Review: 10307 Eiffel Tower
Posted by CapnRex101,
Iconic landmarks have inspired some stunning LEGO creations, including the enormous 10181 Eiffel Tower in 2007. However, the earlier model seems noticeably dated, comprising numerous blocky sections and lacking the tapering shape associated with this structure.
10307 Eiffel Tower takes advantage of modern building techniques to achieve much greater accuracy and includes remarkable details, with intricate cross-braces throughout the structure. Of course, the scale alone is impressive, but focusing on the Eiffel Tower's record-breaking size would understate its great design quality.
Summary
10307 Eiffel Tower, 10,001 pieces.
£554.99 / $629.99 / €629.99 | 5.5p/6.3c/6.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
10307 Eiffel Tower represents the ultimate architectural display model
- Spectacular scale
- Realistic architecture
- Unmatched display value
- Elaborate detail
- Inevitably repetitive construction
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Box and Contents
As expected, this box is the same size as those for 10276 Colosseum and 10294 Titanic, which were released on the previous two Black Fridays. The parts and instruction manuals are divided between three boxes inside, with 74 numbered bags spread among them. Like 76405 Hogwarts Express - Collectors' Edition, no numbers are repeated, despite multiple bags sometimes being opened at the same time.
The Completed Model
The spectacular Eiffel Tower is among the recognisable structures in the world, so recreating its design accurately was essential. Thankfully, the proportions and shape of the tower are almost perfect, narrowing gradually between the base and the cupola. The separation between levels is accurate as well, even including the correct number of cross-braces in most areas!
The incredible scale of this model cannot be overlooked either. As you can see, the Eiffel Tower is too tall for my photographic background and comes close to reaching the ceiling when placed on a table, measuring 149cm in height and becoming the tallest LEGO set ever released! That is taller than 10294 Titanic is long and completely overwhelms even the enormous 76178 Daily Bugle.
Thankfully, taller models are generally easier to accommodate on display than those with a large footprint, although the base still measures a considerable 57cm square. The scale is accordingly close to 10294 Titanic and particularly 21042 Statue of Liberty, with the latter being another of Eiffel's engineering works.
However, transporting the model is relatively simple, as it is designed to disassemble into three main sections. Furthermore, the cupola is removable and you can split the tallest section in half for storage, if necessary. Even though the four sections shown below are not actually connected when assembled, their weight alone provides stability.
The base is constructed using remarkably few Technic elements inside, instead relying on 8x16 and 16x16 road panels to reinforce the bricks and plates underneath. The whole structure feels completely rigid though. Moreover, I like the projecting arrangement of the stone blocks beneath each of the legs, which is definitely preferable to a potentially boring square.
While its silhouette has remained intact, the Eiffel Tower and its surroundings have experienced various changes since opening in 1889. This model therefore combines features from different eras, beginning with a vibrant park area beneath the tower. While the modern base is occupied by security equipment and barriers, elegant gardens were installed when the tower opened and are much more attractive.
Incredibly, the entire structure is only securely attached to the base using sixteen clips, with four on each stone foundation. These reflect the sixteen concrete slabs supporting the actual tower and the weight is perfectly distributed among them. Additionally, yellow and red lifts are situated inside the four legs, with the entrances for visitors underneath. These lifts cannot move, but their positions and colours are accurate.
Building larger LEGO sets often involves repetition and that was certainly the case here. I was pleasantly surprised by the nature of that repetition though. Whereas the construction of 10276 Colosseum involves building identical structures of several hundred pieces, 10307 Eiffel Tower instead focuses on small sub-assemblies, including 168 similar cross-braces, as one example.
The most tedious sections were probably the arches between the legs of the Eiffel Tower, which seem rather fragile before being connected to the model. Fortunately, these are not required to support any weight, again reflecting their decorate role in reality! Roller coaster track elements are used to excellent effect here, lining up neatly with flexible cables anchored to the base.
1x1 bricks with scrolls and 3L bars form appealing texture around the first level, with dark bluish grey ingots placed between them. These 72 ingots represent the 72 names of French engineers and scientists inscribed on the original structure. However, the light bluish grey window frames behind the façade appear surprisingly conspicuous on an otherwise dark grey model.
The modern Eiffel Tower houses two restaurants and various shops, most of which are located on level one. However, these internal structures are omitted. When asked about their absence in a recent roundtable, the set designer, Rok Zgalin Robe, explained that including these separate buildings could spoil the silhouette of the tower. While they would be accurate, I can understand prioritising the building's more recognisable features.
While the platform is mainly constructed using fairly traditional techniques, the frame underneath is actually upside down. This enables a relatively simple connection between the legs and the first level, incorporating more clips. These clips allow the joints to flex slightly, which strengthens the design because the connection points are unlikely to come apart.
The continued superstructure makes further use of clips at the top and bottom, forming the Eiffel Tower's famous 'A' shape. Each cross-brace is cleverly attached in two places, so they usually remain secure, but the horizontal beams can be accidentally dislodged. The lattices immediately below the second level are also rather fragile and look awkward, without any interlaced braces behind them.
Attaching these central sections of the tower was probably my favourite part of the construction process, as each pillar leans inwards and fits securely around a Technic core. Once again, the slight flexibility of the clips is useful here, as both the lower legs and these intermediate sections require minor adjustments when fastened to their respective Technic frames.
As mentioned above, the Eiffel Tower has undergone changes during the last 133 years. These include several paint schemes, varying between shades of brown and bronze. Today, the tower is painted in three shades, none of which are grey. Dark tan would be the most accurate colour available to LEGO, but dark bluish grey looks bolder on display and contrasts nicely against the base.
Moreover, the complex network of braces and beams casts shadows throughout the model, so it never looks bland. The projecting terrace around the second level is accurate and I applaud the use of dark bluish grey sausages, recreating the fence posts which surround the outdoor terrace in reality. The modern glass-fronted structure on this floor is omitted, matching the first level.
The gradient of the tower becomes steeper towards the top and the many cross-braces become smaller. Nevertheless, their design remains realistic until the space between the vertical struts narrows and can only accommodate a single diagonal brace. The braces through the centre are similarly simplified.
Whereas the lower pillars are constructed as four separate sections, these are instead created using panels, with vertical beams at each corner and surrounding stacked 2x2x10 lattice towers in the middle. While substantially simpler than the lower tiers, the effect seems equally complex because the cross-braces appear to interlace from outside.
Red and yellow lifts are attached to the central column, matching those at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Staircases also cross back and forth through the actual structure, but are understandably missing from this model because they would be unidentifiable at such a small scale.
Three large platforms are accessible to the public, although a fourth is also situated between the second and third levels. Dubbed the intermediate platform, this area was formerly used to move passengers between lifts. Ideally, it would be positioned diagonally in relation to the surrounding superstructure, but the increasingly narrow space required a compromise.
The braces therefore become shorter too, eventually comprising individual holders with bars at the top. 660 of these elements are included, appearing in dark bluish grey for the first time. The primary supports do look relatively bulky beside these small braces, but I think was a necessary compromise for their width to remain consistent between the base and the summit.
The uppermost section, known as the cupola, has experienced substantial structural alterations since opening. This model reflects its modern appearance, so integrates various antennas and sensors above a champagne bar and a preserved area of Gustave Eiffel's apartment. Sausages are again employed to form supports for the cage around the balcony, which correctly features angled corners.
A dark red 2x2 tile is placed inside the cupola, denoting the location of Eiffel's apartment on this level. The overhanging 2x2 round plates at the corners look superb, while occasional exposed studs provide some texture. I think the balance between smooth surfaces and mechanical detail is excellent here.
Bucket handles are used to fantastic effect around the central antenna, closely resembling the source material. The textured Technic column looks brilliant as well, although the flag on top has attracted some debate. A flag is never flown from atop the tower today, but was present in 1889 and then when Paris was freed from German occupation in 1944. Personally, I appreciate the flag's inclusion, but it can be removed if you prefer.
Overall
Approaching this review, I expected 10307 Eiffel Tower to impress, although doubted whether its unprecedented size was truly necessary. Fortunately, I was wrong. The designer has definitely taken advantage of the scale to include extensive detail, but more remarkable is this model's outstanding display value, through its combination of size and intricacy.
Of course, the considerable size is also potentially problematic because finding space to display the Eiffel Tower is difficult. Nevertheless, this model looks absolutely brilliant and I think the price of £554.99, $629.99 or €629.99 represents fair value, considering the peerless presence of the Eiffel Tower on display. 10294 Titanic remains my favourite of the three Icons models containing over 9000 pieces, but 10307 Eiffel Tower is a close second.
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52 comments on this article
They keep making em bigger...
Pretty soon they’ll have to sell a d2c house just to put all these monstrous creations in...
Of course I would have to buy it
One thing: to me, the fact that the tower is built upside down (i.e. each level has studs on the bottom) is telling me that there are a lots of missing parts in the Lego range. To be complete, each part should have its proper reverse: 45 slope coming with a 45 inverse slope(most of these exist), 1x1 tile with clip on top SHOULD have an opposite 1x1 with clip on the bottom (that part does not exist), etc.
Fantastic set. I'm still debating if I'll splurge and get it - I could get quite a few other sets for that kind of money - decisions decisions...
It does look amazing but I just don't know where I would store something like this. I have shelve sand shelves for Lego and have some displayed on end tables in the living room and yet more on shelves in my basement . . . And yet to display this somewhere I'd probably need to come up with something completely different for it.
Love many of these D2C sets but I'm finding space to be one of the biggest issues now with these massive sets.
The upside down parts look so weird.
This is going to be a fantastic set when it goes on sale in a year or two.
Imagine how much the plexiglass display case is going to cost?!
I like the flag on it, I wouldn't have known it was a French building without it.
I think I couldn't bring myself to build this. It looks cool when finished, it really does, but the build doesn't look like a fun experience.
It's a great feat of engineering (for both parties). Final model size is becoming a real issue now... And this is probably the maximum size lego can market in larger volumes. It looks amazing but, unlike the titanic, is a pass for me. The tower just doen't peak my interest enough.
On another note, I LOVE the fact they built stuff upside down. For me, the lack of certain pieces in the lego system makes me more creative to find other solutions... And usually helps me explore different techniques instead of just stacking bricks.
Definitely a buy for me just have to wait for a discount. Double points this weekend will do.
So this is what they were making in Andor...
Just a few hours of waiting left.... :-)
@MegaBlocks said:
"I like the flag on it, I wouldn't have known it was a French building without it."
Remove the flag and pretend it is Blackpool Tower.
(I've never been to Paris or Blackpool)
@MegaBlocks said:
"I like the flag on it, I wouldn't have known it was a French building without it."
It looks remarkably like one of the casinos in Las Vegas...why no American flag ;-)
But all jokes aside, excellent review! I won't buy this set as I have no way to properly display it, but this review only strengthens my feeling that this is a great set. Sure it's (very) expensive, but at least this gives the impression that the designers went all out on this, and made it the absolute best they could. A premium price for a truly premium product, I have no issues with that.
Also great to see it compared to the Statue of Liberty. It really shows the absurd scale of such structures. Even when I have seen both several times, seeing the sheer size of them up close will always be mind-boggling. I wonder if more Architecture sets are more or less the same scale?
The folks at New Elementary found an elegant display solution for this, pictures at the end of their review.
I just can't get excited about such an impractically large set.
Only after reading this review I realized there's nothing to review about the set. It's exactly what you see is what you get.
Build seems not fun, price is expensive but the main issue is the size. It's big just for the sake of being big.
Anyway, it's a 0 or 1 set, either you want an enormous tower in your Lego room, or not.
What I do wait to see is people populating it with Marvel mini figures.
It's almost too big - and definitely an 'Eye-full'!
Brilliant review. Thanks @Huw.
I would like the build a Dom Luís I Bridge as a B Model; also designed by Gustave Eiffel and built by his disciple Théophile Seyrig.
Out of interest is this closer to minifig or microfig scale?
@BillingsBrix said:
"The folks at New Elementary found an elegant display solution for this, pictures at the end of their review."
Lol :-)
One thing their review showed more clearly was how the inevitable weird colors used in the construction are mostly just the colors of the French flag. Even when I'll never be a fan of those unnecessary colors that is a nice touch. And at least it seems none of it remains visible in the completed build.
@HOBBES said:
"One thing: to me, the fact that the tower is built upside down (i.e. each level has studs on the bottom) is telling me that there are a lots of missing parts in the Lego range. To be complete, each part should have its proper reverse: 45 slope coming with a 45 inverse slope(most of these exist), 1x1 tile with clip on top SHOULD have an opposite 1x1 with clip on the bottom (that part does not exist), etc.
Fantastic set. I'm still debating if I'll splurge and get it - I could get quite a few other sets for that kind of money - decisions decisions... "
I think though it shows the ingenuity and brilliance of being able to make this out of Lego with the current selection of parts a available. We don’t need the corresponding parts you mention when solutions are already present.
@ecleme11 said:
"Out of interest is this closer to minifig or microfig scale?"
Forget about both....even a nanofig would be a bit too big. This tower is about 1:200 scale, a nanofig (minus the hollow stud at its base) is 1,3 cm, so that would be a 2,6 meter giant. And that is disregarding the not really accurate proportions of Lego figures....
I think it looks marvelous. Truly. They got the shaping perfectly, the details are amazing and very pleasing to look at but... was it really necessary?
This set (and some other D2C sets) gives much more vibes of a fantastic MOC. That's what I feel. MOCs are our way to make things that we never imagined Lego would do. Years ago, a set of this magnitude would be considered impossible. But now it is here and it feels weird. It is like Lego is so preoccupied with whether they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. But then...
A set like this one also has the goal to build status to the Lego brand. They make this set and others so that regular people go in awe saying "wow, Lego is sooooo expensive nowadays, they're a luxury brand like Apple or Aston Martin". That's what they want. You may say "but Lego was always expensive!" but it is getting out of hand because they are pushing real hard into the luxury brand level now. These giant D2C sets are a perfect excuse to raise prices of all sets, make the sets more limited to the rich people (years ago we could find Lego in literally any small toy or department store in my country, nowadays it is mostly limited to malls and depending of the mall you might find only the small sets) and etc. Honestly, 10307 is a fantastic unnecessary set. Would love to see it built and all, but would never buy even if I had the money and space for it.
@BrickInTheEye said:
"So this is what they were making in Andor..."
That's no moon....
in all seriousness, I'll wait to win the lotto on this one. I like it, but after buying the Colosseum, I'm maxed out on icon sets. I love the build, just not prepared to shell out the expense.
@monkyby87 said:
"I think though it shows the ingenuity and brilliance of being able to make this out of Lego with the current selection of parts a available. We don’t need the corresponding parts you mention when solutions are already present. "
I'm mostly with HOBBES here. While there are these solutions, they don't work in all cases. Here it's very much helped by the sheer size of the thing, so building an entire section upside-down and putting another section on top is fine. But in a smaller build such pieces could really help.
I recently build my first Cobi set, and while I'm not a fan of the truly specialized pieces they use, like an entire cockpit section just for one specific plane, I was amazed by the sheer number of very unique pieces for common use. Including many SNOT pieces.
The most brilliant one might just be a double stud, which can basically turn any piece in a upside-down variant. Not a plate with studs on both sides (Cobi has those too, both regular plates and thin like base plates), but just the studs. I can somewhat understand why Lego doesn't make those, as it can be very easy to use them in ways that make it (nearly) impossible to take apart again, but when used right these are absolute game-changers.
@Your_Future_President said:
"Pretty soon they’ll have to sell a d2c house just to put all these monstrous creations in...
Of course I would have to buy it "
James May would like a word...
If I recall correctly, last Year's big Black Friday Release was the Star Wars UCS AT AT, while the Titanic actually was launched a few weeks earlier on November 8th 2021.
Awesome review anyway, look forward to buy the set in a few hours. I'll be at The Parisian Lego Store, various sourced told me that Rok Kobe will be there to sign the boxes if desired.
Congratulations CapnRex101 for being the first reviewer that didn't accidently destroy some part of the tower during the review process (RIP Brothers Brick, New Elementary)!
Truly magnificent set. It won't be a first day buy, since there are a lot of currently discounted sets around that take precedent. Definitely one for next summer though (when heating bills are negligible too!).
If you’re looking for a display solution, you might be interested in the one described by our friends at BrickNerd:
https://bricknerd.com/home/building-the-lego-ucs-christmas-tree-a-holiday-journal-11-18-22
@MeganL said:
"If you’re looking for a display solution, you might be interested in the one described by our friends at BrickNerd:"
Now, a giant UCS Christmas tree I would genuinely be interested in!
Superb set. Thanks for the review.
Before I decide to buy, I will look for additionnal informations:
Part list (yes, I would potentially use the parts for other constructions)
'Modularity' - what can be built as a team, simultaneously (like the Titanic - I will build it with my sons).
Construction techniques
Thanks @CapnRex101 for the very detailed review which I found very informative! It is good to know that the nature of repetitiveness is different from the Colosseum. I have not seen any other reviewers pointing this out.
The Eiffel tower set is truly magnificent, and after reading the review I am very tempted to get it at some point in time. Yes, the set costs a small fortune, but I definitely think it is worth to save up for. My only issue is the amount of display space this set needs. This could still be a dealbreaker.
What part would best be a true human scale if placed with this model?
I still want a review for 75337 AT-TE walker. This set came out very recently while the AT-TE was released back in August. I think it is one of the only August Star Wars sets to not receive an official Brickset review!
Another small detail you got wrong in this review. I do have both boxes, Titanic and Colosseum. The box of the Titanic is way bigger than the Colosseum.
Of course, I don't have the Eiffel Tower yet, but the box can't be the same size as both of the others. It is either Colosseum OR Titanic. The latter one would make more sense IMO.
@MeganL said:
"If you’re looking for a display solution, you might be interested in the one described by our friends at BrickNerd:
https://bricknerd.com/home/building-the-lego-ucs-christmas-tree-a-holiday-journal-11-18-22
"
That's the funniest review I've seen in a while! Thank you for linking it!
@CCC said:
"Out of interest, where are you displaying it in the long term? To have unmatched display value, it has to be displayable without getting in the way and look better than other items that could be displayed instead. I can think of numerous sets I'd prefer to display in the volume that this takes up."
Indeed. If the set really does have "peerless presence" while on display as @CapnRex101 claims then he will certainly display it for considerable amount of time. I mean, it's presence is peerless, right?
Really nice review.
Honestly, the repetitive build for me isn't that much of an issue, because when I purchase a large set, I tend to spread the build out as long as possible to "get my money's worth." Generally, I will do a bag a night with a few nights of not doing any.
I think this is a stunning model, it's not something I thought I wanted, and to be honest, with the fantastic reviews, I've moved to the "not sure now" corner.
I personally found the Titanic a must have set (and it works on a hall table) , the colosseum had too large a footprint for me personally, as does this set. However, I have seen images of this sitting on a side table and it looked fantastic.
So, that's some VIP points burned on a 1.5 meter paper weight. XD
Can't wait for this huge boy to arrive. ^^
I'd like to see someone combine this with 910028 to recreate Bill Overstreet's pursuit of a BF 109 through the base of the tower.
It’s a beautiful model. I’ll be grabbing it tonight and when it arrives I’ll take my time building it. I fully intend to put it as the centerpiece of my LEGO city. Even though the wrong scale, I think it’s big enough to look good.
Waw it looks amazing, they really did a fantastic job. And I'm glad the review mentions the colour, I was a bit surprised by the grey even though I understand why.
Now all I need is win the lottery to be able to afford a castle to store these giants builds :D
Well it certainly looks amazing, and would match my Star Wars collection perfectly with all that gray. However it’s just not practical. Nevermind the fact it’s 5’ tall, it’s got a 22” base so if you don’t plan to keep it on the floor, you’re going to have to buy an end table to keep it on. I’m actually going to be adding a couple of nightstands to my Lego room as we ordered a new bedroom set, but they aren’t deep enough to hold this set. Yes, I know I can get a cheap IKEA table, but they don’t offer any storage below, and I simply can’t afford to dedicate this amount of space for just a single Lego set.
I am building the set right now and it is great so far despite the inevitable repetition. What I really don’t understand is WHY Lego decided to move the mould mark of the plate with clip (part 4085d on BL) from the stud to the side. With this Eiffel Tower a lot of the sides of these plates are exposed and it looks really ugly. Also, they are darker than the other dark bley parts…
@merman said:
"(...) What I really don’t understand is WHY Lego decided to move the mould mark of the plate with clip (part 4085d on BL) from the stud to the side. With this Eiffel Tower a lot of the sides of these plates are exposed and it looks really ugly. (…)"
Oof, once you see it, you can't not notice it...
I've committed the 'sacrilege' of wet & drying mouldmarks from LEGO previously, but this set would be A LOT of work.
I can't wait to start building this set. I love that TLG is creating and marketing these huge sets. For 10,000 parts, it would cost way more on Bricklink for a similarly sized creation. Also, when I make large creations, I have to spend a huge amount of time gathering, organizing, and sorting pieces. I think I can complete the Eiffel tower build in a month or two by building in my spare time, without having to take up too much room for the parts. I plan to enlarge the trees a bit and exclude the mini-light posts and elevator... then it will be easier to incorporate the set into my modular town display. I will have to remove the flag or part of the antenna apparatus, so that I can display it on a table 30"H table... I have about 57 3/4" before hitting the ceiling. This set will complement my Parisian-style modulars, along with Notre Dame, Paris Opera House, Gare De Lyon Train Station, and Arc de Triumph.
Does this set hold the new record for the most sausages used ??
@ogelsbob fren, I am afraid you'd simply have to make it bigger for your modular town :D.
It's damn good!
Besides the price, the set is too large for me.
I would need to move to a bigger house with a dedicated Lego room...
@kkoster79 said:
"This is going to be a fantastic set when it goes on sale in a year or two. "
Yes! I found the previous big ET for $120 on Amazon about 10 years ago.