Curious about the creative journey, inspiration and design challenges behind the LEGO® Icons Tropical Aquarium? Look no further! The striking LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium set has arrived! But what went into bringing it to life? We sat down with the LEGO designer behind it all, Sven Franic, to get exclusive behind-the-scenes secrets, inspiration and insights into this truly unique set.
When creating a LEGO® theme that’s never been explored before, where do you begin? For Sven, it was about exploring the real world of ocean life, and understanding a watery world packed with color, wildlife and an abundance of incredible plant life. “People really enjoy nature and LEGO building. So, we thought, how can we replicate this aquatic topiary?” Fortunately, the LEGO Botanicals team was on hand to offer their expertise for building organic shapes, which helped influence the natural aesthetic of the coral.
And like swimming in the dark, it was a big unknown. “There was a lot of research I had to do,” Sven explains. But the main goal was a cohesive color scheme, shape variation and keeping it interesting: “If it doesn’t exactly compare to real life, it’s okay because that’s an artistic liberty we’ve given ourselves from the beginning.”This approach gave the team more creative freedom, rather than focusing on an exact replica of an everyday aquarium.”
Having a varied color scheme was key – it is a tropical aquarium, after all. Sven notes, “The most important thing for us was balancing the hot, warm and cold colors, because aquariums tend to be on the colder side due to the blue hue to the water.”
To make the colors pop, the team decided to incorporate a background. “A background was essential,” Sven explains. “If there’s a lot of visual noise behind the aquarium, it becomes hard to decode what you’re looking at. So, the background plays a huge role in how the colors work.”
In keeping with contemporary aesthetics for the frame, the team quickly ruled out brown and opted for a sleek, modern black look. “It fits nicely into any home decor and really works as a colorful statement,” he adds.
Another key factor was using a variety of elements. Sven explains, “I think a lot of our consumers appreciate when we use a minifigure hat, for example, in a different way to create a pattern or plant.” This playful approach from LEGO® Botanicals carries over beautifully to this aquarium.
The team had fun experimenting with different elements to create patterns and textures. “We wanted to have variation in shapes to keep it interesting,” Sven says. “I’ve previously worked on models that were exact replicas of things like cars, so this set was really liberating – you could play a little with the design.”
The team also drew inspiration from LEGO | Disney Pixar Luxo Jr. (21357) for the encasing of the anemone centerpiece. Elsewhere, they took older elements and played with texture and colors to create translucent or glittery effects – look out for the translucent version of the new fish-fin element on the seaweed!
“From dinosaur tails to chefs’ hats, many Easter eggs in this set come from the unusual pieces we’ve used,” Sven notes. Is that a shell element or a white croissant? There are plenty of discoveries to make.
Choosing the right creatures to grace the tank was vital. “We had to consider how the fish would interact in the real world,” Sven points out.
Fortunately, LEGO Star Wars™ Model Designer César Soares shared some wise words: “Please don’t put something in that is obviously a freshwater fish in a saltwater tank!” Other experts helped ensure the designs were realistic while still allowing creative freedom, with one fish inspired by a rainbow fish and another by an angelfish.
The challenge of getting the fish mix right was mostly about color, but also repetition. “When you break down fish into LEGO form, you’ll find that the builds look similar in shape. So, as much as possible, we wanted to differentiate them,” he adds.
One of the trickiest parts? The tail fins! Delicate and thin, they struggled to fit the connection system. So the team cleverly created a new one that’s used throughout the fish in the set.
Every aquarium needs those playful final touches. The team considered lighthouses or shipwrecks, but the scale made them tricky. They still wanted something man-made. The result? A classic treasure chest with gold pieces and a bottle. What message might be hiding inside? “That’s up to you to decide,” says Sven!
