CAMDEN — “Local LEGO artist Colby Adolphsen has created an incredible replica of Camden Public Library, entirely made of LEGO,” said the library, in a news release. “No detail escaped his notice: the accuracy of everything from bond patterns in the bricks to the light-up lighthouse in the children’s room is both impressive and magical.”

Not only is the library’s exterior architecture and landscaping precisely engineered in LEGO, but the inside is, too. The view through the lit-up windows shows library staff and patrons working, reading, and enjoying the space.

This LEGO replica is as much a work of precise art as it is a love letter to the Camden Public Library. Adolphsen grew up in Knox County and enjoyed going to the library during his childhood. Later, he and his wife took their engagement and wedding photos in the Amphitheatre.

“It is a special place for us,” he says.

“The finished replica is clearly a labor of love,” said the library. 

Adolphsen spoke with the library about his experience building it: “Building a replica of the library was a really fun project for me. It has beautiful architecture, is picturesque in a way that is characteristic of the Maine coast, and has wonderful personal significance for me. It is definitely my largest LEGO build to this point. I do not have an exact piece count of the build, but it is many thousands. I estimate the project took me between 80-90 hours over a two-month period to complete from start to finish.”

During the past year, Adolphsen has worked on several other LEGO creations that have both personal significance to him and a coastal Maine theme. On his Instagram, he has posted replicas of Breakwater Lighthouse, Marshall Point, his own home, a lobster sculpture, a Camden Harbor diorama, and a schooner based on the Lewis French.

The LEGO Camden Public Library is now on display on the library's first floor, for everyone to notice their own favorite details.