One of the most exciting attractions at LEGO conventions over the past two years is the massive Cyberpunk collaboration of New Hashima. An array of builders contribute cubes or toppers to the modular megacity that keeps growing and evolving. Ben Brickson is one such collaborator and he recently shared a wonderfully detailed gallery of his residential Hex Home Block. Capsule homes slot into a honeycomb grid of girders like a high-rise hive.
Seen from the back hte honeycomb girders are mirrored by zig-zagging catwalks (unlike Ninjago City Markets, this cyberpunk neighborhood isn’t especially wheelchair friendly). Ben captures that dichotomy in cyberpunk of a world where advanced technology is omnipresent, but you stil have to kick it to make it work.
The lower level includes Ben’s favorite detail, the cyber-sakura tree made up of “cherry voxels.” I love the brown tubing used for branches and the effect of trans pink flowers on clear brick “foliage.” Part of what makes New Hashima such a breathtaking installation is that each module lights up, like hte branches of Ben’s tree, or the pond next door. Cyberpunk, with visual cues from Tokyo’s nightlife, is at its best when the lights go out and the neon shines.
For context, here is the New Hashima collaboration from Bricksworld Chicago 2023. You can see the Hex Home Block beneath the tallest red-and-white striped tower, which Ben also constructed.
To see more of New Hashima from the theme’s now numerous appearances, and learn more about the many talented builders, check out the collaboration’s official instagram account.
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