Members of the public will get a chance to check out It’s Always Tea Time! at the central city library, Tūranga, this weekend.
Chan and Graham initially created the large-scale display for the 2024 Christchurch Brick Show.
But it has been moved to the library's Hapori floor ahead of Tūranga Takeover: A Lego Extravaganza on Saturday and Sunday (January 25-26).
The display features the iconic mad tea party scene with Alice, the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit.
It was inspired by "A Mad Tea-Party", one of the most memorable chapters in Lewis Carroll’s 1851 children’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The 1951 animated Disney film version also influenced some of the pieces.
"The characters took 30-40 hours each to create," Centuri said.
"We started with Alice first, she was the hardest and the focus of the display, so we got the scale and colours for the whole piece from her.
"We’ve put in a lot of little details in for kids to find, there are hidden flamingos, mini versions of the characters. The more you look, the more you’ll see.
"Alice’s dress is made from three Vespa Lego sets, she’s got pies for buttons - there’s just a lot of different things like that."
Christchurch City Council acting head of libraries and information Chris Hay said the impressive display is one of several Lego-related events at libraries to mark International Lego Day next week.
This weekend's Tūranga Takeover will also mark the 10-year anniversary of the Lego-based charity, Imagination Station.
It will take over Tūranga with an expanded play area, interactive exhibits and creative workshops.
Imagination Station managing director Traci Stanbury said: “We’re passionate about ensuring that our space is accessible to everyone in the community.
"Lego is such a great tool to teach STEM concepts and accessibility is so important to support creativity, fun, and engaging education."
Almost 60,000 people visit Imagination Station at Tūranga every year.
"We’ve loved having the dedicated Imagination Station space available since Tūranga opened its doors in 2018," Hay said.
"Not everybody has Lego at home, so having it at the library means anyone can make the most of the incredible collection of Lego, Lego Technic and DUPLO and all the hands-on learning that goes along with that."
Christchurch libraries' annual Brick Your Book competition to make a scene, character or cover from your favourite book will also start on Monday, January 27.
"There are so many ways to get involved with Lego at the library between now and the end of the school holidays - let the imaginations run wild," Hay said.
Tūranga Takeover: A LEGO Extravaganza
- Expanded Play Area: Enjoy the Christchurch Brick Show’s ramp run, Lego walk of fire, and extra play pits.
- Interactive Exhibits: Contribute to the Murmurations exhibit and explore Lego mosaics and architecture.
Creative workshops:
- Lego Movie Making (Level 4, Computer Labs): 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
- Remote-Controlled Car Building (Ground Level, Spark Place): 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
- Team Battlebots for ages 12+ (Level 1, Activity Room): 11am-1pm ($30 registration required online)
Schedule of events:
- He Hononga (Ground Level): Lego Technic, 10am-5pm
- Hapori (Level 1): Expanded play area, Lego walk of fire, ramp run, 11am-5pm
- Creative Space (Level 1): Murmurations, 10am-5pm
- Tuakiri (Level 2): Lego Architecture with white bricks, 10am-5pm
- Tūhurutanga (Level 3): Lego Mosaics, 10am-5pm
- Auahatanga (Level 4): Movie Making with Lego, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
Find out more on the Christchurch City Libraries website.
