I originally built the LEGO Death Star set over some days after moving back to Atlanta for the Brittain Fellowship at Georgia Tech. Of all the LEGO sets that I’ve assembled over the years, I think this one brought me the most joy. It encapsulates major scenes from both Star Wars (1977) and Return of the Jedi (1983) and it does so in a compact, three-dimensional narrative form of haptic play. The Death Star playset permits playful time travel as minifigures are moved from space to space, interrupting the narrative in unexpected and interesting ways. It invites remixing and transformation in its solidly constructed spherical platform. The set juxtaposes before and later
After moving to Brooklyn two years later to begin my job at City Tech, I brought it to my office (very carefully in a large carry bag), but it didn’t seem as interesting or inviting to students who dropped by during my office hours so I brought it back home at the end of the semester. I eventually sold it on Craigslist to free up space for other projects, because unfortunately, it did take up a lot of room!
Below are wide shots of the Death Star.
Below are close-up shots of the individual scenes.
