Full-scale models and fun interactive displays delight every generation at this New Zealand exclusive in Wellington.
Some might find it hard to imagine a LEGO creation weighing much more than a dinner plate, but the Star Wars Death Star tips the scales at over a tonne.
The 2.4m-wide spherical battle station is one of more than 65 full-scale models built entirely from LEGO bricks for LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition, a New Zealand exclusive at Wellington’s Tākina that’s worth making a special trip to the capital for.
“At this size and scale, the planning, logistics and engineering are next-level,” says the exhibition’s creator Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught. “I mean, I used to have a full head of hair.”
As the leader of the 36‑strong team behind the interactive exhibition – and the only LEGO Certified Professional (LCP) in the southern hemisphere – the Australian LEGO artist helped conceive and plan the project more than three years ago.
Since then, his team has poured more than 8 million bricks and 25,000 hours into creating models and movie scenes that will thrill both Star Wars and LEGO enthusiasts.
Each of these global brands have inspired millions of fans across many decades, with their pairing in the exhibition bringing delight to every generation.
Grandparents visiting the LEGO Star Wars exhibition might feel nostalgic at the sight of Vader’s helmet or the Death Star, while parents are more likely to head for the Millennium Falcon cockpit as the kids flock to newer characters like Grogu and BB-8.
Each of these creations co-exist in the same space, just metres away from one another.
Peek inside the Death Star’s nearly 100 tiny, illuminated rooms and you might spot a hot tub or DJ droid based on DD-EC from Jedi: Survivor, or create your own LEGO droid in Mos Espa’s junkyard or a Lightsaber using AR.
For those of an older generation, several high‑stakes scenes from across the Star Wars oeuvre have been recreated, from iconic duels like Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vadar to some of the early films’ dramatic ship battles, each one painstakingly crafted from bricks in incredible detail.
A 3D rendering of four-armed digital character General Grievous is one particularly awe-inspiring engineering feat.
“In the world of CGI, you don’t have to worry about gravity. In the real world, we have to think about things like that,” says McNaught.
“The trial and error is substantial. Like any creative craft, it’s about being imaginative and making things that make people think, ‘Wow, how did they do that?’”
McNaught’s favourite built character in the exhibition is C-3PO. Incorporating special gold-coloured bricks produced specifically for the build, it’s one of the most striking examples of craftsmanship on display.
“His face was one of the most difficult parts to recreate,” says McNaught. “We developed four different versions of his head before arriving at the final model.
The life-sized droid is one of several beloved characters spanning the generations between Hans Solo and Grogu – including Kylo Ren, complete with billowing cape, and an incredibly lifelike Rey.
McNaught says not even the enormous LEGO dinosaurs from Jurassic World – one of nine wildly successful touring exhibitions also produced by McNaught’s team – were as tricky to build as the Star Wars characters for this exhibition.
“When you’re given the opportunity to do something like Star Wars, there’s a responsibility that comes with it,” he says.
“I couldn’t have made these characters unless I’d gone through all the previous exhibitions and learned solutions to problems along the way. Recreating people out of bricks is incredibly difficult.”
McNaught himself grew up on the Star Wars films, and fondly recalls watching The Empire Strikes Back at a drive‑in during the ‘80s. Even earlier, he remembers sitting with his grandfather as a toddler, building trees and spaceships from his very first set of LEGO bricks.
“There was this incredible feeling of creating and playing and knowing you can literally make anything.”
He returned to LEGO years later, leaving a senior IT role to turn his passion into a full‑time career, including hosting TV series Lego Masters Australia.
McNaught likens professional LEGO building to any creative medium, such as working with clay, wood or metal. When he’s “on the bricks” for a long time, his hands have the calluses to show for it.
While there’s plenty in the exhibition to delight lifelong fans of Star Wars, McNaught hopes it lingers in the minds of younger visitors long after they’ve left.
“I want them to get home, tip their LEGO all over the floor and create their own things,” he says.
“Maybe they saw a spaceship or a battle scene and think, ‘I’d love to make that’. Maybe they want to build the forest moon of Endor with Ewoks. Whatever it is, I hope we inspire them.”
For more details and fascinating behind-the-bricks stories and footage, visit legostarwarstheexhibition.com