Review: 4000026 LEGO House Tree of Creativity
Posted by CapnRex101,
The LEGO House in Billund is celebrating its first anniversary today! Various exclusive items are available at the LEGO House, the most appealing of which might be 4000026 LEGO House Tree of Creativity. This set contains 837 pieces, 6,315,774 fewer than the incredible structure from which it takes inspiration!
10,000 copies of the set have been produced and it remains available today, almost seven months after being released on the 1st of March.
Minifigure
This set includes a single minifigure to demonstrate the Tree of Creativity's enormous scale. His white shirt is decorated with some LEGO House branding on the front and a few creases on the back. I love the blonde hair piece which has only appeared twice before and the face features a friendly smile that looks great.
The Completed Model
Once completed, the Tree of Creativity measures almost 35cm in height. The reddish brown trunk is constructed around a series of Technic liftarms so it feels remarkably sturdy and the branches seem equally rigid, despite only consisting of a few layered plates. Furthermore, the reddish brown, green and lime green colour scheme looks very attractive, striking a perfect balance between brighter and darker shades.
The wall surrounding the base of the tree is filled with several thousand green bricks, represented here by 1x1 round plates. I love this textured design and the mixture of colours on the tree trunk looks great, although the dark tan wall bears little resemblance to its source material. Nevertheless, dark tan does not divert attention from the vivid colours of the actual tree so I think it works quite well on this model.
Several images are 'carved' into the tree trunk, depicting a selection of popular products from across LEGO's history. The wooden duck is perhaps the most famous of these and it looks brilliant here. The design includes two wheels and employs some clever building techniques. I am particularly impressed by the 1x2 tile which protrudes a short distance from the trunk, lining up with a 1x2 plate with a rail on the side.
Classic LEGO sets occupy many branches on the actual Tree of Creativity and this model features a similar selection of miniature creations, representing a few different themes. The lowest branches are occupied by a castle and a tiny fire engine. Neither model takes direct inspiration from a particular set, although several different castles and fire engines can be found on the tree so I am glad to see them here as well.
The next branch includes a police station, a steam locomotive and a yellow railway station. These are among the most popular subjects for LEGO sets and this level shows particular attention to detail as I think we can identify the railway station as 4554 Metro Station, a set released in 1991 which appears on the tree in Billund. Moreover, the blue railway tracks are presumably based upon those from the early period of 12 Volt track.
A menagerie of animals inhabit the Tree of Creativity as well. I think this little woodpecker looks good, featuring an impressive red crest, yellow feet and stubby wings. The hole in the tree trunk is a splendid detail and this is flanked by a couple of empty branches which might appear rather bland were it not for the lime green 1x1 plates scattered among the leaves.
Spacecraft have appeared in official LEGO sets for over fifty years and the Tree of Creativity would not be complete without one. This rocket is immediately recognisable, with a flame and billowing smoke at its base as well as four stabilising fins. The uppermost branch on the original tree features a collection of construction vehicles so I am pleased to see a miniature bulldozer on this model, although it seems out of place without any rubble to push.
The construction theme continues at the very top, where a large crane continues to assemble the tree. Technic liftarms are used to good effect here and I like the colourful leaf hanging from the crane, even though its square shape looks slightly odd. However, the grey scaffolding that seems to form the core of the tree could be improved as it does not feel properly integrated with the trunk on this model.
Overall
4000026 LEGO House Tree of Creativity is an excellent souvenir for visitors to the LEGO House. The enormous Tree of Creativity is definitely among the most memorable attractions in Billund and this set looks marvellous, featuring some delightful miniature models and a bright colour scheme which really stands out on display.
The set costs 599 DKK, which currently equates to approximately £71.35, $93.05 or 80.31€, so seems expensive in relation to the model's size. Nevertheless, I would recommend adding it to your collection, should the opportunity arise, because it looks superb and should evoke pleasant memories of a visit to the LEGO House.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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23 comments on this article
This set has inspired me... for a topic/review request.
Lego Trees. A retrospective on how trees have been represented in Lego form.
I have a dream... Building a life-size lego tree.
But seeing the current prices, it remains just a dream. :)
I was thinking about buying one when I was in the LEGO House back in May. But I thought (and still think) the price is a little much.
@jeloshot - That is an excellent idea; I will add it to our list of planned editorial articles.
However, we already know that the last word in the field of LEGO trees will be one from the Studios theme: https://brickset.com/sets/theme-Studios/tag-Brick-Built-Tree !
Very neat set but spendy for what it is and how many pieces you get.
I have always thought the set looked really disappointing and dumb. But after the review, I'm kind of liking it. Particularly the relief sculpture of the duck.
I love the inclusion of the Train Station 4554, easily one of my favorite sets as a kid. I never had a single train to go with it, but it's funny looking back how I still had fun playing with something ancillary and having fun with it anyway. I would definitely pick this up if I made it there...it doesn't appear there are any rare pieces besides the minifig, maybe I'll try building if the instructions are available.
It is does seem expensive but it is a nice reminder of the fantastic, lifesize tree in the lego house. After much debate, I picked one up, but it was really the excellent gwp at the time (40291) that pushed me over the edge.
This is a lego set. This is what Lego creativity is all about. It could have been imagined by a child, builded from spare parts. I like it, much more than display hand animated specific adult fishes... Hope it will one day be extended and available. Or hope I'll have one day the chance to go to the LEGO house with wife and daughter and get one. I like it.
The fact, that this set is available up to now, shows, that afols don't just buy anything at a whim only because it's made artificially scarce and expensive.
Ooo, this must be the elusive Tree 4!
@CapnRex101 is right. Tree 3 from the Studios line is obviously the pinnacle of Lego tree design.
Nothing since has surpassed its elegance and complexity, and I don't think anything else will. It is impossible to capture the essence of a tree in a more accurate way in bricks.
I bought one on eBay for $200. It was a lot to spend but people absolutely love it. I have a number of sets on display and this is the one that gets the most comments. Just a beautiful and thoughtful addition to any serious AFOL's collection.
I love it!
After visiting the Lego House I took one of these with me. For me it's a great reminder of the amazing day I had at the Lego House together with my dad. It will forever be one of the most precious sets I own because of that.
Cool set, nice parts selection to build something else with too..
The price seems pretty exorbitant when converted directly to US dollars, but 599DKK is about midway between sets costing $60 USD (which tend to cost 549DKK) and sets costing $70 USD (which tend to cost 649 DKK). And the lower end of that range includes https://brickset.com/sets/21039-1/Shanghai, which has far fewer pieces, most of them seemingly no bigger than the Tree of Creativity's pieces. So by Danish standards I'd say it's not priced too badly at all.
It's neat to see how much detail this model has! Although, as nice as it is to see so many classic LEGO themes represented, I kind of would have hoped to see models representing more recent themes like Friends, which I know makes an appearance on the real Tree of Creativity. But all in all it's a really neat souvenir item for people who got to see the real thing!
I have a copy signed by Steen Sig Andersen and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen :)
I hope the set will still be available when I visit the Lego House myself someday...
Visited Lego House recently and i had a choice: this or Lego House. I chose the latter. I just preferred the architectural aspect. Hopefully i won’t regret it
@Phathead: Your sense of entitlement is astounding. Have you literally never heard of a SOUVENIR? These sets are made for the people who have actually been to Billund as mementos of their time there. Most people who haven’t been to Billund won’t even understand their significance, let alone want them, let alone feel entitled to buy them. If they had to be available globally it’s doubtful demand would even come close to justifying their existence.
And literally NOBODY is expected to be able or willing to pay for airfare and hotel stays and admission and what-have-you to get these Billund exclusive sets, because these sets aren’t meant to be anybody’s primary incentive to go to Billund whatsoever. Frankly, if you aren’t planning to go to Billund in the first place you’re expected to have the common sense to know that Billund-related merchandise has little to no relevance to you regardless of what it’s made of… same as how you don’t see Disney fans demanding the right to purchase Splash Mountain merchandise outside of Walt Disney World.
It’s one thing to whine about Comic-Con exclusives, which sure, usually depict subjects with significance for people outside of Comic-Con. But expecting souvenirs of landmarks in an obscure Danish town to be available outside that town is downright preposterous.
I visited the Lego House last year in October and picked up the Lego House (21037) as a reminding souvenir. This year we spent our holiday in Sweden and Denmark and visited Legoland (again..), so I couldn't resist going to the Lego House to pick up this tree set. Yes, it is expensive. But fun to build and a nice reminder of a great time :-)
Great review! I was delighted to get a copy of this charming set recently and meet Steen Sig Anderson. However, only when I got home did I think to ask him about the blonde figure, and if it's meant to be anyone in particular. Does anyone know the answer to this?