LEGO needed a whole new approach for a whole new sci-fi franchise

The LEGO Group's first Star Trek set may look similar to the many big grey ships Star Wars is known for, but it required a new building approach.

10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D might be the first LEGO Star Trek set ever, but it's not the LEGO Group's first attempt at a big grey starship – far from it. When the LEGO Group needed a designer to work on a large grey starship based on an iconic sci-fi franchise, Hans Burkhard Schlömer was certainly a logical pick, bringing a wealth of experience for sci-fi ships.

Some of the sets already in his portfolio include 75367 Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser, 75192 Millennium Falcon, and 75190 First Order Star Destroyer, to name just a few. More recently, he's also broadened out from Star Wars – to another huge space-exploring vehicle in 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System.

Now, Hans has turned his hand to 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. When speaking to LEGO Fan Media in Billund, he joked that he just "can't avoid" big grey spaceships.

"One reason I came to Icons was to get away from big grey spaceships, but my first one was the Artemis rocket – so another spaceship," he said. "But to become the designer for this, you have to be in the right spot at the right time. It wasn't easy."

While Hans may joke about the unescapable pull of big grey ships, it does mean that he brings a lot of experience and insight into how to go about designing them.

"With other spaceships, like the Star Destroyer for example, you have a massive internal skeleton with Technic bricks and beams going everywhere," explained Hans. "That didn't work here because there isn't enough space. It's a structural nightmare to build out of LEGO bricks.

"There are a few building tricks that I hope you will recognise once you build it. One trick is to build sideways with plates. Plates are quite bendy, but when you put them on their side, you suddenly have a very strong element."

You'll be able to see this trick from Hans and much more if you pick up 10356 USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D when it comes out on November 28, retailing at £349.99 / $399.99 / €379.99. Early adopters will also get 40768 Type-15 Shuttlepod at no extra cost between November 28 and December 1, or while stocks last.

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