After eight months' work—often interrupted by other projects, like the ABS Builder Challenge and some commission builds—I'm extremely proud to finally present my biggest creation to date: this replica of the Château de Chenonceau, a famous castle in the Loire Valley of France.

I visited Chenonceau in September of 2017, and as soon as I saw it, I knew that I had to build it in LEGO! The château's elegant sixteenth-century architecture, the way the structure spans the Cher River, and its storied past (Chenonceau is also known as the "Château des Dames," having been inhabited by notable noblewomen across its life, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici) captured my imagination. Almost as soon as I got back from France, I began work on what I originally expected to be a much smaller build... In the end, my Château de Chenonceau measures more than 12" (31cm) tall, 17" (44cm) deep, and 40" (102cm) wide!

Read on to learn more about the build process, design, and photography of this immense build!