LEGO Ideas 21359 Italian Riviera might look pretty similar to the fan design, but the closer you look, the more changes you'll find.
Alex Sahli's original design for 21359 Italian Riviera was packed with colour and vibrancy and that largely carries through to the final look. Nonetheless, as with most LEGO Ideas sets, there are some changes that the model has gone through. Indeed, many of the changes can only be seen when you start looking at the finer details of the 3,251-piece build.
Colour flipping
The first, however, is a more obvious one. The three buildings have shifted in size, with the red orange building on the right now being the tallest of the trio. In the original, the pale central building was the tallest, with the roofs largely sloping in the same direction.
The colours have also switched up, with the orange colour changing the most, but also a slight difference to the light nougat one towards the back. While the latter change is fairly subtle, the orange tone is much punchier, drawing the eye to that building more than the other two. It complements the blue of the water nicely – which is good, as more water is present in the final build, with much of the sandy space removed.
Another change to the buildings includes fewer masonry bricks, removing some of that 'cobbled' feel. Although you definitely still get the rustic atmosphere in 21359 Italian Riviera, it feels a lot smoother out than Alex's original design.
It's all in the details
The interior of Alex's original design was detailed but not quite to the same level as the final set. There are heaps of accessories and brick-built moments to explore throughout the LEGO Ideas set, which is helped along by the fact that each room lifts away in modular sections, so you can still access them after the build is complete.
Notably, one of the shops has entirely changed, evolving from a florist to a dive shop. That cements the shop's location on the coast, as well as provides an opportunity for more beachy accessories for the minifigures to try out.
A changing footprint
Speaking of that modular feel, the footprint of the set has also been adapted. Rather than being sat on a baseplate, blue elements now make up the base of the Ideas set. That takes it further away from the modular building style that many fans loved in the original – although we imagine it wouldn't be hard to adapt it if you really wanted to.
The final build is arranged on two angles sections, so it can still be easily displayed on a shelf, thanks to the firm base.
Minifigures for days
With all of those extra details, you need more people to flesh out the space. While Alex included six minifigures in the original project, four extra ones have made it into the final build. That includes shopkeepers, their families, and plenty of tourists to flock onto the brick-built streets. There's even one familiar minifigure who is based on fan designer Alex himself.
21359 Italian Riviera will be available for LEGO Insiders from August 7, both online and in stores, before a wider release on August 10, priced at £249.99 / $299.99 / €279.99, as well as its accompanying GWP, 5009325 Mediterranean Scene, between August 7 and 13 or while stocks last.
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