Exeter LEGO Club Completes Building of 1:1 Model of the Class of 1945 Library

By ERIN HAN, JINMIN LEE, JAYDEN OH, LILY RAMPE, JANIBEK SUBKHANBERDIN, and FORREST ZENG

On Friday, Oct. 4, students gathered in the library to display a LEGO replica of the Class of 1945 Library. 

The event was run by Exeter’s LEGO club, in celebration of completing this huge project. According to senior Nathan Frankel, a co-head of the club, the final model consisted of 86,000 pieces, 15,000 LEGO books, 100 minifigures, and pieces ordered from the US, Germany, Thailand, Croatia, Estonia, and the UK. 

This project was completed with the help of many volunteers and hours of labor. “The entire project took approximately 260 man-hours over the course of a year. The initial phases of planning took place in the summer and fall of 2023 and took 20 man-hours. The design process took place during the winter of 2023-2024 and took about 100 man-hours. The ordering of materials and construction took about 120 man-hours during the spring of 2024. Summer and fall of 2024 consisted of adding the final details and took about 20 man-hours,” Frankel described.

The idea for this project was thought of by Frankel. “I came up with the project during the summer before my upper year. I wanted to design a Lego model of a building on campus, and the library was the perfect choice for its architectural beauty and how it serves as a community space for learning and social engagement.”

Frankel continued, “When realizing I wanted to build the library, my first step was to contact an architecture professor in Brazil who had a digital architectural model of the library. He shared the digital model with me, which I used for reference when constructing my digital Lego model using the Lego CAD software called Studio.”

Thanks to help from the library, the LEGO club was able to turn its idea into a reality. Laura Wood, the Director of the Academy Library, said, “At Joanne Lembo’s suggestion, the co-heads of the Academy Band of LEGO Builders contacted me to ask if I’d consider helping with funding.”

She detailed, “They gave me a three-page proposal for the project noting their hope to display the finished result in a public place and provided three options for the project to be built at three different scales noting some of the appeal of each size. They also estimated the bricks needed and the costs for those options. They wanted to gauge the level of financial support available (and thus the size they could afford) before doing the detailed work of the design.”

Wood continued, “I was immediately impressed by their organization and presentation. It was clear they had thought out the complexity of the project and what it would require. It made the most sense to me to support the project at the largest size, as it was a mini-figure scale with the potential for dioramas with the mini-figures.” 

Many Exeter faculty members and students were a part of this project. “The project would not have happened without the efforts of many people. Included in these efforts are over 60 members of the Exeter community who contributed to the building during the spring of 2024. Also included is Aiden Vieara-Mccarthy, who was an important part of designing and constructing the model with me,” credited Frankel. “A couple of recent graduates, AG Mamolo and Will Soh, should also be recognized, as they spent hours of their time during their senior year constructing the model. Also essential to this project being realized is the support of the adults at Exeter, including special mention to Ms. Lembo, Ms. Wood, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Herney. These adults were instrumental in helping this library model come into existence.”

Additionally, as the Exonians built, the library staff provided them with valuable architectural materials from the library’s archives—namely, Louis Kahn’s original sketches of the library. 

Reference and music librarian Drew Gatto shared, “The Library provided the students with access to architect Louis Kahn’s original set of blueprints for the building, housed in the Archives and Special Collections; this enabled them to transform two-dimensional depictions of the building here and in other printed sources into a three-dimensional scale model.”

One challenge the club faced was designing a structure that is able to hold up the LEGOs above it. “The most difficult part was designing the large layers of Legos which act as the ceiling/floors of each floor in the library. It was hard designing them to be structurally stable enough to support the building,” Frankel said. 

The project was so labor-intensive both due to its complexity and also the sheer number of duplicate parts, such as carrels and shelves. “Most of the library is made up of segments that aren’t very hard to build,” described upper and LEGO Club co-head Bill O’Connor. “But they have to be built hundreds of times, segments such as desks, bookshelves, and columns.”

It was also difficult to find a space for the students to work on this project. “A big project like this also needed a space for construction. Once the bricks were ordered, the club brought them to a room in the library—a room we use for a variety of purposes, especially projects. We were able to refrain from using it so that the club could devote the space to build in a place that was secure and allowed for the bricks to be spread out for various streams of assembly,” Wood added. 

Finding this space was, again, made possible by the help of the library staff. “The students were granted a building space in a corner office in Rockefeller Hall, close to the central hub of the Library, where many aspects of the building’s unique architecture are easily visible,” explained Gatto.

Despite the hard work and challenges, the project was worth it. In addition to an amazing final product, many memories were created along the way. Frankel said, “The special moments were when I got to know and work with people who I didn’t know before constructing the model. It was great to see the joy and excitement people had when building this. Also, a fun story is that when taking pictures of the library’s interior for reference in the designing phase of the project, I found a small kitchen on the fourth floor which I don’t think anyone knows exists.”

Conveniently, the project was completed in time for Family Weekend, allowing a greater breadth of the Exeter community to admire the completed build. “It gained a lot of attention over Family Weekend by showcasing not only the architectural wonder of the building but also the resourcefulness and creativity of our students,” said library administrative coordinator Grace Smyth.

She lauded further, “I was amazed when I first saw it. The detail of the model, down to the carrels, the piano in Rockefeller Hall, the books on the shelves, and the lights! It was evident that great thought, care, and hard work went into its construction.”

Instructor in Mathematics Shaocheng Ma echoed that point, emphasizing his amazement at the clever building techniques used to represent books, computers, stairs, and other features. 

Being big LEGO fans themselves, Ma and his family found the model inspiring. In particular, the idea of reconstructing Exeter’s campus in LEGO further supported Ma’s belief in the creativity and imagination enabled by LEGO.

Attendee of the opening, prep Gavin Lyle, came away with similar inspiration. “While I may never have the dedication to lead a team to build a huge LEGO structure, this event did inspire me to help if another of these builds were to come about,” said Lyle. “Though it is only my prep fall, I would still like to make a last impact, even if it’s through a single brick.” 

For a potential new build, Lyle suggested the Academy Building—citing its coming reconstruction and position at the heart of campus as factors in his interest.

Ma shared that optimism for a possible continuation of campus-based LEGO models, hoping that, at some point, the entire campus would be given a LEGO body. He speculated that such a project would prove useful for school tours—providing an engaging map of campus that could demonstrate its full scale in three-dimensional form. 

Opening attendees left the library with numerous takeaways and newfound appreciations. “I believe the monument is a testament to the value of the library in our community,” said Lyle. “From study sessions to laughing with friends, the library truly is an irreplaceable part of our community. The love we hold for the library was shown in the structure.”

In addition, Ma found that the project kindled a sense of warmth and connection on campus as members of the community gathered around the replica, sharing thoughts and photos, the opening brought many closer together. 

Thanks to the Friends of the Academy Library, who funded $6,500 for the project, this project was made possible. Frankel explained, “The Friends of the Academy Library is an alumni network that collects and provides funding for various projects in the Academy Library. This would not have been possible without their generosity and support.” 

The library staff was excited about this project and inspired by the way students came together to help. “My compliments to the entire Academy Band of Lego Builders,” said Smyth. “They should be very proud of their work!”

Gatto also shared his pride. “Having watched Nathan and his team work diligently on the model since the middle of the spring term, I was very proud of them when they completed it and then unveiled it to the Exeter community. From its beginnings, the project had a je ne sais quoi, an aura of urgency that hinted at an important event taking place.” 

He added, “When the finished build was finally presented, I was stunned by the result. I knew that the model would be good, but I didn’t realize just how intricate the details would be, and what a faithful interpretation of the Library the model would present.”

Wood commented, “I think there is a wonderful example here for all students of the joy and accomplishment that can come from pursuing what you’re passionate about. It took incredible planning, preparation, persistence, and LOTS of time. But the end result is a gift to the whole community. I’m very proud of the club and so happy that the Library could play a part in the project.” 

Gatto added, “From my observations, the Lego Library inspires wonder in those who view it, regardless of their prior knowledge of the Library or their previous experiences in the building. Having the Library encapsulated in a scale model humanizes the building, whose physical size and layout can be overwhelming and intimidating to visitors attempting to navigate it.”

He elaborated, sharing his hopes that the model will encourage curiosity about the library’s architectural identity. “I’m hopeful that having the Lego model on display will inspire the PEA community to think about the building differently and ponder its aesthetic qualities—curiosity generally leads to great questions, and I would be thrilled to join our patrons as they explore the building, using the model as a point of inquiry.

Assistant Director of the Library Beth Rohloff concluded, “Libraries should inspire curiosity, creativity, and community. The LEGO project is representative of that.”