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We first interviewed Ezequiel Alabaça a while back, and I remember thinking he would come back with something bigger. He did. His new LEGO® Ideas project is a city slice of Lisbon, a compact MOC that feels lived in, a love letter built for fans. You can almost hear the guitar, perhaps smell roasted chestnuts. You know that feeling when a model is more than parts. This is one of those.
Tram 28, heart on rails
The bright yellow Tram 28 glides past tiled corners and steep climbs. Ezequiel frames it tight, so you sense the squeeze of the street. I rode that tram once and stood the whole way, grinning, because the view is the point. The carriage here reads classic Lisbon, and the track geometry looks clean, no clutter, just line and rhythm. Would you display the tram docked at a stop or rolling through a curve.
Houses that tell stories
A typical Lisbon house anchors the block. Aged facade, small balcony, potted plants, laundry that says real life. Brick choices favor texture over spectacle, which I think suits the subject. Rooflines step up, windows vary, nothing too neat, which helps. Cities breathe through imperfections.
Alleys, guitarra, and saudade
Between the main fronts, a thin cut opens to a hidden passage. That is where the sound lives. A tiny stage and a singer nod to Fado, the city’s voice. The Portuguese guitar gets a compact brick build, and the seating reads intimate. Songs turn on love and loss, and this corner lets the scene whisper. Quiet pieces do heavy lifting.
June lights and street color
During the Popular Festivities, Lisbon turns the volume up. Ezequiel sprinkles banners and garlands so the street feels mid party. You can imagine sardines, caldo verde, and a bit of dancing after sunset. Small touches sell it, not one big gesture. The build respects that balance.
Pessoa sits, city moves
A seated figure suggests Fernando Pessoa outside a café table, the kind of pose that invites a photo and a pause. The café counter sits nearby with a line of cups and trays. Grab a bica, then a Pastel de Nata. The pastry print, if it lands in a future update, would be a neat extra. Until then, the tile and color do enough.
Streets beneath your feet
The sidewalk shows calçada portuguesa, that black and white mosaic pattern. Tiles form waves and diamonds. The trick is contrast and repetition. Ezequiel uses simple pieces to make it read at a glance. It also looks a bit slippery, which is honest. Lisbon people know.
Smell of the season
A small cart for roasted chestnuts sits on the corner. Thin smoke piece, warm cone, simple and right. You can almost warm your hands. Little vendors make streets feel alive.
Old traffic, new memory
A raised stand nods to the classic traffic signalman, the uniformed officer who once guided everything by hand. The pose is crisp. You get motion without noise. I like that history has a square meter in this model.
Keep your pocket, keep your smile
Tourist zones attract pickpockets. The build tips its hat to that reality with a cautionary vignette. Nothing heavy. Just a reminder to hold your bag while you look up and fall in love with the tiles.
Scale, parts, and presence
Parts, nearly 3500. Length, 40.7 cm or 16.0 in. Height, 28.1 cm or 11.1 in. Width, 34.1 cm or 13.4 in. This footprint fills a shelf without taking a whole cabinet. It reads as a display first, a play diorama second, which fits the theme.
Minifigures for the scene
The project includes 12 minifigures. That gives room for locals, visitors, performers, and crew. You can stage the tram, a café moment, or a small march. Variety keeps the street alive.
LEGO® Ideas path
This is a LEGO® Ideas submission, so support counts. Ten thousand supporters open the review door. If you want more city culture on shelves, give it a vote. If you love Lisbon, share it. Simple inputs drive real outcomes. Bricks become stories, stories become sets, sets return to stories. Built for fans, again and again.
Why it works
City builds can drift into postcard clichés. This one keeps the postcard, then adds texture. Music, food, sidewalks, transit, a poet at rest. Movement and pause, pause and movement. It feels true.
Lisbon: Soul, History and Tradition has now more than 3000 votes, so if you want to see this idea to become a LEGO® official set, please don't forget to vote.
