Legos are toys, but they also inspire amazing creations. LEGO artists make use of the tiny plastic bricks for everything from architecture to robots. Even the company’s engineers design new components that let builders to create more intricate models. Erik Varszegi is a Master Builder at the Lego Group, Billund, Denmark. He came up with the new element for this year’s model, the curved slope. It allows Lego users to create more slanted shapes while adhering the strict color palette of the company. The slopes can also be used to create more dynamic shapes such as the curving staircase.

While certain Lego designs are the creations of professional designers, other designs are the result of the popular Lego Ideas set-design program. The Ideas line offers anyone the chance to create a set and then have it built, granting fame and a portion of sales create your own lego house with lego set to designers who is able to convince 10,000 fellow designers that their design deserves to be made into a production. It’s not surprising that the most extravagant and impressive sets usually garner the most attention, particularly when they feature famous characters or scenes from movies, television shows, or in real life.

Some of the best Lego designs are two space-themed icons that include the NASA space shuttle Discovery and a model of the Hubble Telescope. Each comes with display plaques and a tiny Lego model of the scientist who designed the telescope. Other impressive models are the framed rainbow, steampunk dragon and a model of the Palace of Westminster.