Published on March 19th, 2024 | by Adrian Gunning
Everything is Gleaming! LEGO
A cleaning operation of epic proportions is underway at the heart of LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre, and it’s sure to silence anyone complaining about their housework.
Built with over half a million LEGO® bricks, MINILAND Melbourne is undergoing its biennial deep clean, which will take Master Model Builders, Jordan Farbridge and Jon Quinnell, more than 120 hours to complete.
With ten iconic Melbourne landmarks including Luna Park, Eureka Tower, and the Royal Exhibition Building, this ‘housework’ is not for the faint hearted. The meticulously planned clean will see the removal and reinstallation of the entire city of Melbourne, home to over 5,000 windows, 500 vehicles, 3000 Minifigures, 100 trees, and 150 city bins all made from LEGO®.
In a Herculean effort, the Master Model Builders, armed with their trusty ‘backpack vacs,’ masks, cloths, and specialised tools have begun tackling the task with utmost precision and care. The cleaning operation involves the careful removal of all five million bricks, followed by a strategic reassembly to ensure every brick is in its rightful place.
The few, small sections of MINILAND that can be removed whole, are whisked away to the Master Model Builder workshop where a dedicated exhaust vent removes hard-to-reach dust particles.
Regular guests will be thrilled to hear that the famous (and highly sought after) golden Minifigures will be carefully positioned in new hiding spots, throughout MINILAND, creating an entirely new scavenger hunt experience.
Jordan Farbridge, Master Model Builder, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, said, “Cleaning MINILAND is like cracking the code of a gigantic LEGO masterpiece. It’s not just about banishing dust; it’s about safeguarding the magic and awe that MINILAND Melbourne offers to our guests.”
The Master Model Builders aim to finish the ‘housework’ just in time for ‘National No Housework Day’ on April 7. In the meantime, lucky guests might catch a sneak peek of this amazing transformation in progress over the coming weeks.
Guests can go BIG and double the family fun with the Melbourne Big Ticket, which gives families access to both SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.