Disney’s Beauty and the Beast castle brought to life in Hong Kong thanks to Lego, and professional Lego artist Kevin Hall

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Angie Chan
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Professional Lego Artist Kevin Hall gave Young Post a tour of the exhibition and sat down to talk about Lego

Angie Chan |
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Lego versions of Belle and the Beast help complete the scene.

When Kevin Hall received his first set of Lego at the tender age of six, he showcased his Lego-building talent by finishing the box without the help of his parents, or even the instructions. Since then, he hasn’t stopped, and is now a professional Lego artist. Hailing from Britain, the acclaimed Lego artist is internationally known for his one-of-a-kind Lego creations, and his most recent accomplishment is building the castle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, now on display in Langham Place in Mong Kok.

While most people might assume he was asked to build the castle to promote the film, Hall was already busy building the castle, just for fun. “I am a fan of Disney and Lego, so I decided to build this castle in 2016, only to find out in the middle of the building process that the movie would be coming out in the next year,” says Hall. Lego and Disney got in touch with him once they found out about his build, and put together the exhibition to promote the live-action remake of the film.

While most castles are imagined and planned using computer programs and digital technology, Hall relied on nothing but his own mind. Coming in at 2.2 metres tall, the model of the castle was built using half a million Lego bricks, and took more than six months to build.

Kevin Hall's creations are all about fun, and proving Lego has no limits.
Photo: Langham Place

“None of the bricks used in this build were custom made, so if you look closely, you will see some interesting parts that I used as a substitute for other parts”, says Hall. “The back of the castle is actually never seen in the movie, but when you look at the exhibit, you will not feel that it is in any way out of place,” he adds.

One main feature of the castle is the ballroom where Belle and the Beast’s iconic dancing scene takes place. You can see fine details on the inside of the ballroom as well as a Lego version of Belle and the Beast in the middle. Like the ballroom, the entire castle is made in parts so that it could be torn apart and put back together. All roofs can come off and the castle itself can be split in half. If you look closely enough, you might see where it splits. And that’s not the only reason for you to look closely, because Hall made sure to include some hidden details for the more observant fans to find..

40,000 tiles were used just to create the roofs of the castle.
Photo: Langham Place

Other than the huge, eye-catching castle, the exhibition features a mosaic build of the new logo design for the live-action Beauty and the Beast. Built piece by piece using tiny bricks, the detail and similarity to the original logo is mind-blowing. In the opposite corner of the exhibition, we see the beloved candelabra Lumiere, which was made with the help of a computer program according to Hall, but only to make sure that more replicas of him can be made for other exhibitions around the world. One fun fact you probably wouldn’t guess is that the life-size Lego Lumiere actually has parts of a claw for eyebrows! And if you would like to attempt building him at home yourself, Hall adds that, “The bottom part of his nose is actually a new piece from the Moana set so I had to buy the whole set just for that piece.” Talk about passion and dedication!

“For a lot of people, Lego is just a box you buy with instructions and that’s it, but now people are starting to realise that it is a medium, and the limit is your imagination,” explains Hall. And for Hall, exposing people to that idea, and seeing their reaction to his builds, is why it’s all worthwhile.

The exhibition is free, and will be on display on the 4th floor of Langham Place in Mong Kok until March 31. There are also workshops in the Lego shop on the 12th floor of Langham Place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 3pm to 9pm. Hall recommends visiting on Saturdays because he will be there holding workshops, personally teaching you how to build a miniature version of the castle.

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