Tower Bridge Replica Sets Record for World's Largest Lego Structure

The Guinness World Record for the largest Lego structure ever built has been broken by almost half a million pieces as part of a launch event for a new SUV in Britain.

Bear Grylls, Zara Phillips and Sir Ben Ainslie took part in the dynamic live reveal of Land Rover’s new Discovery model around a 13-metre high Lego version of London’s Tower Bridge.

The reveal set was made from 5,805,846 individual Lego bricks, breaking the previous Guinness World Record by 470,646 pieces. Laid end to end, the bricks would stretch for almost 200 miles, or from Tower Bridge in London to Paris.

Led by the UK’s only Lego Certified Professional, Duncan Titmarsh, it took five months for expert Lego Master Builders in the UK to construct the incredible Tower Bridge structure. It was erected in the grounds of Packington Hall, Warwickshire, UK – close to Land Rover’s Solihull plant, where New Discovery will be produced.

As part of the dramatic reveal sequence, British adventurer Bear Grylls appeared in typically exciting fashion by abseiling from the top of the huge Tower Bridge installation, through the open drawbridge and onto the stage beside the New Discovery.

The finale was Land Rover BAR Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie driving his sailing team through 900mm-deep water under the bridge – demonstrating the unrivalled capability and versatility of Land Rover’s new SUV. Sir Ben towed a Lego replica of the Land Rover BAR boat, a 186,500-brick meticulous model of the boat that will challenge for next year’s America’s Cup.

The model of Tower Bridge was flanked by two Lego ‘Discovery Zones’ celebrating 27 years of Land Rover Discovery heritage. An Equestrian Zone, hosted by accomplished rider Zara Phillips, featured a typically British picnic scene made entirely from Lego bricks. The Bear Grylls Adventure Zone included a Lego fire and boulders to represent a scene from a typical mountain exploration.

Bear Grylls said: “I have developed a powerful bond with Land Rover vehicles over the years and to me they embody that spirit of adventure coupled with a rugged reliability that also serves the needs of a young family. The Land Rover Discovery is invaluable on expeditions, whether filming in deserts, jungles or mountains, yet it’s still the perfect vehicle for the family's everyday use. It's a proud moment to be here with Land Rover revealing the New Discovery to the world.”

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer, said: “New Discovery redefines the large SUV. Land Rover’s design and engineering teams have revolutionised the Discovery DNA to create a highly desirable, extremely versatile and hugely capable premium SUV.”