The Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) is the latest set in the Architecture theme. And like it’s real life counterpart, it’s a monument for the ages! There’s no denying that the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt are among the most famous landmarks in the world. Structures so massive and imposing that they have survived millennia in the desert for us admire and marvel at. The Architecture theme has brought us some incredible builds over the years. However, this is the first set in the theme to recreate a structure from antiquity; circa 2570 BC. It being one of the ONLY structures still mostly intact certainly explains why we don’t have more sets like it. The next ‘oldest’ model would be The Colosseum dating to c. 80 AD, but that is under the Creator Expert banner. Here’s hoping for more ancient buildings for sure.
This is an absolutely beautiful set with a great design and lovely details. I’m very happy to review it and I think you will all be very impressed with it as well. Click on the YouTube link below for the speed build and video review. Enjoy!
NOTE: This set was provided by The LEGO® Group to True North Bricks for review. This does not guarantee a favourable review and all opinions are my own. For a breakdown of the rating system, please click here.
SET SUMMARY
- NAME: Great Pyramid of Giza
- SET #: 21058
- THEME: Architecture
- COST: $169.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 1476
- MINIFIGURES: None
- RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2022
QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 83% (great cost-per-brick and cost-per-minute values)
- BUILD: 100% (a gorgeous setting with brilliant builds, details and surprises)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (educational and great for display, also tons of pieces for moc makers)
- OVERALL SCORE: 94% (a wonderful display piece with fun surprises, a great overall build)
VALUE: 83%
The Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) retails for $169.99 in Canada, resulting in a cost-per-brick of $0.12. Overall that’s a very decent price point and nets a score of 86%. As this is only the second Architecture set reviewed on the site, we can’t analyze the theme as a whole. Instead I am using the stats for all sets to date for comparison. Using that data, the Pyramid earns a very good rating, sitting just below the average cost-per-brick value of $0.14 (or 80%).
Unlike the real Pyramid, I didn’t need untold thousands and almost 30 years to get it built. But I did need a little over 3 hours to complete it – 198 minutes to be precise. This translates to a cost-per-minute of $0.86 and overall score of 80%. That’s pretty much average for all sets to date. Combining both scores, we find that the Pyramid of Giza (21058) gets an overall value score of 83%. And btw, the estimate that pyramid’s construction took only ~30 years is mind-boggling!
BUILD: 100%
The Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) comes packaged in a standard box. Like all the 18+ themes, you will see a mostly-black background and a greebling border. The build is front and center and contrasts nicely with it’s tan, white and green colours. Unlike the previous Architecture set, the Singapore Skyline (21057), the box doesn’t use push tabs, but the standard taped flaps. A nicer look for a classier set.
Inside said box, you will discover several numbered bags from 1-8 (with a few duplicate numbers) and a 175 page instruction book. Said book comes with a few pieces of historical trivia as you build – a staple of Architecture sets – and they’re pretty interesting. Similar to a skyline set, you will see one page that lists each major structure along with a few fun facts. I always love these extra details and you will genuinely learn a thing or two. The coolest feature? You can chose between an English or Hieroglyphics nameplate
The Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) is a substantial set, especially for the Architecture theme. The base of the model is a whopping 40 x 42 studs. This makes it the largest Architecture model by ‘area’. Prior to this the largest sets are slightly wider but less deep: The Robie House (21010) at 52 x 24 studs and The US Capitol Building (21030) at 58 x 18 studs. So make some room on the shelf as this will take up some valuable, but awesome space!
A Monumental Build
The overall build is a lovely Nile river setting with water, temples, sphinxes, palm trees, smaller pyramids, a village, an obelisk, two boats and the large half-pyramid. It’s pretty gorgeous and it all feels very classy – definitely earning that 18+ designation. The base and even the pyramids are kept light and simple by building them as hollow as possible. Layers build up nicely with everything sloping to the water’s edge. It’s very subtle stuff but I love the effect.
Building this wonder of the world is, well, wonderful. It’s got great microscale construction, beautiful details and hidden surprises. The primary structure is of course Khufu’s pyramid which is beautifully rendered in white sloped bricks. The interior structure beneath is also quite something. Stair elements stack and connect to support all the white bricks. It’s a genius bit of building that’s mostly sturdy. By the time to get to the top third though you can feel there is less stability but it still works. A LEGO®️ built pyramid is certainly nothing ground-breaking in shape. But here’s where those lovely hidden details come into play. This outer shell is removable and reveals something awesome beneath.
Hidden Secrets
Hidden under that lovely white façade is a smart and cool bit of design. To add some variety, accuracy and education to the set, a ‘second’ pyramid is found underneath showing the structure essentially under construction. This is wild and wonderful, and a brilliant idea. Tan bricks show the stepped design with ramps that were likely used for construction. The ramp is angled perfectly and shows a sled being hauled up with the final golden capstone. Some small brown elements help recreate construction machines as well. And that’s not all! The flat rear of this half pyramid builds a cross-section of the interior chambers as they exist. Sloped bricks are cleverly built with the right angles in front of black bricks. Even the Pharaoh’s tomb is there for good measure. Hats off to the designers on this because it’s all genius.
The rest of this beautiful build places the Pyramid in a desert setting that transitions to greener landscapes adjacent to the Nile River. In real life, the Pyramids are nowhere near that close to the river, but hey, it makes for a beautiful addition. Detailing on the Nile is wonderful with different colours under trans blue tiles to create a sense of depth. Palm trees line the shore around a small village to the right and two smaller pyramids to the left. Down the center we are treated to some nicely detailed temples bookending a walkway flanked by sphinxes. Another great bit of building are the two small boats on the river known as fellucca. Ultimately the entire creation is fantastic. From the sand dunes, to the small homes/huts to the Pyramid itself, this build is spectacular and earns a perfect score.
ENTERTAINMENT: 100%
The Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) is a display piece. As such you won’t find too much in terms of play or interactive fun. This isn’t a flaw or limitation of course, it’s just a fact. 18+ sets are definitely finding their niche and succeeding for a new market. Like prior Architecture sets (especially the skylines), The Great Pyramid is nice memento of places visited or perhaps where you’re from. From this we can easily derive quite a lot of ‘entertainment’, particularly in the form of educational value. This set has that in spades. The written blurbs in the instruction manual compliment the entire build which in itself is a great history lesson. Therefore I would highly recommend this for AFOLs and KFOLs alike, as there is plenty for everyone to enjoy – especially the kiddos.
Any set can be great for MOC makers, you really just need spare parts. But this set has a TON of awesome pieces for any level of creativity. Architecture sets are microscale and usually have a limited selection of pieces in terms of variety. Here we get the gamut: big giant bricks, slopes, trans and standard tiles, plants, etc. So if you’re looking for a set to really give you some sweet inventory, then this is it! All those sloped bricks alone can make quite a lovely roof for your LEGO®️ house 😉 There’s even a bunch of bricks, plants and stairs. I know some clever builder will make an awesome alternate build.
Make it even greater
There’s one last surprise and feature for all the ‘completionists’ out there. The back of the build has some axle bricks in the base. The instructions highlight this with a small blurb letting you know that you can put two sets together to create a full pyramid. I think that’s a wonderful feature and it would only require one more set. Not the cheapest option of course, but it would make for a great display. There would be quite the seam down the middle unfortunately, but I’m sure those enterprising builders I mentioned would have no issue creating one giant cap. You would also have to change up the nile for more sand, ya know, for the sake of accuracy. Perfect score here my friends – easily one of the best Architecture sets in years.
OVERALL: 94%
The Great Pyramid of Giza (21058) is literally great – amazing even. It’s a wonderful building experience with lots of surprises, clever techniques and educational fun. It’s a substantial display piece and definitely takes us some room, but it’s worth it. The Architecture line brought me out of my ‘Dark Ages’ as it were and they are still among my favourite sets. There has been a lot less of this theme over the last couple of years. Hopefully this year is a nice turnaround in terms of new offerings. I love having a set from Antiquity, and not from Europe or North America. With so many amazing monuments and structures in the world, there’s endless possibilities for sets. Overall the Great Pyramid of Giza scores an awesome 94%.
I have built a monument my friends and I am happier for it! Architecture is a passion of mine so it’s not hard to get me excited for this line. But what are your thoughts? Are you a big fan (or fan at all) of the Architecture line? Are you excited for this latest and most monumental of sets? Have you visited the Giza plateau and seen these awesome structures in person? Please comment in all the usual places and lest know. And until next time, keep on brickin’ 🧱
-Frank
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