Build your own dream aquarium with the LEGO® Icons Tropical Aquarium

A tropical aquarium is a soothing, beautiful and inspiring thing. Sitting back and watching brightly-colored fish swim peacefully through tranquil waters is enough to make anyone relax and unwind.

But keeping tropical fish isn’t for the faint-hearted, and there’s a lot more upkeep than many beginner aquarists expect.

Well, now you can have all the splendor of a tropical fish tank without any of the upkeep, thanks to the LEGO® Icons Tropical Aquarium. It’s a stunning new display set that will soothe and inspire just about every time you walk by.

We wanted to take a deeper dive (get it?) into the set, so we spoke with Senior Model Designer Sven Franic to find out more.

Welcome to a new watery world

We started off by asking Sven about his design process, which started with plenty of research into aquariums as well as the wonderful marine life that call them home.

This was uncharted waters for Sven, and he realized he had a lot to learn.

“It felt like the more I learned, the less I knew!”, says Sven. “Marine life is still a huge unknown for us. There are thousands of new species discovered every year, and we don’t fully understand their behavior. This is why we allowed ourselves to take some design liberties. A saltwater-tank enthusiast who works in another franchise helped us decide on which rules were okay to break and when we went too far.”

With his research ongoing, he started to map out different ideas for the tank.

“This model went through around five different concept stages,” he says. “It was important to have a frame that doesn’t get too thick, but maintains rigidity. After we had that, the composition was designed around different man-made objects, such as a lighthouse and a sunken ship, but it quickly became too gimmicky. The objects were competing for attention and throwing off the scale. We decided to go with a more natural environment, but we kept a little treasure chest as a subtle touch.”

It may be this natural aesthetic that helps to make this set such a relaxing building project. And the finished set displays a vibrant underwater world.

You can turn dials to animate a swimming fish, there’s a swaying coral, and a crab emerging from an underwater cave.

We asked if it was difficult to create the coral shapes, which can often be curvy and unusual.

“We didn’t make any specific elements for corals, as we found that many of our shapes, particularly minifigure headwear elements, worked well to create textures!” he says. “I think we used four or five different minifigure elements for corals. It’ll be quite fun to figure out what they are.”

The aquarium also includes four model fish, sea worms and an oyster shell containing a pearl, plus LEGO sea snails and air bubbles. Given the sheer amount of variety to choose from, Sven and the team opted not to base their fish on any particular species but rather to invent their own based on what seems most creative and pleasing on the eye.

“We decided to reference some flora and fauna but also leave room for creative freedom,” he says. “It was important to get the right aesthetic feel and experience, not directly replicate a real aquarium setting.”

At 4,154 pieces, it’s an engaging build, and will leave you with a stunning display. We asked Sven what he thinks people will love about it.

“I think it’s an interesting way to add colour to your space,” he explains. “We’ve experienced a bit of ‘chromophobia’ in interior design trends in the last two decades, and we are slowly seeing a shift to using more primary colors in living spaces.  It’s different from what we had in the past when everything was bright and patterned, and we are more selective on what objects in the home grab your attention. The LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium serves as a great focal point to draw your eyes in.”

All the joy without any of the work

Aquariums are hugely popular, but not without upkeep. In fact, feeding the fish, cleaning the tank and keeping all the inhabitants of your tank can get a little stressful.

With the LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium, you get all the beauty, with none of the maintenance. Beyond that you get a home decoration that will constantly inspire and relax you.

“It’s another world contained in a box and a safe space for your thoughts to wander in,” says Sven.

If that sounds like something you’d like to bring into your life, then check out the LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium.