Architecture

Singapore

A tropical skyline with the twin Supertrees stealing the whole show.

Brick Rated Score

4.1/5

Set 21057 · 2022

Pieces830

Minifigsn/a

Year2022

Set number21057

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The verdict

This is one of the warmer Architecture skylines, and the Gardens by the Bay Supertrees are the reason.

Designer Rok Zgalin Kobe angled two little shafts at 45 degrees using rounded plates, and watching those trees take shape is the moment the whole model clicks for me. It's a relaxed 90-ish minute build with real charm, held back only by a few odd geography and color calls. If you have any connection to Singapore, or you just want a skyline that isn't all glass and grey, this one is easy to love.

Best for: Anyone with a soft spot for Singapore or the Gardens by the Bay Supertrees

The full review

What it is

The Gardens by the Bay Supertrees are what got me with this one. LEGO's Architecture skylines can blur together into rows of tan and grey towers, but Singapore breaks that pattern the second you build those two teal Supertrees leaning out over the waterfront. Designer Rok Zgalin Kobe packed a lot into 830 pieces here: Marina Bay Sands with its rooftop deck, the OCBC Centre, One Raffles Place, the old Fullerton Hotel, Lau Pa Sat, and the boats along Boat Quay. It all sits on the usual black baseplate with a printed nameplate, and at roughly 90 minutes it's a lovely relaxed sit-down build. I found myself smiling more than I expected to.

The catch

I'll be straight with you about the caveats, because there are a few and Singaporean builders were quick to point them out. The biggest one is geography: the Gardens by the Bay are placed in front of Marina Bay Sands, when in reality they sit behind it, and once you know that you can't unsee it. The window glass is the other sticking point. LEGO went with trans-dark-blue tiles, and a lot of people (myself included) think the lighter trans-blue used on an earlier Singapore-exclusive version looked better and brighter. The Marina Bay Sands towers also come out stiff and vertical, missing the gentle curve of the real thing. None of this ruins the set, but for a premium adult display piece the details matter.

Who it's for

At its original 59.99 dollars this was fair value, and since it retired in December 2024 it has crept up toward 70 for a sealed box, so the window for a deal has mostly closed. Get it if you've been to Singapore, if the Supertrees make you happy, or if your shelf of skylines badly needs a splash of color that isn't grey. Skip it if you're a strict accuracy purist who will be bothered by the flipped gardens and the dark windows, or if you already own the older Marina Bay Sands set and want something wildly different. For most people who love this city or this theme, though, it's an easy yes.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this feels breezy rather than technical, which is exactly what an Architecture skyline should feel like. You work landmark by landmark, so there's a steady drip of little payoffs instead of one long slog, and the tallest towers go up fast on simple stacked cores. The one section that made me pause and actually admire the engineering is the Supertrees, where rounded 1x2 plates cradle the trunk shafts at a 45-degree tilt so the trees flare outward naturally. It's a small trick but a smart one, and it's the part I'd point to if someone asked what makes this build special.

For color alone this is a standout parts box. You get sand green and teal elements that rarely show up in bulk anywhere else, which makes the set a quiet parts-haul win for anyone who builds their own scenery or plants. There's a good run of printed window tiles for the tower facades, plus the printed Singapore nameplate, and a scattering of small transparent and curved pieces for the waterfront and boats. At 830 pieces for a set that started at 59.99 dollars, the piece-count value was always more about the unusual palette and the printed parts than raw brick quantity, and on that front it delivers.

Fun facts

01The set retired in December 2024 after nearly three years on shelves, and sealed copies have since climbed to around 70 dollars, above the original 59.99 retail.
02It was designed by LEGO Senior Designer Rok Zgalin Kobe, who is known across the Architecture line for these skyline models.
03The Gardens by the Bay Supertrees are angled using rounded plates that hold their shafts at 45 degrees, one of the few genuinely tricky techniques in an otherwise relaxed build.
04Local Singaporean builders noted the model places Gardens by the Bay in front of Marina Bay Sands, the reverse of their real-world positions.