Okay, I'm going to keep this quick and simple, if you like the Architecture line, you probably will like this set. The set is very realistic, could do with some more detail, but the booklet is very informative and when completed, the model looks very cool!

Pros

• Details are nice
• Realistic, I especially liked the tilt of it
• Lots of white decorative pieces
• Real nice when done

Cons

• A little expensive
• Build-up is repetitive on some levels
• Would have preferred a different flag at the top.

All in all, not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

When I first saw images of this set, I was very underwhelmed. I love the Architecture series. Each set that comes out is a visual joy to me. Though criticized for the piece/price ratio of the earlier sets, the value has very much increased over the course of the last couple years. But value is more than beating just the golden ratio of 10 cents a piece. The Architecture series has always had the disadvantage of having no real playability, so it has to bring building experience and aesthetics to the table in a major way. With huge recent successes (in my eyes) of the Imperial Hotel, Sungnyemun, and Big Ben, I always hope for something as colorful, detailed, and fun to build. The Leaning Tower of Pisa left something to be desired on all of these fronts, however, the finished product is still pleasing.

Parts

As soon as you open the box you're greeted with a sea of white. Like many of the early models, there isn't a lot of variability here. And like the Burj Khalifa, where you were given over 100 1x1 Light Grey Cylinders, here you get over 80 white ones. You know from the pictures on the box that there will be a lot of them, but it's still interesting to see so many at once in a single set. You also get 8 2x4x4 Half Cylinders, so the MOCer in me is still pleased. Not to mention a large number of hinge plates. Always a useful piece!

The build

Also like the Burj, a little repetitive, though completely different. Both models were about height, and you just keep getting taller and taller. Creating the wall around the center cylinders was something new for a Lego build that I hadn't seen yet. Also, purposefully inducing a lean is something I haven't seen Lego do yet. And it's fun to see how it finally worked out. I won't spoil too much. Suffice it to say... Repetitive? Yes. Fun? Sorta. Did I learn something? Definitely.

Side note: There's a part of the build very early on where you build up with 1x2 hollow cylinders. There's a slit in one side that you have to face inside so it doesn't show outside on the model. As an OCD Legoer, I found myself finding the flash on all the 1x1 cylinders and facing THEM inside so only smooth, flawless roundness faced the outisde. But on the opposite side of the slits of the 1x2 cylinders? Lettering and part numbers. A blemish, as far as I'm concerned.

The completed model

I was honestly surprised how how nice this model looks. From the images that I saw on Brickset and Lego Wikia, I was expecting something much smaller. But the final build is tall, wide, and compeltely worth the money. The pragmatist in me knows that a Lego model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa would be all white, part of me still wanted some variety. But my worries are asuaged when greeted with a complete, bulky, well textured tower. Complete an accurate lean.

Summary

At $35 for 345 pieces, the price is right, though just barely under the golden ratio. It still beats the piece value of any Star Wars set. If you were hopeing for a variety of pieces, you may be a bit dissappointed, as instead you'll get the usual Architecture collection of 1x1 plates, 1x1 bricks, black and light grey tiles, but you also get a decent collection of hinge plates and various cylinders.

The build is repetitive without being tedious, as it's a new way of thinking about Lego builds. And the finish product is very aesthetically pleasing. It's a lot bigger than I was expecting. I'm far more used to my Architecture sets being shorter or thinner. But this one is much larger than any other set I have on my desk right now, and it's immediately recognizable as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It's already received positive reviews from my coworkers, and I get a lot of joy just looking at it.

So... would I recommend this set? As an Architecture Completest, I'm compelled to say "Yes". As a fan of Lego? I would say "It's up to you". But I for one think it's $35 well spent.

About me: I am an AFOL who has been building at least 1 set each year for my whole life, but have build a lot in the past year. I try to build most sets under 500 pieces as a "puzzle build", without using the instructions. This is how I built the Leaning tower (of Pisa)

Initial impressions: I have to admit that this model didn't draw me in as much as others in the line. I've visited the real thing, admittedly a very long time ago, and the LEGO model seems like a somewhat crude rendition of the building. (Trying to fake a round building with square bricks is a challenge.)

Building experience: This was actually a pleasure to build as a "Puzzle". It didn't take me long looking at the photo to decode the pattern to create the main section containing 7 rows of arches and columns. Slightly repetitive, but less annoyingly so since I was puzzling it out... From there, I was able to guess how the central column would work, figure out the ingenious mechanism to connect them together, and I nearly got the base right, although I had to guess a bit to get the angles right and I was a bit off. Nothing I couldn't fix in 2 minutes after "completing" the build and consulting with the manual.

Finished Model: The model looks a little rough, and it is really big next to some of the "true" skyscrapers in my Architecture shelf, but I'm happier than I expected with the finished result.

Part Selection / Value: This set is actually a good value, especially given recent sales. It is also a great parts complement to the Architecture Studio set, #21050, which doesn't include 1x3 arches or the technics connectors.

Conclusion: 6/10 stars, falls somewhere between Farnsworth & Sears Tower which I liked better and Rockefeller Center and Sydney Opera house which I liked less.

As a puzzle build, this model took around 1.5 hours to complete. (I worked on it during short breaks in my office for a couple days.) I expect that it would have taken 45 minutes using the instructions.