WIRED Staff
Culture

Slideshow: If You Come, They Will Build It

BrickFest PDX, a conference of Lego lovers, attracts builders and collectors with one thing in common -- all are obsessed with the little plastic building blocks that snap together. Marty Cortinas reports from Portland, Oregon.
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Many Lego clubs get together to set up themed MOC installations, like this space ship from the moonbase display.

See related story: If You Come, They Will Build It

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Matt Chiles' 4.5-foot-tall rollercoaster is one of the spectacular BrickFest creations.
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This Viking-style ship is one of the many MOCs on display at BrickFest PDX.
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The multi-club effort yielded an entire city complete with public transportation, churches, a bridge, port and small businesses.
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Chiles spent two years building his rollercoaster out of stock Lego pieces.
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Attention to minute detail and the fact that the cart speeds along the rollercoaster track through a 360-degree loop are testaments to Chiles' passion for lego building.
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The inclusion of a Starbucks in the multi-club village speaks to the caffeine-dispenser's omnipresence in our cities.
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This train is part of a multi-club effort in which the city and track were designed and laid out online and each club was responsible for construction of different areas within the village.