subtheme is based on Singapore, the small country to the south of Malaysia. Singapore is host to many tall and organic, floral buildings, and its airport is often used to connect southeast Asia to the rest of the world. The structures are very unique, and I think the “flowers” are what instantly draw attention. 21057 Singapore features the following models: Marina Bay Sands (which has been released before in 2013), Gardens by the Bay, Fullerton Hotel, Lau Pa Sat, One Raffles Place, OCBC Centre, Boat Quay, and Riverwalk Apartments.

This set is the first to change its packaging to a regular box with the new black background design. The box is also deeper than we’ve seen before. Some new parts are included, and some in colors that we have not seen before. Overall, a vibrant set that will look nice on any display. This set is still available for sale, as it was released in early 2022.

Final Thoughts

Phew.. that was quite a travel, wasn’t it? We visited many different parts of the world and have seen the fantastic sets that LEGO Architecture Skylines has to offer. Unfortunately, it seems The LEGO Group have toned down its release schedule since we have only seen one set since 2021. Hopefully, we will be surprised with a new city to build at the start of 2023. I would love to have a tiny version of Amsterdam, but I might be biased in that regard ;).

If you enjoyed checking out this list, and are interested in more sets inspired by real-life structures, then you may also love this article we wrote which walks through every LEGO Chinese Festival Set Ever Released – check it out here!