Review: 40579 Eiffel's Apartment
Posted by CapnRex101,Gustave Eiffel's spectacular tower houses many interesting features, including restaurants, data recording equipment and the engineer's private apartment. This residence provided remarkable views of Paris, although was relatively cramped with structural features.
40579 Eiffel's Apartment recreates this peculiar layout accurately, with an angled beam crossing through the scene and markedly contrasting with its ornate furnishings. However, the extensive use of stickers is perhaps surprising, since this set will be exclusively available with purchases of the huge 10307 Eiffel Tower.
Summary
40579 Eiffel's Apartment, 228 pieces.
Eiffel's apartment looks fittingly attractive, but relies significantly on stickers
- Detailed and realistic interior
- Beautiful wallpaper
- Good minifigure
- Bland exterior
- Twelve stickers
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigure
Gustave Eiffel continues the recent selection of real-world historical minifigures, joining Amelia Earhart and Jane Goodall. Unlike those minifigures, however, this one comprises existing pieces rather than introducing new ones. That is rather disappointing, although Obi-Wan Kenobi's head actually works well for the esteemed engineer.
Re-using Cedric Diggory's torso from 75948 Hogwarts Clock Tower is also effective, recreating formal attire of the late nineteenth century, when the Eiffel Tower was constructed. However, the hairstyle differs from many photographs of Gustave Eiffel and I think the element developed for Superman and other characters in 2016 would have been preferable instead.
The Completed Model
LEGO has produced various indoor vignettes, although choosing to focus on a single corner of Gustave Eiffel's apartment was ingenious, as the angled arrangement is unique. Moreover, the stickered wallpaper and dark red flooring look wonderful, striking an appealing balance between warm colours and the tower's famously industrial aesthetic.
Of course, this is most pronounced in the stanchion at the centre of the model, which lacks the elaborate decoration of its surroundings. The feature looks as strange here as it does in reality and I like how the beam interrupts the scene, without obscuring much detail. Cylindrical columns also punctuate the original residence, but are placed outside the scope of this vignette.
The furniture is reasonably simple, including a sideboard with a plant on top and a scale model of the Eiffel Tower! This structure makes clever use of revolver elements and certainly captures an accurate shape, but could potentially have incorporated a dark tan base to resemble 10307 Eiffel Tower.
The stanchion is connected to the base using two clips, so can be removed to view the stickered wallpaper more clearly. Twelve stickers decorate the walls and that is a substantial number, but printing these pieces would have been impractical because there are very few repeated designs around the room. The colours and distinctive paisley patterns look absolutely perfect.
Unlike the lavish interior, the external walls and wraparound balcony are almost completely dark bluish grey. The actual location is similarly monochromatic, but the walls appear incredibly bland and undoubtedly required additional texture. I am satisfied with the telescopes though, as these provide some colour.
Overall
As mentioned already, 40579 Eiffel's Apartment encapsulates the mixture of luxury and industry which defines the Eiffel Tower, so seems like an excellent companion to 10307 Eiffel Tower. The complex wallpaper stickers look splendid, particularly in contrast with the featureless dark bluish grey beam, which matches the original location.
The exterior appears too mundane though, in my opinion. Projecting window frames or benches would have good additions, while also maintaining accuracy to the source material. There was definitely potential for improvement and this is not among my favourite promotional sets of the year, but it complements the larger Eiffel Tower nicely.
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29 comments on this article
Hmmm, instead of using stickers, I would probably replace those triangular pieces with a different colour, maybe brown.
I know that might ruin the whole thing, but if you get even one of those stickers wonky, I think it would look even worse.
I just want x10 of that sticker sheet for my own projects.
Nice little set, despite the overreliance on stickers.
If only 10307 was in this same scale....
Very nicely designed set. The stickers look fine. I wish they were all like this, with no reliance on colour matching the underlying brick (which, on most occasions, is a dismal failure).
@WizardOfOss said:
"Nice little set, despite the overreliance on stickers.
If only 10307 was in this same scale...."
I wouldn’t want to know the price for that!
It’s so cute I want to live here!
Wow I absolutely love this vignette. It'd be cool to also release sets of the two other floors on the tower. The restaurant/cafe floor and observation floor, in separate. Get all 3 plus the big structure to complete the set of sets!
@UProbeck said:
"I wouldn’t want to know the price for that!"
Or imagine the instructions....forklift included hopefully?
@johleth said:
"Hmmm, instead of using stickers, I would probably replace those triangular pieces with a different colour, maybe brown.
I know that might ruin the whole thing, but if you get even one of those stickers wonky, I think it would look even worse."
You know you can always realign the stickers by applying heat from hairdryer or coffemug? It really works as a charm, without damaging the stickers or the parts.
@thor96 said:
"You know you can always realign the stickers by applying heat from hairdryer or coffemug? It really works as a charm, without damaging the stickers or the parts."
Does that also work with misaligned prints? I bet with enough heat it might! ;-)
This looks like a fun little GWP. But since I won't be buying the set at release I will have to miss out on this (and I refuse to pay those aftermarket prices). But that's how this hobby goes.
I don't mind stickers sometimes. I think they are used to good effect here, but I agree, there are a lot so that may cause some stress when trying to align them properly.
The bland exterior while yes monochromatic doesn't seem to bother me too much knowing what it represents. But I could see your argument of adding extra texture of some kind anyway.
I love Minifig vignettes,
and have Amelia Earhart and Jane Goodall.
so it’s a shame that I’m not interested in the full tower,
and therefore won’t be able to get this one. :(
If they made the model of the Eiffel Tower in a different shade of grey (lighter would be good) and indeed a dark tan base it would be better imho. Or maybe the model in red
Much like LEGO’s Eiffel Tower set, this mini model seems too tall for the room it’s in
I understand the value of this as a sales incentive but think it would be nicer if it was just included with the Eiffel Tower set.
What's the point of reviewing such a set? You either get it when you buy the bigger set or not. No one will buy 10307 just to get this one, it's not like other GWP that any set can grant you the freebie.
@elangab said:
"What's the point of reviewing such a set? You either get it when you buy the bigger set or not. No one will buy 10307 just to get this one, it's not like other GWP that any set can grant you the freebie."
I'm going to buy 10307, so will buy it now to get this. (I suffer from FOMO...)
@PeterT_AFOL said:
" @elangab said:
"What's the point of reviewing such a set? You either get it when you buy the bigger set or not. No one will buy 10307 just to get this one, it's not like other GWP that any set can grant you the freebie."
I'm going to buy 10307, so will buy it now to get this. (I suffer from FOMO...)"
Oh OK, that makes sense then. It's to answer the question should you buy 10307 now (for the GWP) or later on, assuming you want to own 10307. Thanks!
I want this set but not the tower. I don't want this set for £550 though.
Should this set and the Eiffel Tower as well have been made out of brown bricks? I know in imagination (mine included) it's grey but has it ever actually been?
Would be a neat design trick if you could actually insert this apartment and its intersecting beam into the Eiffel Tower build itself...
@Desbug said:
"I want this set but not the tower. I don't want this set for £550 though.
Should this set and the Eiffel Tower as well have been made out of brown bricks? I know in imagination (mine included) it's grey but has it ever actually been? "
They repaint the Eiffel Tower about every 7 years to prevent oxidation. They've done it from the beginning. It's been different colors.
Lego went with it's original raw cast iron and steel color here. Before it was even assembled.
When it debut, it was a reddish color.
Here's a rundown:
- 1887/88 : "Venetian red" paint, applied in the workshop before the parts were assembled.
- 1889 : Application of a very thick, reddish-brown coat.
- 1892 : The Tower turns 'ochre brown'.
- 1899 : A coat of 5 colors is painted in shaded tones from yellow-orange at the base to light yellow at the top. It was after this repainting campaign that the 7-year cycle was adopted for the renewal of the paintwork.
- 1907-1917-1924-1932-1939-1947 : The color is called 'yellow-brown'.
- 1954-61 : A new color for the Eiffel Tower - 'brownish-red'.
Since 1968, the color “Eiffel Tower Brown” is chosen for its harmony with the Parisian cityscape.
It was applied in three shaded tones, with the darkest at the bottom and the lightest at the top.
Can this be installed into the larger set's interior?
Someone might want to track it down on eBay or something.
@Autoboty said:
"Someone might want to track it down on eBay or something."
Already going for $150 to $200 on ebay.
@WizardOfOss said:
"Nice little set, despite the overreliance on stickers.
If only 10307 was in this same scale...."
Love that idea.
But I think that would work out to be about a 43 foot tall model, if we use 1:25 for MF scale.
Maybe for a Legoland or the LEGO House?
Wow I never realized the Eiffel Tower had an apartment built into it! That's my biggest takeaway from this set!
@pocketone23 said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"Nice little set, despite the overreliance on stickers.
If only 10307 was in this same scale...."
Love that idea.
But I think that would work out to be about a 43 foot tall model, if we use 1:25 for MF scale.
Maybe for a Legoland or the LEGO House?"
Nah, if some fan can build a 20 meter tall tower from Fischertechnik, then there should be someone in the Lego community to do a Eiffel tower at that scale?
https://www.ftcommunity.de/bilderpool/veranstaltungen/erbes-budesheim/erbes-budesheim-2014/20m-turm-michael-stratmann/gallery-index/
(looking at his other projects, the guy certainly liked to build BIG....)
This vignette- with it's recycled, non-unique minifig- is not nearly good enough to make me buy the tower on release. I'll wait for a really good sale (as I do for all sets, now).
Thanks for the swell review CR. Your insights are helpful as always!
I assume they used that hairpiece as the one suggested doesn't yet exist in grey it seems.
I appreicate reviews of sets like this, GWPs, super-expensive sets etc I'm never going to own it so it's nice to experience it and take a look.