Beginner
≈ 9 hSuggested range5 h 45 min – 13 h 15 min
Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗
Architecture · SET 21046
Empire State Building
A tall, symmetrical Empire State Building to inspect from every side.
- Pieces
- 1,767
- Release year
- 2019
- Theme
- Architecture
- Set number
- 21046
- LEGO recommended age
- 16+
- LEGO retail price · Italy
- 109.99 €
Retired from the LEGO Italy catalogue when checked on 23 October 2026. Availability can change. Check the store for the latest information.
Retail price reported by the LEGO source for the stated market. Check the store for current price and availability; this does not establish the launch price. LEGO ↗ · Reference checked on 23 October 2026
Official English name verified at: LEGO English catalogue ↗ · Checked on 24 October 2026.
TIME TO BUILD
How long does it take to build Empire State Building?
A starting point for planning your build. Times for each experience level are editorial estimates, not measurements submitted by HowLongToBuild users.
Editorial model estimate · no verified measured building time
Intermediate
≈ 6 h 15 minSuggested range4 h – 9 h 15 minExperienced
≈ 4 h 30 minSuggested range2 h 45 min – 6 h 45 minBased on one person building the set for the first time, following the original instructions and using numbered bags where supplied. Includes normal piece-finding and minor adjustments; excludes long breaks, filming, dismantling and modifications. Sources may use different methods. This range is neither a statistical interval nor a limit: your build may take less or more time.
How we estimate times · sources and method
Numerous repeated modules and slender cladding require careful alignment. The three central durations are model-specific editorial assessments. Planning ranges extend approximately from 65% to 145%, rounded to quarter-hours; they are not measured experience-level averages or guaranteed limits.
Sources do not always specify the builder’s experience. The three experience bands are our editorial assessment, based on the complexity of the set and individual accounts where available.
- LEGO Italy · Empire State Building ↗
This source documents the model’s features and components, not a timed build. No sufficiently verifiable individual building-time report has been identified for this set.
- LEGO building instructions · Empire State Building ↗
Set-specific instructions checked against the set number, piece count and year. The duration is an editorial assessment based on piece count, construction type, mechanisms and detail.
Checked: 23 ottobre 2026 · Method v1.0 · Limited reports; not a statistical average.
BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY
Yours could be the first building time.
0 reviewed solo building times.
No solo building times have been reviewed yet. You can still find editorial estimates under Suggested times.
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Build your own story.
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How much display space does it need?
Model or component measured by LEGO
- Height
- ≈ 55 cm
- Width
- ≈ 20 cm
- Depth / length
- ≈ 12 cm
These measurements refer to the model or component in the original specification below. Other builds, poses or arrangements may need additional space.
Check your shelf space
Which model was measured? · original Italian specification
Misura 55 cm di altezza, 20 cm di larghezza e 12 cm di profondità.Approximate assembled-model measurements, not packaging dimensions. Allow extra room for handling, moving parts and the display stand. The comparison uses the measured model’s overall footprint, allows a 90° rotation and does not assess stability or shelf load. Source LEGO ↗ · 2026-10-29
BEYOND THE BRICKS
Did you know?
Inside the set
Fifty-five centimetres
The replica reaches 55 centimetres to its antenna.
LEGO sourceTaxis at the base
Small yellow taxis depict Fifth Avenue and surrounding streets.
LEGO sourceBeyond the set
The stories, places and inventions behind your build.
One year and forty-five days
Empire State Building construction ran from 17 March 1930 to 1 May 1931.
Read the full story
Construction began on 17 March 1930, with opening on 1 May 1931. The official history describes roughly four and a half storeys per week towards 102 floors. The schedule conveys organisation at scale, beyond designing the silhouette that later became so familiar.
A hotel came first
The skyscraper replaced the former Waldorf Astoria on Fifth Avenue, demolished for the new project.
Read the full story
The Fifth Avenue site previously held the Waldorf Astoria. Following its 1928 sale, demolition made way for the skyscraper. A skyline’s history includes replacement as well as addition: one address can retain urban importance while its buildings, activities and proportions change over time.
Expanded stories updated on 29 October 2026
Written by HowLongToBuild · Sources are linked with each story · Checked on 23 October 2026. Historical facts and story details refer to the context described.
THE COMMUNITY’S EXPERIENCE
What was it like to build?
Three separate scores from 1 to 10. For difficulty, 1 means very easy and 10 means very difficult.
No approved ratings yet. Scores are never generated by this site or inferred from the recommended age.
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Building tips from the community
Specific steps, useful checks and sticking points. Contributions appear after moderation, in their original language. Do not upload instruction pages or personal contact details.
No approved tips yet.
Sign in to contributeSET THE MOOD
A soundtrack for your build
· Selected for the subject and atmosphere
Ravel’s piano writing offers musical colours and patterns alongside work on the model’s forms. This is an editorial listening choice, not an official association.
OUR PICK
Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Works and Concertos
Seong-Jin Cho, Boston Symphony Orchestra & Andris Nelsons
Intimate and spaciousA build to spread over several sessions: choose the more understated option when you want the instructions to take centre stage. The music does not set your pace.
Editorial suggestions, not official soundtracks for the set. External services may require an account or subscription; editions and availability can vary by country. Suggest another soundtrack →
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YOUR NEXT BUILD
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Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗
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