Thomas Deshusses (thomaslego.ch) used LEGO bricks to build the model of CERN Science Gateway, which is on display in the reception area, as part of his Maturité project (personal project for the end of his Swiss secondary education).

With 30,000 pieces, a year of design and over 250 hours of assembly, it is a work of art in its own right.

The designer

Born in 2005, Thomas has been passionate about LEGO since he was a child. Together with his father and other AFOLs (Adults Fan of LEGO), he founded the GenevaBrick association, which regularly organises exhibitions and events around LEGO bricks. To date, he has made more than 20 original creations, but the model of CERN Science Gateway remains his most ambitious project. This project is part of the personal maturity project that every young Swiss person has to complete at the end of their secondary education. As in this case, it can be an artistic creation.

The challenge

Constructing a building by internationally renowned architect Renzo Piano in LEGO, within the constraints of available brick formats, budget and time, was a real challenge. Starting with scale plans, Thomas had to find the pieces that would best represent the building. This involved a great deal of research and development, both on the computer and using parts to test the scenarios.

Once the scale of the model had been decided (1:150), over 30,000 parts had to be ordered and assembly planned. The model had to be available for the inauguration of the building on 7 October 2023, but the last parts were delivered... the day before!

Technical challenges

The atypical triangular staircase in front of the visitors' reception area was very complex to create. In the end, an assembly of angled pieces slipped between more traditional bricks did the trick.

In order to get as close as possible to the true contours of the land, Thomas designed a complex tangle of parts under the ground to achieve an accuracy of half a plate's thickness. A similar technique was used to make the tramway tracks.

The visitors

Many prestigious visitors have already admired the model and congratulated Thomas. His project has also attracted the attention of local press and television.

The LEGO Foundation is a partner of the CERN Science Portal.