LEGO Architecture Lincoln Memorial Assembly Instructions Manual

Lincoln Memorial

Washington, D.C., USA

Booklet available in English on
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Lincoln Memorial

Abraham Lincoln holds a unique place in the history of

the United States: not only did he save the Union, he
reinvigorated the nation’s founding principle — that all
men are created equal. The campaign to erect a fitting
memorial in his name began even as he lay on his
deathbed in 1865. It would eventually be completed 57
years later, after decades of disagreements over what

type of monument to build and where it should be placed.

[ In this temple
as in the hearts of the people
for whom he saved the Union
the memory of Abraham Lincoln
is enshrined forever. ]

© Shutterstock

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Demands for a fitting national memorial for the 16th
president of the United States began shortly after his
assassination in April 1865. Although Congress passed
its first bill on the matter in 1867, it would be 1913 before
the design, location, and funding of the memorial were
finally approved.

Even then many still questioned whether architect Henry
Bacon’s Greek temple design was too extravagant for
such a humble man as Lincoln, and whether the swampy
and inaccessible Potomac Park was the best place for
it to stand.

The Lincoln Memorial Commission stood firm in its
recommendation: the memorial would stand alone at
one end of the National Mall. The massive sculpture of
Lincoln, the savior of the nation, would face east toward
the monument celebrating the founder of the nation,
George Washington, and in between would be a long
reflecting pool.

The project got under way with a ceremony on
February 12, 1914, and construction began a month later.
Although work slowed as a result of the United States
entering the First World War in 1917, the monument
was completed on schedule in 1922. On Memorial Day,
May 30, 1922, 50,000 people attended a dedication
ceremony. Among those present were hundreds of Civil
War veterans; Robert Todd Lincoln, the president’s only
surviving son; and President Warren G. Harding, who
accepted the memorial on behalf of the American people.

The memorial itself echoes a classic Greek temple and
the structure measures 189.7 by 118.5 ft. (58 by 36 m) and
is 99 ft. (30 m) tall. It is surrounded by a colonnade of 36
fluted Doric columns, one for each of the 36 states in the
Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The columns stand
44 ft. (13 m) tall with a base diameter of 7.5 ft. (2.3 m).

HistoryandConstruction

Above the colonnade, inscribed on a frieze, are the

The memorial is anchored on a concrete foundation, 44

187 by 257 ft. (57 by 78 m) rectangular granite retaining
wall measuring 14 ft. (4.3 m) in height.

The interior of the monument is divided into three
chambers. The north and south chambers contain carved

governing principles in Lincoln’s life.

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© Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing Collection

Above the colonnade, inscribed on a frieze, are the
names of the 36 states in the Union when Lincoln died
and the dates in which they entered. Above this are
inscribed the names of the 48 states present in the Union
at the time of the memorial’s dedication.

The memorial is anchored on a concrete foundation, 44
to 66 ft. (13 to 20 m) in depth, and is encompassed by a
187 by 257 ft. (57 by 78 m) rectangular granite retaining
wall measuring 14 ft. (4.3 m) in height.

The interior of the monument is divided into three
chambers. The north and south chambers contain carved
inscriptions of Lincoln’s second inaugural address and
his Gettysburg Address. Above each of the inscriptions
is a 60 by 12 ft. (18.3 by 3.7 m) mural portraying the
governing principles in Lincoln’s life.

Between the north and south chambers is the central

chamber containing the solitary figure of Lincoln sitting
in contemplation. The statue rests upon an oblong
marble pedestal 10 ft. (3 m) high, 16 ft. (5 m) wide, and
17 ft. (5.2 m) deep.

Lincoln Memorial under construction, 1919

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While many people were involved in the design and
construction of the Lincoln Memorial, it is the architect
Henry Bacon, sculptor Daniel Chester French, and artist
Jules Guerin who were most prominent.

Henry Bacon (1866–1924)

Henry Bacon was a New York–based architect who had
traveled widely in Europe and was especially fond of
ancient Greek architecture. His inspiration for the Lincoln
Memorial is the Athenian temple known as the Parthenon.

Bacon instinctively understood the symbolic role of the
memorial in reunifying a country torn apart by civil war
and deliberately chose building materials from as many
states as possible. The granite at the terrace level came
from Massachusetts, the marble of the upper steps and
outside façade came from Colorado, and the pink marble
floor of the chamber came from Tennessee. Indiana

limestone is used on the interior walls and columns of
the chamber, and the ceiling tiles are made of Alabama
marble. The statue of Lincoln itself is carved from
Georgia marble. Bacon was awarded the Gold Medal
of the American Institute of Architects, his profession’s
highest honor, for his work on the memorial.

Daniel Chester French (1850–1931)

Daniel Chester French was the leading American
sculptor of his day and his most famous work is the
statue of Lincoln, which dominates the interior of the
memorial. The plans originally specified a 12 ft. (3.6 m)
bronze statue, but it proved out of scale for the huge
building. The finished statue is 19 ft. (5.8 m) tall, which
means if Lincoln were standing, he would be 28 ft. (8.5 m)
tall. The sculpture took four years to complete, weighs
175 tons (159 metric tons), and is carved from 28 separate
blocks of white Georgia marble.

The People behind the Memorial

© Library of Congress

Drawing on tracing paper of Lincoln’s statue by Henry Bacon, 1917

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Jules Guerin (1866–1946)

Jules Guerin was originally hired by Henry Bacon to
create watercolor illustrations of his proposed plans
for the memorial. Guerin was born in St Louis, Missouri,
a year after the end of the American Civil War. Later,
he went on to study art in Chicago and Europe. He
was thereafter selected to decorate the interior of the
memorial with two canvas murals 60 ft. (18.3 m) long by
12 ft. (3.7 m) high. Together, the murals visually symbolize
the principles of Abraham Lincoln and emphasize his
two great accomplishments — emancipation and unity.

© Library of Congress

Drawing on tracing paper of Lincoln’s statue by Henry Bacon, 1917

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The Memorial as a National Symbol

© Shutterstock

FactsabouttheLincolnMemorial

Location:
Area:
Architect:
Architectural style:
Construction start:
Construction end:
Size:
Exterior materials:
Interior materials:
Construction costs:

The Lincoln Memorial is not only an iconic piece of
architecture, it is a symbol of everything Abraham Lincoln
stood for. For this reason, it has also been the venue for
many of the most memorable demonstrations within the
American Civil Rights movement.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people journeyed
to Washington from all over the United States and stood
in front of the memorial as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The spot
on which King stood was engraved in 2003 in recognition
of the 40th anniversary of the event.

The memorial has played a central role in a number of
blockbuster movies and also appears on the back of
the U.S. five dollar bill, the front of which bears Lincoln’s
portrait. Approximately six million people visit the
memorial annually; it is open 24 hours a day, every day
of the year except Christmas Day. In 2007 the American

Institute of Architects ranked it seventh in the List of
America’s Favorite Architecture.

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FactsabouttheLincolnMemorial

Location: ........................................ West end of National Mall, Washington, D.C.

Area: ............................................... 27,336 square feet (2,539.6 m

2

)

Architect: ...................................... Henry Bacon

Architectural style: ............... Beaux-Arts

Construction start: ............... 1914

Construction end: .................. 1922

Size: ................................................. Memorial (external) 189.7 ft. (58 m) width, 118.5 ft. (36 m) breadth, 99 ft. (30 m) height

Exterior materials: ................ Colorado Yule marble, Tennessee pink marble, Massachusetts granite

Interior materials: .................. Indiana limestone, Georgia white marble, Tennessee pink marble, Alabama marble, bronze, brass

Construction costs: ............. $2,957,000

© Shutterstock

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Although $2 million was

set aside to c over the
memorial’s construction
costs, t he final cost was

closer to $ 3 million.

© Library of Congress

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The column s and exterio r

walls are inclined slightly

toward the building’s interi or.

This compensates for visual

perspective distortions that

would make the memorial

appear to bulge out at the top .

© Library of Congress

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The statue’s left hand is

clenched to symbolize

strength and determinat ion.

The right hand is open

to symbolize charity and

compassion.

© Shutterstock

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There is a myth that the

face of Confederate

General R obert E . Lee

is carved in the back of

Lincoln’s head.

© Shutterstock

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Many believe t hat Lincoln is
shown using sign language

symbols to re present his
initials, with his left hand

forming an “A” and his right

hand an “L .”

© Shutterstock

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The Alabama marble used

in the ceiling panels was

saturated w ith melted

beeswax for better

translucency.

© Shutterstock

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© Shutterstock

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© Shutterstock

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LEGO® Architecture – Then and Now

There has always been a natural connection between the

LEGO

®

brick and the world of architecture. Fans who build
with LEGO elements instinctively develop an interest in
the form and function of the structures they create. At
the same time, many architects have discovered that
LEGO bricks are the perfect way to physically express
their creative ideas.

This connection was confirmed in the early 1960s with

the launch of the LEGO “Scale Model” line. It matched
the spirit of the age where modern architects were
redefining how houses look and people were taking an
active interest in the design of their new homes. These
sets were designed to be different from the normal,
brightly colored LEGO boxes and also inspired its users
with a book on architecture.

Decades later, architect and LEGO fan Adam Reed

Tucker revived the idea of expressing architecture using

LEGO bricks and in partnership with the LEGO Group,

launched the LEGO Architecture line that we know today.
His first models, and the original sets in the current
LEGO Architecture series, were interpretations of famous
skyscrapers from his hometown of Chicago. Since then
LEGO Architecture has developed and evolved, first
with well-known buildings from other cities in the United
States, and now with iconic structures from Europe, the
Middle East, and Asia.

The introduction of our LEGO Architecture Studio set

echoes the ambitions of the earlier LEGO “Scale Model”
line and widens the potential of the LEGO Architecture
series. Now you can enjoy building and learning
about specific landmark buildings, or create exciting
architectural models from your own fantasy. An inspiring
270-page book, featuring a number of renowned
architects from around the world, guides you through the
principles of architecture and encourages you in your
own creative building.

21050
LEGO Architecture Studio

63

21050
LEGO Architecture Studio

64

21014
Villa Savoye

21017
Imperial Hotel

21011
Brandenburg Gate

21006
The White House

21003
Seattle
Space Needle

21013
Big Ben

Celebratetheworldofarchitectureandcollectallthemodels

21015
The Leaning Tower
of Pisa

65

21011
Brandenburg Gate

21019
Eiffel Tower

21015
The Leaning Tower
of Pisa

21018
United Nations Headquarters

21020
Trevi Fountain

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References

Textcredits

Npsgov

Photocredits

Shutterstockcom
LibraryofCongress–locgov

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Customer Service

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Service Consommateurs

Servicio Al Consumidor

LEGO.com/service or dial

:

00800 5346 5555

:

1-800-422-5346

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