A giant dragon built out of Lego is slowly taking shape as Richmond gets ready to celebrate the year of the dragon this Lunar New Year weekend.
Dozens of young Richmondites were seen building their own mini Lego creations in Lansdowne Centre as Robin Sather, Western Canada's only Lego-certified professional, worked on his largest Chinese dragon build yet.
"People just love it. Everyone's amazed. Kids, adults, it doesn't matter," Sather explained, adding that residents have been popping by to see what's going on.
The dragon will be about 1.5 metres tall and just over two metres long and the final number of bricks will only be revealed once Sather has completed his build.
He began working on the dragon on Saturday, Feb. 3, and it will take him eight to ten hours per day for three days to complete the build.
"A lot of planning" was involved for the build, said Sather, which included researching culturally significant details and colours.
A highlight of his design is the pearl of wisdom captured by the dragon, made up of a mix of translucent blue bricks in contrast with the dragon's red paws and green talons.
Orange bricks serving as scaffolding can also be seen on the dragon's head, which Sather said is the most difficult part of the build. The scaffolding will be removed once the build is complete.
He told the Richmond News his favourite part about building Lego creations in public is hearing about people's Lego stories.
"Almost everyone's a fan of Lego in some way. Whether it's just having it as a kid, or buying it for their grandkid," he said, adding there is a growing community of adult Lego fans who go beyond purchasing existing sets to build their own creations.'
The fun doesn't end when Sather completes his build either, as he is inviting the community to return at the end of the month to dismantle the dragon with him.
"The only thing slightly less fun than building Lego is destroying Lego so we have a great time doing that," he explained.
Not only will kids get to take things apart and enjoy a bit of therapeutic sorting, but community members can also learn how the dragon was built while doing so.
"I don't usually put the word smash in it, but there's usually some smashing," Sather added.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, community members will get to guess the number of bricks and chat with Sather about all things Lego during the mall's Lunar New Year celebration. A lion dance performance, an artisan market and a family portrait station will also be available.
The dragon will then be dismantled on Sunday, Feb. 25, and more information about the event will be announced in the following weeks.
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