LEGO 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell exclusive designer interview
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Published 2023-03-08
In celebration of the release of LEGO Icons 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, we flew to the LEGO campus in Billund for an exclusive interview with four of the designers who worked on the set. Design Master Mike Psiaki, Design Master Wes Talbott, Senior Designer Chris Perron and Senior Graphic Designer Ashwin Visser all shared their experiences on creating this iconic Tolkien location in LEGO form.
Watch to discover the origins of a secret building technique, how the set started with recreating a meme, the challenges of that beautiful gazebo, and the exact temperature needed to freeze LEGO elements so they'll shatter (don't try that at home!).
Thanks to everyone at the LEGO Group for facilitating this interview, and of course, to Mike, Wes, Chris, and Ashwin for giving their time.
All Comments (21)
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"This is not Gloin"... ...yes it is.
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Need more LOTR sets. More! UCS Minas Tirith / Tower of Barad-Dur / Helms Deep … all would have me camped outside LEGO headquarters awaiting the release.
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I love this kind of designers’ interviews. Very insightful Hopefully there will be more opportunities
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Thank you for not making Rivendell in microscale. It would have destroyed everything.
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Took grade 12 art with one of the guys here. We didn't talk much, but he was a nice guy. So proud im building your set!!! Need a Minas Tirith and Helms Deep set!!
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Some smaller Lotr sets would like to see are battlepacks of orcs, elves hobbits and dwarves. A 3 n 1 type hobbit hole modular build. Set would allow making 1 of 3 hobbit homes that can link together if buy multiple sets. A treant set that is scale to minifigs (able to carry 2 hobbits). The mithril on a 2x2 tile should have been on just a minifig torso.
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The map in this set shows the towers of Barad-Dur & Cirith Ungol. If I had to wager, I'd bet that we could see those in a set next year to celebrate The Two Towers (2x towers). The map also shows Minas Tirith, so we could see that the following year to celebrate Return of the King. Obviously, Rivendell celebrates The Fellowship of the Ring. And before anyone wants to debate which two towers Tolkien is referring to in The Two Towers (Orthanc, Barad-Dur, Cirith Ungol, Minas Morgul, Ecthelion), I don't think it matters as long as LEGO makes them all. Orthanc has been done & Ecthelion could be included in a Minas Tirith set. Minas Morgul would be sick on its own with the Witch King, and honestly I'd also bet we will get that and a whole slew of sets within a couple years. ...now someone remind me to check my comment in a year or two to see if I was right.
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It feels like a lot of larger, licensed sets are very grey, I'm glad they chose a lighter, more colourful location!
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Seriously I am genuinely intrigued why they took 10 years to just now decide to bring Lord of the Rings back. We get new Star Wars and Harry Potter Lego sets every year and the original Lord of the Rings sets sold very well back in 2012. It literally doesn't make any sense unless it was some kind of licensing issue, why they wouldn't be making them. It's clearly something that has a customer and something that's been requested for years. Glad we're getting this massive set but I really hope that they release cheaper ones in the next year. I would even like to see the Lego Hobbit make a return.
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Kudos to these guys, this set is the most beautiful lego set I’ve ever witnessed, as well as it has very fascinating building techniques… I can’t afford it though
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I’m building one right now, watching the films. And I should say, that this is such an awesome experience. I love this piece of art that you created. I can feel the love for the LOTR in this one. So many exciting parts and details, I keep making photos and sending them to my friends. The bookshelf, the Bilbo’s bed, the freaking beautiful gazebo, those little mushrooms and trees, and for the first time I even love the stickers :) It’s crazy. And I’m only on the bag 29 or something. Thank you very much for this creation. I’d love to buy more LOTR Lego sets in future. Like the battle between Balrog and Gandalf, or Witch-king and Eowyn, or of course Minas Tirith and so on
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This interview was the best one yet! Thanks for sharing. My Rivendell arrives tomorrow and this has me pumped!
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Rivendell arrived to my house last week. I’m Saving the build for a special time. It’s going to be great. Truly the magnum opus of LEGO.
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So these guys designed my two favourite sets Rivendell and lion knights. Damm these guys are the goat of Lego design.
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This model is amazing! Being able to split it in 3 sections. I hope future projects are like this. Great job guys! Already put in my preorder.
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Awesome interview and great guys. These are beast Lego designers. Impressive. Most impressive.
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It's funny, 'cause ever since the first wave of LotR sets came out in 2012, the one thing I was expecting/hoping for was some sort of UCS rivendell. That and the Bridge of Khazad-Dum (aka the Balrog scene) were the most notable omissions from the first wave, in my opinion. I'm so glad that this team recognized that omission as well, and did such an incredible job filling that gap!
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Great interview! Hopefully that broken Narsil mold is a sign we can get a real dark saber and a few other weapons in the star wars line!
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If they do another Bag End, they could have Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Thorin and a couple more Dwarves
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Glad Lego goes more heavy into display stuff for adults. I can only imagine the management jargon that guys needed to go through to make those legs for sitting :D, but i'm pretty sure other companies will follow this example soon. Really cool.
