Review: 21064 Paris - City of Love
Posted by FlagsNZ,
The LEGO Architecture theme has built up a comprehensive range of product sub-themes and set sizes.
21064 Paris - City of Love is the latest Architecture set that showcases the Paris skyline. The aim is to create a display piece that makes a stunning architectural gift idea for you or any history or travel lover. Explore the starry sky and cityscape as you build.
With the tag line City of Love, will the 21064 Paris - City of Love offer anything vastly different to what has already been seen?
Summary
21064 Paris - City of Love, 958 pieces.
£69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99 | 7.3p / 8.3c / 8.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
This set is instantly identifiable as the Paris skyline. It makes an attractive display piece to highlight your travels.
- Unambiguously the Paris skyline
- Clever use of forced perspective
- This will have wide appeal to travelers and LEGO enthusiasts
- There could have been more accurate colours for some of the smaller buildings
- It feels more like an art themed set than Architecture
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
LEGO and the Paris skyline
The Paris skyline has already featured in two LEGO sets:
40568 Paris Postcard
21064 Paris - City of Love has an extra 50% parts when compared with the previous skyline set.
The box
The front of the box shows the 3D twilight scene of the Paris skyline.
The images on the back of the box show the two ways that this set could be displayed: either a standalone set on a sideboard or a shelf, or hanging from a hook on a wall.
It also shows some close-up details of the set and a graphic giving the set's dimensions.
Instructions
The instructions come in one mid-sized booklet.
Parts
The parts come in seven numbered bags.
I haven't commented on this format of packaging before, but I thought I would do so here.
Paper-Based bags
For me, the paper-based bags often create issues for me during the building process. I frequently find missing parts in these bags. This is despite all my efforts to ensure that the bag contents are emptied out as I open the bags. I always ensure that I do not throw out these bags until the model is complete.
If I find that I am missing a part, it will more often than not be inside one of the paper-based bags.
The two 16x16 white plates, Brick Yellow flex tubes and a bag of Brick Yellow hub parts come in a perforated plastic bag.
There are a number of elements used that are existing parts but are produced in new colours for the first time. I highlight some of these in the building descriptions that follow.
The two parts that I would like to highlight and stand out for me in this set are:
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White Plate 2x6 W/ Function No. 1, and
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Printed Earth Blue Flat Tile 1X1.
The White Plate 2x6 W/ Function No. 1 has been seen in ten sets, although this is the first time I have seen this part. Its purpose is to provide a place to hang the finished set on a picture hook on a wall.
The Earth Blue tile has a printed white four-pointed star. This is the first time this part has appeared in Earth Blue. A similar black 1x1 printed tile has appeared in two sets.
I am excited about this part as I have a modified 21332 The Globe that I have made into a Celestial Globe. For my MOC, I used 1x1 round white plates for the stars on the globe, and I am interested in using this Earth Blue tile part on the Earth Blue plates that make up the globe.
There are eleven of these printed tiles included in this set. One of these tiles is a spare part.
Bag 1
The parts from Bag 1 assemble the backing of the model. The frame sits on a composite baseplate that is 34 studs wide by 20 studs tall.
The Earth Blue tiles and plates become the twilight sky. There is some reinforcing to support the white 2x6 plate.
Bag 2
Bag 2 includes the SNOT components which will eventually anchor the architectural features to the frame.
It is debatable, at this stage, where the On Top lies in relation to the Studs Not On Top.
The row of white 1x2 Double Corner Wall Elements on the bottom of the frame serve no purpose: there are no studs or parts that protrude into the recess.
These possibly represent the carrières de Paris – ("quarries of Paris"). These subterranean mines under Paris are connected together by galleries where gypsum was mined and used to manufacture plaster of Paris.
Bag 4
Bag 4 assembles the supports and First Platform of the Eiffel Tower. This also forms part of the picture frame.
The instruction booklet has the following comment about the 1x4 Fence element:
The 1x4 Fence Element used to represent iron latticework was first released in 1976.
I distinctly remember this part in my 316 Fire Fighting Launch (1978) and 885 Space Scooter (1979). This element enabled early SNOT building techniques.
Obviously, the Eiffel Tower takes centre stage in the Paris skyline.
Bag 5
Bag 5 assembles the micro architectural buildings on the left-hand side of the model.
The key feature is the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (translates as Triumphal Arch of the Star) although this name is most often shortened to simply Arc de Triomphe.
The following comment is included in the instruction booklet:
A gold-coloured 'ingot' element is used to capture some of the sculptural frieze details on the Arc de Triomphe. This is the first instance in sand yellow.
There are some Medium and Dark Stone Grey micro buildings nested either side of the Arc de Triomphe.
The scene before the Louvre Museum is added.
The Louvre Museum and the glass Louvre Pyramid occupy the lower left corner of the picture frame.
Bag 5 continues with some Medium and Dark Stone Grey micro buildings along the right-hand skyline.
The Dark Stone Grey buildings are easily identified as the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (translates as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre) and the tower to the right is likely to be the campanile or bell tower for the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur.
Here is the model when all these buildings have been attached.
Bag 6
Bag 6 assembles the Notre-Dame de Paris (translates as Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris). This name is often shortened to Notre-Dame.
The Notre-Dame cathedral is viewed looking at the western facade.
There is a comment in the instruction booklet that mentions the rose window specifically:
The Notre-Dame cathedral's 9.6m (31.49 ft) rose window is represented here by a LEGO hubcap element.
The western facade rose window is the smallest and oldest rose window at Notre-Dame. This link takes you to detailed information about the rose windows at Notre-Dame.
Bag 7
The parts from Bag 7 complete the Eiffel Tower.
The white frame of the completed model measures 34 studs by 20 studs (27.2 cm x 16.0 cm - 10.7 inch x 6.3 inch). Because of its height, the Eiffel Tower extends beyond the upper edge of the picture frame.
Here is an image focussing on the extent of the picture frame.
The instruction booklet comments on the riveted building style of the Eiffel Tower:
More than 2.5 million rivets hold the Eiffel Tower together! They are represented here in LEGO form by the tube side of the plates.
Additionally, the instruction booklet has this comment on the spire:
En garde! This LEGO Architecture Eiffel Tower's spire is made of a minifigure's fencing sword.
This part has only appeared in Brick Yellow in one other set.
Colour of Eiffel Tower
This link takes you to an official website that describes the various colour schemes that have applied to the Eiffel Tower.
The colour is made up of three different tones: it is darker at the base and lighter towards the top to create a visual impression of uniformity.
The official name of the colour of the Eiffel Tower is Eiffel Tower Brown. This colour chart compares this colour to the LEGO Brick Yellow and Sand Yellow colours.
21044 Paris
LEGO have already released an Architecture Skyline themed series of sets.
Released on 1 January 2019 was 21044 Paris which was reviewed by Huw a month later.
From left to right, 21044 Paris showcases the Arc De Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Grand Palais, The Louvre Museum in the front row and then the Tour Montparnasse and Eiffel Tower behind.
This set is still popular. 21044 Paris has been available for purchase from LEGO.com for six years. However, it is listed as out of stock in some countries.
City of Love
The introduction to this set in the instruction booklet has this note:
For centuries, the French capital has attracted, inspired, and nurtured some of history's most renowned artists and architects. Though famously known as the City of Love, this name carries meaning far beyond the ideals of romantic affection.
The City of Love is a 1x8 printed white tile.
The Lattice 1x4 W/3.2 Shaft appears in Brick Yellow for the first time. This part has only been seen in Medium Nougat and is more commonly seen in Minecraft sets.
21064 Paris - City of Love on display
I have selected a couple of places to display this model. This is my work bench where I build LEGO models.
This is on a sideboard in my lounge.
Hanging from a wall
Here is a close up of hanging the model from a picture hook. I removed the upper part of the Eiffel Tower so you can see how that part works.
Aerial perspective, or atmospheric perspective
Aerial perspective (sometimes called atmospheric perspective) is the changing contrast of how distant landscape items appear when viewed from a distance. This is most often seen as lighter shades and hues on hills and valleys when seen in a panoramic view.
21064 Paris - City of Love uses differing shades of bricks and elements to create a sense of aerial perspective.
I have displayed 21064 Paris - City on a wooden shelf in my lounge.
It sits next to a watercolour print that I purchased in my late teens.
The watercolour print is called First Light and is by NZ artist Lawrence Leitch. The view is Point Jerningham Lighthouse looking up onto the Hutt Valley and onwards to the Tararua Ranges.
This is a view from close to where I grew up in Wellington, NZ. This link takes you to an image of a similar view.
When viewing the artwork showcased below (or on the right-hand side of the image in the link) you can see the landscape getting fainter the further away it is. This is an example of aerial perspective.
21064 Paris - City of Love uses four shades of LEGO elements to create a similar depth of field.
The four shades are:
- Brick Yellow
- Sand Yellow
- Medium Stone Grey
- Dark Stone Grey
I believe the view displayed in 21064 Paris - City of Love – is a time known as Nautical Twilight - just after sunset.
The view is facing East with the sun setting behind you. The skyline features in the distance are a darker shade of grey as they are further away from the setting sun.
The four shades of elements create a forced perspective and, along with the Earth Blue sky creates a fantastic skyline.
The other sides
This model has very clean looks from all the other sides.
A Parisian perspective
Olivier Longley (NutStrikesAgain) - The LAN Ambassador for the LEGO User Group I am involved in - was born in France. His mother, Phillippa, lived in Paris. I asked them for a Parisian perspective of this set. Here are the comments from Olivier's mother – a true Parisian.
Paris model - comments
[This is] instantly recognisable as Paris, even if one takes away the Tour Eiffel – because of Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe and Pei’s glass pyramid of the Louvre.
The outline of the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur in the background is also easy to identify – it stands atop the Butte de Montmartre (the hill in Montmartre in the north of the city), overlooking the rest of the city. But this church (the second most visited in France after Notre Dame) was built of white stone which even at night glows white under its customary illumination. Locals often refer to it as the ‘grande meringue’ (the big meringue) because of its shape and distinctive whiteness. So, for me it would be better in white and not grey – but maybe nautical twilight changes white into grey?
The three arches on the ground floor façade of Notre Dame should, by the way, be ogival (pointed) and not Roman (rounded curves) as Notre Dame is a Gothic church and the arches are a very distinctive part of its form.
The small grey building in between Sacré-Coeur and Notre Dame, with its triangular roof and what looks like a small belfry, could be a reference to the church of Saint-Sulpice, situated on the Left Bank. That church does have a bell tower with a similar structure, but that is topped by another structure. I can’t find another building which looks quite like this (it’s been a long time since I lived in Paris, but I used to know it very well). It could be a subtle reference to Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code which features Saint-Sulpice as an important part of the book.
The black trees are odd. It would have been better to have dark green ‘leaves’ for them, with perhaps some fluorescent yellow tiles at the base to represent the lights that sometimes light them at night. More iconic would have been a Metro entrance, with its distinctive Belle Epoque style, or even one of those round Morris columns used for flyposting.
The dark tan building to the left of Notre-Dame is odd. I can see that it is perhaps meant to represent one of the typical 19th-century apartment buildings designed by Baron Haussmann as part of his radical revamp of Paris and which are now also instantly recognisable as Parisian. But the roof in the model is flat – whereas the roofs in reality are “mansardé”, i.e., with steep sides and double pitch – and the roofs were clad in zinc. So, apart from the shape, they should be in grey, not tan.
The hollow white bricks that you think could be a reference to the tunnels/caves under Paris are a bit intriguing. The caves in question are actually on the southern outskirts of Paris, in the area where the ancient catacombs are located, and these cool dark tunnels were used formerly as ideal spaces in which to grow ‘champignons de Paris’ (Paris mushrooms, or button mushrooms as they are also called). So, if the hollow bricks were intended as such, they could have included a small mushroom in the build – and I’m wondering if this is what is intended in the detail just above and to the right of the Louvre?
Overall, I like this model – it’s really difficult for a designer to pick out what makes a cityscape distinctive to a large audience while trying to not make it too hackneyed. And Paris is so stuffed full of extraordinary buildings, the choice is vast! The Centre Pompidou, for example, is an iconic modern building, and then there’s the church of the Madeleine, the Panthéon, the Grand Palais, the Opéra Garnier, the Pont Alexandre III… So if they have managed to include a couple of details better known to Parisians, that’s a nice touch.
I’m not so keen on the model title though, as this wonderful city is, above all, a city that has for so many centuries been a cradle of the humanities, not just of romance.
Overall opinion
My overall thought process has more to do with whether this is a true Architecture set or if it should be more aligned with an artistic theme. This does not distract from the amazing detail contained in the model.
It is a three-dimensional postcard, and I am sure it will have a wide appeal.
The versatility of being able to either display this set on a desk or shelf, or hang it on a wall allows recipients of this set choices that will suit their environment and preferences.
I hope this is the first of many new Skyline themed sets that showcase fantastic cities from around the world.
Thanks
Thanks to JPHansen for lending me his 21044 Paris set that was used in this review.
Thanks to Olivier and his mother, Phillippa, for their insight and local knowledge to give this review an authentic critique.
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25 comments on this article
Ooh the combination with the globe looks really good, too bad it's retired. I like this one the most out of the postcards and skylines, the addition of the small grey buildings in the background makes it almost perfect. The only thing I'm not too fond about (yet) is the contrast between the buildings, sky and the bright white frame, though I can't really say which colour would have been better
Nice art, but not enough architecture for me.
Outta context: still waiting to the follow-ups of the (old) skyline-sets, so I just started building new cities with MOCs from rebrickable. Frankfurt, Firenze, Rome...
Yeah, my thoughts about this one remain the same. Gorgeous looking set, but I'm just not sure this belongs in the Architecture catalog as opposed to Art.
May want to get this for a shelf display, especially after reading the Parisian comments. But, what happened to Paris being the 'City of Light'. Does it come with an extra blank tile to use to replace the printed caption tile!
I fully agree with FlagsNZ‘s comment about paper bags and missing parts.
I very, very carefully flatten the bags to make sure there are no more parts in them.
Great review as always! I really like the picture with the globe.
Nice review! I'm not particularly interested in Paris, but I do like the concept here, and hope they'll do the same for more cities. But it does indeed feel more like an Art set than an Architecture set. And I would have much prefererred a "Paris" tile, even more so for when we get more of these sets for cities that can't be captured in a few words.
As a note, I just want to say that I have yet to open a Lego set with paper parts bags. In the USA they just don't seem to have ever rolled those out.
Though this is not my thing it's a beautiful set and the price seems reasonable for lego's standards. I like how the designer strayed from the tried and true and opted for a more compact depiction of the city. I like the use of colors too. It reminds me a bit of the Batman The Animated Series diorama from last year, which also went for a more 2D look.
@Rimefang said:
"As a note, I just want to say that I have yet to open a Lego set with paper parts bags. In the USA they just don't seem to have ever rolled those out."
I've had a few, but it's still very much a mixed uh....bag. Majority still plastic.
Weirdest to me was when I first got 31152 Space Astronaut, that was my first set with (mostly) paper bags. But later bought a second copy (every astronaut deserves an astrodog, right?), and that was all plastic bags once again.
But hey, just give it a few more decades, have a little patience!
Does the booklet mistakenly writes "en grade" instead of "en garde" the same way they say "to boldy go" on the USS Enterprise's dedication plaque?
If so, LEGO truly needs some editors for their premium products.
If it's just a brickset typo, no worries.
@Rimefang said:
"As a note, I just want to say that I have yet to open a Lego set with paper parts bags. In the USA they just don't seem to have ever rolled those out."
I'm assuming this is because your "your favourite president" might have a heart-attack after hosting a 24-hour marathon of rage-tweets if he ever learns that something green-adjacent is being done anywhere on American soil.
I like it, but I have just finished collecting the original skylines and positioning them around the world art. I'm not sure I want to start collecting these all over again.
I agree that the paper bags are annoying, but I have also had difficulty with pieces being left in the original bags, although you can realise that earlier. I try to keep bags so when I'm dissembling the set I can put the pieces in the original bags for easier rebuilding. Folding the box to tidy it away then presents a problem.
I love the modification of the globe. Another retired set to contemplate picking up.
Wow. A lego about Paris!!! Finaly. I'm so excited!!! ....... Now lets wait for London or New York... so excited...
I don’t mind the tan color, it better reflects the tower’s color when lit up at night.
Very cool. Architecture never fails to impress.
The format looks good, but the subject matter doesn't interest me. Then again, I don't recall any of the skyline sets really drawing my interest. I do own the Chicago one, but only because I won it as a door prize at Brickworld Chicago.
@Rimefang said:
"As a note, I just want to say that I have yet to open a Lego set with paper parts bags. In the USA they just don't seem to have ever rolled those out."
Word is the Virginia plant will be set up for paper bags from the start, but that they have to hold off on converting the Mexican plant until then because it's running at full capacity. Converting the lines over to paper bags would mean having to shut production down, which would then mean having to divert European production to compensate.
I think the difference between the Art theme and the Architecture theme is that the second one is focused on buildings, while the first one is not.
@Tupperfan said:
"Does the booklet mistakenly writes "en grade" instead of "en garde" the same way they say "to boldy go" on the USS Enterprise's dedication plaque?
If so, LEGO truly needs some editors for their premium products.
If it's just a brickset typo, no worries. "
Thanks. I have fixed the mistake. It is my typo and nothing to do with Brickset or the instruction booklet.
When LEGO released the Paris Skyline, I felt the work on the Eiffel tower was bad, and the choice of including it dwarfed the rest of the buildings. So I created my own skyline here: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-30894/Queer.Solutions/paris-skyline
Now I can admit today's LEGO version looks very good.
A beautiful set, but as other I think it fits more into the Art/Postcards themes than Architecture. I've never been a fan of the Skylines sets either, they're a bit too minimal and reminds of the overpriced and rather pathetic earliest sets of the theme (21000, 21001, 21002 & 21003) - it wasn't just that you could easily build them with parts you already have, it was that it felt like you could build them with the parts you happened to have on your table *right now*.
IMO those paper bags are rubbish (and in many places not even recyclable rubbish - what justification do they have then?). I hate not being able to see the parts before opening them, and of course I hate how easily parts gets lost/stuck in them. I think part of the problem is the 'stand-up' design, this works well for a chips bag where all contents are identical, but it doesn't help you finding a specific piece - you still needs to pour out everything. It also creates more corners for parts to get stuck, and makes it harder to spot them by shining light through or flattening the bags. Unfortunately Lego has put so much prestige in this stupid project that it's no chance they'll admit it was a mistake.
BTW, what's up with the closeup of the star tile? It looks like it's been fully covered by a dark grey background color, in the other pictures they looks like expected.
@FlagsNZ said:
" @Tupperfan said:
"Does the booklet mistakenly writes "en grade" instead of "en garde" the same way they say "to boldy go" on the USS Enterprise's dedication plaque?
If so, LEGO truly needs some editors for their premium products.
If it's just a brickset typo, no worries. "
Thanks. I have fixed the mistake. It is my typo and nothing to do with Brickset or the instruction booklet. "
Thanks! By Brickset I meant the reviewer, as it was published on the website. In this context, typos do happen and are completely understandable, especially for words that are in a different language.
I asked as I wanted to only provide constructive criticism if it was indeed a LEGO mistake, as their products usually come with a hefty price tag and their Quality Assurance team should ensure they are free of flagrant errors.
Thanks again for the review! I always appreciate the addtional details you add to them.
If only Architecture would have any valid entries in its lineup, this would be easier to wrap my head around. The current sets are sightseeing monuments or postcards ... get over the old name already and call it what it is by now anyway: Lego Travel Memories.
I already have 21044, so this doesn't really interest me. I'll admit that it looks well-executed, and I like the option to display it on a shelf or a wall.(Incidentally, @Huw, 21044 doesn't have the "Paris" tag. Bit of an oversight, there!)
@Rimefang said:
"As a note, I just want to say that I have yet to open a Lego set with paper parts bags. In the USA they just don't seem to have ever rolled those out."
I built 77237 yesterday, and while the outer bags were plastic, the smaller inner bags within the plastic bags were paper. Made me do a double-take until I realized what I was looking at.
@edmi said:
"Wow. A lego about Paris!!! Finaly. I'm so excited!!! ....... Now lets wait for London or New York... so excited..."
There are four Architecture sets in 2026: https://brickset.com/sets/year-2026/theme-Architecture. With the New York, London and Paris skylines sets due to retire at the end of 2025, I suspect that three of the 2026 architecture sets will be replacing the retiring skyline sets. I was hoping the Architecture theme would be returning to embracing...well architecture there are plenty of building around the world Lego go do: they don't all have to be iconic landmarks.
@Crux said:
" @Rimefang said:
"As a note, I just want to say that I have yet to open a Lego set with paper parts bags. In the USA they just don't seem to have ever rolled those out."
I'm assuming this is because your "your favourite president" might have a heart-attack after hosting a 24-hour marathon of rage-tweets if he ever learns that something green-adjacent is being done anywhere on American soil."
We have a president?