London Bridge Replica Crowned World's Largest Lego Sculpture

lego-bridge-record — Bear Grylls, Zara Phillips and Sir Ben Ainslie pose by the new Land Rover Discovery in front of a world record-breaking Lego Tower Bridge structure. (Image credit: Land Rover)

To launch its New Discovery car, automaker Land Rover set a new world record with the largest Lego sculpture: a replica of London's iconic Tower Bridge.

Using 5,805,846 individual pieces, the 43-foot-high (13 meters) Lego construction beat the previous record by 470,646 bricks, according to Guinness World Records. In fact, the bricks used to build the Tower Bridge replica would stretch almost 200 miles (320 kilometers) if laid end to end — a distance that's equivalent to going from Tower Bridge in London to Paris. [Gallery of Wonders: The Weirdest World Records]

"This is an epic, outstanding build that absolutely captures the imagination in a way we haven't seen before," Emma Owen, Lego UK and Ireland spokeswoman, said in a statement. "With Lego bricks and some imagination, you really can build anything!”

The detailed installation took five months to construct on the grounds of Packington Hall in Warwickshire, in the United Kingdom — close to Land Rover’s Solihull plant, where the New Discovery car will be produced.

As part of the new vehicle's unveiling, British adventurer Bear Grylls rappelled from the top of the Tower Bridge replica, through the open drawbridge and onto the stage.

Tower Bridge was not the only Lego feature used in Land Rover's launch event. Two Discovery Zones were also built out of the toy bricks to celebrate the vehicle's heritage. An adventure zone, inspired by Grylls, depicted a mountainous camp scene, including a Lego fire and boulders. A picnic scene made entirely from Lego bricks was built in an equestrian zone, hosted by British equestrian star Zara Phillips.

Original article on Live Science.

Kacey Deamer is a journalist for Live Science, covering planet earth and innovation. She has previously reported for Mother Jones, the Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press, Neon Tommy and more. After completing her undergraduate degree in journalism and environmental studies at Ithaca College, Kacey pursued her master's in Specialized Journalism: Climate Change at USC Annenberg. Follow Kacey on Twitter.