Inspirational Teen With Autism Uses 65,000 Legos To Build Largest Toy Replica Of Titanic
On the autistic spectrum is 17-year-old Icelandic resident Brynjar Karl Birgisson. He used to enjoy Legos and is fascinated by the Titanic. In 2013, he made the decision to combine his interests and build the largest Lego Titanic model in the world.
The enormous project by Birgisson required 700 hours spread over 11 months. He also required about 56,000 Lego pieces to finish building his spacecraft, but The Guardian reports that this amount increased to 65,000 after one of the ship’s front components cracked. The finished product measured 24 feet long and 5 feet tall.
Birgisson is now referred to as “the Lego boy” and is well-known all over the world. His model has traveled the globe. It has been on display in museums in Germany, Norway, and Sweden. In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the Titanic Museum Attraction began displaying Birgisson’s model in October 2019. It remained there into the year 2020.
The museum published a Q&A with Birgisson where they talked about his idea. Birgisson acknowledged that the stern’s collapse caused him to lose patience and feel like giving up a few times. He also discussed how his mother and grandfather supported him as he worked on his project.
Birgisson still amazes viewers from all over the world with his incredible Lego constructions of all different sizes and designs. Discover more about the incredible works that Birgisson has produced and what lies ahead for “the Lego guy” by reading on.
Birgisson’s grandpa reportedly assisted him with the calculations to make sure that his model was constructed to scale, according to the Titanic Pigeon Forge. He began by assuming that a four-centimeter Lego man was the same as a person standing 1.75 meters (5’8″) tall. That informed him of the size need for the model and the quantity of Lego bricks required to construct it.
When it came to tasks that required an adult, like finding a warehouse to build the model in or using internet crowdsourcing, Birgisson’s mother assisted him. She also assisted him with interviewing.
Later, Birgisson discussed his concept and the challenges he faced while working on it at a TED Talk. In his book My Autistic X Factor, which he also wrote, he describes a “x factor” as a unique talent. Birgisson thinks that everyone possesses an X factor that makes them unique; it may simply take them some time to discover it.
On his website, Birgisson also discusses his most recent endeavor, a documentary titled How the Titanic Became My Lifeboat. The film focuses on Birgisson’s model and the ways in which his endeavor benefited him.
According to Attractions Magazine, it made its debut in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in March 2020 at a neighborhood theater. Birgisson thinks that his film will increase public understanding of autism and inspire businesses and institutions to be more understanding of the needs of those with autism.
Birgisson keeps coming up with new Lego constructions. He and his friend Mikael flew to Denmark in May 2022, according to his Facebook, to exhibit their Lego Boeing 737 at a special event at the Frederiksberg Center in Copenhagen. We’re eager to see what this amazing person comes up with next!
Source: accord.org