Yonkers, NY, USA — As members of the Port Authority Police Honor Guard displayed their colors and the Pipes and Drums play, a darkened room was illuminated when Steve Plate, Port Authority Director of World Trade Center Construction, fliped a switch to light an intricately detailed, 12 foot-tall model of One World Trade Center (One WTC) built out of more than 4,000 LEGO bricks, during its unveiling on Friday, June 28 at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Westchester.
The model was meticulously re-created by a team of expert LEGO model builders entirely out of 4,873 LEGO bricks, taking more than 260 hours to design and build. Weighing-in at nearly 100 lbs., the model re-creates One WTC’s distinctive architecture and design with LEGO bricks, from its dynamic, shimmering glass surface all the way up to its magnificent spire, for the creation of which the Port Authority provided guidance in order to accurately be duplicated in LEGO bricks. One WTC is being added to MINILAND, the attraction’s signature re-creation of landmark locations and buildings throughout New York City and Westchester County.
Every five minutes the One WTC model and MINILAND complete a day to night cycle, with the building and landmark locations illuminated as appropriate for the time of day. Adding to the atmosphere are hundreds of interactive LEGO MINIFIGURES and vehicles, and sounds including, moving mini cars, trucks and boats; a working subway train accompanied by familiar sounds; and a mini rock band jamming in Central Park, among other authentic sights and sounds of New York City and Westchester.