LEGO Creator Expert - Real Madrid - Santiago Bernabéu Stadion

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What do you think of the Bernabeu now that you’ve had a closer look at it? Should LEGO keep doing sports stadiums, or do you think the audience is too narrow? Although soccer is not used much in the UK here now, it was regularly called soccer up to about the 1980s. I still have my Kevin Keegan Soccer Annuals from 1977 and 78 - he was the England football captain then. There is also a book by Bobby Moore (the only World Cup winning England captain)

Building it is very much in-keeping with construction of 10272 Old Trafford – Manchester United and 10284 Camp Nou – FC Barcelona before it, in sections that slot into place around the pitch. This is from the very, very many numbered bags that confront you at the start of the entire process, all the way through to slowly building a quarter of the stadium from the foundations up.This is a highly technical build, and despite the footballing license, is really a highly detailed and large-scale LEGO Architectural model, with fantastic techniques employed to create the differing angles of the stands, and to minimise gaps between the 4 corners of the stadium. This isn’t a bad thing, primarily for how the LEGO model so wonderfully captures the first 72 years of the Bernabéu’s history and architecture. Every renovation through the years has added a feature to the ground and contributed to the story that’s shaped it as a venue. That includes aspects such as the unique façade that runs along the front exterior, the now four-tier capacity, the four large distinct concrete columns at each corner, and many other details. Which is a shame, because at its core, this is a marvellous, and beautifully designed architectural marvel, at a scale that you rarely see with LEGO. Throughout this, I couldn’t help but imagine if LEGO were to give the world’s Architecture wonders the same “stadium” treatment and just go all out. At 5876 pieces, this iconic stadium and landmark is now the 8th largest LEGO set of all time, and follows 2020’s Old Trafford, and 2021’s Camp Nou as the third Creator Expert football stadium where LEGO shines the spotlight on the architectural side of these meccas to football clubs.

Beyond clearly differentiating itself from 10272 Old Trafford – Manchester United and 10284 Camp Nou – FC Barcelona in build experience, 10299 Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is also a demonstration of the design team learning. Both the Old Trafford and Camp Nou sets were a pain to move due to their slot-based design, where they’d pull apart into quarters at the slightest budge. 10299 Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is also slot-based, but in two halves, which manages to give the model a far greater level of stability and manoeuvrability. — Price — Interestingly then, 10299 Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium has been designed around how the ground looked prior to this €800m investment, meaning that when the real stadium re-opens around the end of 2022, the LEGO set won’t look anything like it. Stadiums define the skylines of the cities they are in, and are a mecca not just for football, but for concerts and other large-scale events, and beyond just being a home for football, are monuments to sport and the triumph of human spirit. I don't care about this set, the team, or the sport; but you better believe I have strong opinions on whether it should be called soccer or football. "

119 comments on this article

Innovation [4]– Some really incredible techniques used here, especially for the different tiers, and just how well everything fits with minimal gaps. It looks amazing, and better than the Camp Nou set. At least it is a stadium from a club that isn't going through a terrible phase lately like United and Barça. On other hand, there's some bad timing here, since the Bernabéu is under renoavation and it is going to look very different in two years or so. Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is an experience to put together and a piece of art to behold once built, but there’s no getting away from a second consecutive increase in price.

Real Madrid fans feeling nostalgic about the redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium will be able to recreate its former, iconic look themselves after LEGO released a construction kit to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the LaLiga club's ground. Here’s a look at the 2 instruction booklets included. As I received this set fairly late, and only had less than 48 hours to build an almost 6,000 set set to ensure this review could get close to catching the embargo, I was really glad that the 2 books included allows you to build in tandem with a partner. It surprises me, though. I would have thought they'd continue to produce sets that appeal to a wider audience, as they usually do."I remember hearing statistics that the Old Trafford set did not sell well, and I believe that applies to Barcelona too. I'm not sure where I can find the statistics, but I remember hearing that a lot from multiple people" Then again, another thing I really like about this set is the significance of preserving the “old” Santiago Bernabeu at such an impressive scale. In a few years, the new Bernabeu will be unrecognisable, and with an ultra-modern steel look, I think Real Madrid fans who have a special connection with the stadium will look forward to owning and displaying this set as a memento of Real Madrid’s and the Bernabeu’s heyday. Imagine the early LEGO Architecture sets at this scale and complexity! But stadiums like the Bernabeu are one of a kind. Large, and looming, football clubs are able to invest heavily into their aesthetics and design, because of the commercial prowess of the game of football, and as such, stadiums do have an important role in the architecture world, and skyline of cities. The top of the box has a very nice blueprint-style diagram of the build, and features the team bus as the “1:1 scale element”– the first time I can remember multiple pieces being used, with the exception of minifigures. Building any of these stadiums is akin in depth and detail, accuracy and authenticity to an Architecture set, and while they all sit within a similar style of design, the details between each set shape and create unique experiences to each. To that end, 10299 Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is the third stadium we are building and it is as interesting to do so as 10272 Old Trafford – Manchester United was, and more so than the quite repetitive-by-nature 10284 Camp Nou – FC Barcelona.