Artist Bjorn Richter Lego Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore
Legoland

Commissioned by Legoland

After several years of planning and construction, Godtfred opens his own theme park next to the factory in Billund. Despite its remote locaton, Legoland would become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Denmark.

By 1970 the park had expanded to nearly eight times its original size and Godtfred began to envision much larger Lego models not limited by the scale of Miniland. He choose the Danish artist Bjørn Richter to create a series of large scale sculptures.

Richter, who had traveled to the American West and became deeply interested in the history and culture of the American Indian, began a series of three commissions for the park.

Richter’s first delivery, a massive replica of Mt. Rushmore, was installed in 1974 and required 1.4 million Lego bricks and more than 40,000 Duplo bricks.

Richter followed this with two completely original sculptures; the massive and remarkably realistic Great Bison Hunt relief and the Chief Sitting Bull monument.

Richter spent more than two years in his studio designing and building the stunning monument to the Lakota Sioux Chief. When it was finally installed in the park it stood 36 feet tall and required more than 1.75 million bricks. Some 40 years later it remains the largest Sitting Bull monument in the world and is still perhaps the most impressive sculpture in Legoland.