Few masterpieces manage to bring together Sponge Bob Square Pants, Princess Leia and Where's Wally, but Anthony McLauchlan's Lego Stadium pulls it off with style.
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The Wanniassa enthusiast's creation for this year's Brick Expo will see more than 1000 Lego men and women – including the usual Wally decoys – packed into and around the football ground.
"We always do a Where's Wally mock-up, and we needed a theme and with the World Cup we decided a stadium," Mr McLauchlan said.
The impressively detailed stadium, complete with commentators' and corporate boxes, players' change rooms and food stalls, will stand next to a monorail, but the cabinetmaker will not be the only member of the family with work on display. His 10-year-old son Oliver will show off four dragon pieces and a re-created scene from the zombie miniseries, The Walking Dead, while wife Mel has also embraced the hobby, building a logo from this year's Lego movie.
Mr McLauchlan said he had spent between 80 and 90 hours building his self-designed stadium and monorail scene.
"I find it helps relax me," he said.
Brick Expo spokesman David Graham said the 12,000 tickets to this year's event could sell out as early as today (Sunday).
"Year on year it's selling out more quickly," Mr Graham said.
He said the most unique piece would be the $30,000 Elvis fire-fighting helicopter model, one of 90 static, moving or robotic models in themes which included Star Wars, planes, monuments and sculptures, as well as a train circuit stretching 100 metres.
Those who want to avoid the crowds (and kids) can purchase a VIP ticket, which grants end-of-day access to the floor for 120 people (instead of the rotating 1100), in addition to a three-course meal.
This year's Brick Expo will be on August 23 and 24 at the Hellenic Club, Woden. All proceeds go to support PatCH, Paediatrics at the Canberra Hospital, which hopes to raise $50,000. Remaining tickets can be bought at brickexpo.com.au
For a look at the creations at last year's expo, check out the video at canberratimes.com.au