While it is turning to spring in many parts of the world, there are still places where snow covers the land. In those northern reaches, you can find a rich history of survival and ingenuity, manifested in small shelters made of snow. These domed creations, known as igloos, can be both gorgeous objects of a tourist’s interest and real homes for people living in cold regions of the planet.

LEGO has designed its own versions of these iconic architectural creations to include in sets through the years, with each having a unique form and function. I invite you to enjoy these great LEGO versions of igloos and the fun photo journal I created of them based on them!

Igloo Polybag 40061

The smallest igloo in the LEGO set collection, this snow house has a very realistic shape and pleasant design—I’d even call it delicate. The combination of white and blue, snow and ice, is a perfect base for the cold landscape picture sprinkled with falling snow!

It is likely that this small-sized igloo is intended to play the role of a temporary shelter that is used for hunting and fishing—which I think is confirmed by interpreting two interesting details:

It takes place on open sea ice, and this LEGO igloo is built on blue plates.
As you can see on the official image, the location attracted the penguins who decided to save efforts in fishing from their new home base.

Winter Village Cottage 10229

The Winter Village Cottage is a wonderful set that highlights many festive family activities! But one of the side builds is this cute igloo, built in accordance with the traditional instructions. Sounds fun for the tiny brick construction, right? Anyway, let us check out how to build a real igloo:

"You shouldn't join the angles of the snowblocks. Leave the triangular holes between them, fill in the holes with loose snow, and you'll achieve a solid construction."

Have a look at the shape of the snow walls: they are not completely round! This detail not only shows the variety of LEGO elements in the set but also proves the absolute realism of the creation. The heating system is another convincing addition to this type of igloo: it’s evident that the LEGO family can use it as a comfortable home for more festive occasions. Well done, guys!

LEGO Classic 11008

This third igloo seems to be much bigger and looks like it is intended a part of some spectacular winter celebration. The impressive shape and the large scale inspired me to take a photo “at first light.” In my mind, the team was building the igloo day and night, and now they’re waking up with the sun shining into a new house! Or maybe they didn’t sleep because of festive excitement, and that’s why they didn't turn off the light.

This bright standard matches the feeling of something remarkable, joyful, and... even victorious. I have a theory about it too!

This beautiful shelter reminds me of the “Largest Igloo” ever in Zermatt, Switzerland, which was built in the famous Igloo Village for the celebration’s 20th anniversary. The building crew constructed it in three weeks. This giant icy abode was listed in Guinness World Records with an internal diameter of 12.9 meters!

Creative Art of LEGO Igloo Building

There have been a few other LEGO igloos (or igloo-shaped items) over the years. How about the Star Wars version of a Yoda Hut igloo from 4002019 Christmas X-wing or the tiny version from 75279 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (inexplicably in a sandy tan color)? They fixed the igloo coloring back to white in 40451 Tatooine-Homestead.

There is even a Duplo version from 10803 Arctic. And if you are interested in some unexpected forms of igloos, there’s 21142 Polar Igloo and 21120 Snow Hideout. Here are some photos of all of those from Brickset:

Window to the Northern Lights

LEGO’s newest igloo comes from the amazing Friends 41760 Igloo Holiday Adventure set!

The set has another architectural idea that can be listed in our visual encyclopedia of snow-and-ice shelters: a glass hotel room in the style of an igloo.

I slightly modified the color palette of the igloo: the dark turquoise elements and some of the warm “wooden” panels became light aqua to represent a better ice-cold atmosphere, inspired by these Finnish glass igloos. I love how these illuminated rooms look under the snow.

I illuminated the set in order to match the contrast between my “frozen” design and the warmth inside. The shelter is decorated with pleasant touches of winter, like Nordic berries and ice-covered entrances. The interior is rich with cozy details: colorful sofas, a small table for hot chocolate, and, of course, a glass ceiling for the magical panoramic view of the Northern Lights.

Every igloo is a unique interpretation—almost artistic in a way. The more the designers get creative, the more stories they can tell. I’m sure that our visual encyclopedia can be expanded with more beautiful variants of these snowy masterpieces, so I look forward to seeing what other igloos LEGO and the fan community have in store for us in the future.

Which type of LEGO igloo do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!

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