Due to popular demand and global interest reaching viral proportions, the exhibition of the largest ever LEGO model of Rome's famous Colosseum at Sydney’s Nicholson Museum has been extended until March 2013.

Constructed using more than a quarter of a million bricks and, according to the Museum, “put together by 10,000 slaves working for Australian architect and LEGO Certified Professional Ryan 'Vitruvius' McNaught”, the model is part of an exhibition focussed on the famous building and the great days of its Empire.

Also included in "The Colosseum" exhibition are sculptures and coins of the Emperors, as well as artefacts used in daily life by the ordinary Roman who enjoyed 100 days of holiday and games when the original Colosseum opened in 80 AD.

Not just settling on a “simple” reconstruction of the iconic landmark, McNaught, who is also known as “The Brickman”, gave the building his customary cut-away treatment and split it into two time phases: current day ruins, and also at 80AD when it was opened for the first time.

“Without doubt one of the hardest things I have ever made given its shape and detail requirements,” McNaught said regarding the build. 

“It’s a hell of a lot of bricks, and rather tedious and time consuming to build, but it’s critical for the model to have its structure correct (much like the real thing).... I can only imagine how skilled the craftsmen that worked on the original were!”

Using at least ten kilograms of glue and enough LEGO bricks to keep any child entertained for the foreseeable future, McNaught painstakingly pieced together each element of the Roman scene from the Arch of Constantine to the tiered seating of the arena.

The incredibly detailed model even pays homage to the pope who can be seen riding in his very own LEGO popemobile flanked by LEGO security guards – and this is only one of the many whimsical additions that contribute to the awe-inspiring effect of the incredible assemblage.

Ryan McNaught, aka "The Brickman", is a LEGO Certified Professional, one of only 13 in the world and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere.  Starting out in the corporate world as an Information Technology Manager, the urge to express and create through a unique medium led him to his current job building LEGO models.

The Nicholson Museum is Australia's oldest University Museum and is the largest public collection of Old World archaeological artefacts in the country. Located in the historic grounds of the University of Sydney, the museum is open to the public and entry is free.