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I recently built the Imperial Hotel LEGO set. It was challenging and a lot of fun. I was excited because it is part of the LEGO Architecture series which is my personal favorite.
This build was released in 2013 which means I was 12 years late to the party. Or, maybe it took me 12 years to build?
The Imperial Hotel was a famous hotel built in Tokyo, Japan. It was built by Frank Lloyd Wright who was the architecture GOAT of the 1900s.
The hotel was built with a unique design that married both Eastern and Western artistic styles. It was unique in its structural design because it had to withstand the monster earthquakes of Japan.
The rest of this article covers the details of this iconic LEGO set and my experience building it.
Set Specs
- Set Name: Imperial Hotel
- Set Number: #21017
- Theme: Architecture
- Piece Count: 1,188
- Release Year: 2013
- Designer: Rok Kobe
- Retail Price (USD): $250
- Estimated Build Time: 4-10 hours
- Model Dimensions (WxHxD): 11” x 4” x 9”
- Display vs. Play: Pure display piece
First Impressions
I’ve already mentioned that I love all of the LEGO Architecture sets. So, the big black LEGO box this set came in immediately made me happy.
I find the colors of the build to be soothing. A lot of black, sand/tan, white, and a lighter shade of turquoise.
At first glance, there were a large number of similar small pieces. I wasn’t super thrilled because I hate repetitive builds that use tiny pieces.
Lastly, I can’t help but to love the thick booklet that contains the building instructions. It offers a brief history on the building and the architect. It actually feels like a book with sturdy binding and thick pages.
Build Experience
At just over 1,000 pieces, this set is a pleasant size. It’s not overwhelming but also not too small.
I am a slow builder. I like to take my time and I get easily distracted. Sometimes my cat will jump up on my building table and cause mayhem, too.
First section
The first bit of building was the base. This is always pleasing because the pieces are large and satisfying to click together.
The base of the set consists mainly of black and grey pieces. It doesn’t perfectly replicate the original Imperial Hotel because it was built with a massive ‘H’ layout.
One unique detail about this build, is that ‘Imperial Hotel’ is printed in white on the front of the base. This is pretty cool if you are planning to display it on a shelf or table.
Building the walls
The next couple of layers were devoted to the walls. There were some cool pieces included in this set.
Small flat plates served as mini roofs and stack-ups of transparent black bricks added a nice dimension. The main walls were tan but this stage also marked the beginning of these unique stacks.
The color and brick pattern on these stacks were cool. They are laid out horizontally throughout the build to add a bit of design and dimension.
At this point, I didn’t realize that this was just the beginning of these unique stacks. Later, they would become my worst nightmare as I had to make like 50 of them. I’m over exaggerating but still.
Adding the stacks
Once the walls were built up, I had to start building those stacks. This is the only part of the build that got a little annoying.
Each stack had its own orientation so I had to be careful not to just mindlessly build them over and over again. I made a few mistakes early on so I learned that the hard way.
Once I was done with them, I breathed a sigh of relief and could also admire the dimension they added to the build. The designer could have easily just replaced those with normal bricks but it would’ve made the overall set pretty lackluster.
Raise the roof
The last part of the build was mostly just adding smooth flat plates for the roofing. Similar to the foundation, I found this part enjoyable.
Overall, the build probably took me around 7 hours to complete. I broke it up over a course of a week. As mentioned, I am not a speedy builder.
Completed Set Overview
The completed set turned out wonderfully. The small attention to details throughout the build really paid homage to Frank Lloyd Wright’s original design.
The color scheme and overall architecture of the set presented a nice Japanese-style structure. I was a little surprised at the overall size of the build.
It was a bit smaller than anticipated. It would’ve been sweet if it was massive! But it does fit nicely on a shelf or on a table if you want to display it.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a fan of the LEGO Architecture series or simply appreciate the elegance of Japanese-style design, the Imperial Hotel set is an absolute must-have.
It offered a meditative, satisfying build experience that looks great on display.
Difficulty: Medium
Would I build it again: Yes
Build score: 7/10
>> Buy the LEGO Imperial Hotel here
Have you built the Imperial Hotel? Are there other LEGO Architecture sets you’d recommend for fans of Japanese design?
Drop a comment below and share your thoughts! I’d love to hear about your favorite builds, tips, or even what you’re planning to build next.