Review: LEGO 40579 Eiffel's Apartment (GWP)

One of 2022’s most pleasant (and impressive) surprises has to be 10307 Eiffel Tower, the tallest LEGO set ever, which I reviewed back in November.

Accompanying 10307 Eiffel Tower at launch is an exclusive gift with purchase, 40579 Eiffel’s Apartment which you can only get when you purchase the LEGO Eiffel Tower from LEGO.com, until 31 December 2022.

It depicts a small cutaway diorama of Gustave Eiffel’s personal apartment right at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and is a fun accompaniment to the super-tall LEGO Eiffel Tower set, and a nice little bonus for those investing in it.

Here’s a quick review and tour of 40579 Eiffel’s Apartment!

Apologies for the lateness of this review – I was meant to get it much earlier, but it got lost in the post, went to the other side of Australia (to Perth), and has only just arrived, about a month after

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set for this review!

40579 Eiffel’s Apartment

Name: Eiffel’s Apartment
Set Number: 40579
Pieces: 228
Price: N/A
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: Gift with Purchase
LEGO Designers: TBD
Release Date: 25 November 2022
Purchase Threshold: free with purchases of 10307 Eiffel Tower

First thing’s first, here’s a look at the instruction manual, which got pretty squished as it was packed pretty tightly and curled up within the box.

It has the ubiquitous “black LEGO for Grown Ups” design, but apart from that, there’s nothing special about it. There isn’t even a page dedicated to Gustave Eiffel’s apartment, and why it’s significant enough to be featured as a GWP.

One of the downsides of this set is the heavy reliance on stickers – there are 12 stickers to apply, a lot for a set this size.

While the number of stickers will infuriate sticker-haters, they do come in handy to replicate the period-appropriate patterned wallpaper, to give it that extra bit of historical accuracy.

One of the highlights of the set is the inclusion of a Gustave Eiffel LEGO minifigure – the design does a decent job of matching Gustave’s appearance, but as he’s not a super-well known minifigure, only passionate Eiffel Tower fans will likely be able to recognise him at first glance, without any prompts.

The minifigure looks like a distinguished old man, with a flashy black formal dinner jacket. Gustave Eiffel’s minifigure head isn’t new, with LEGO recycling Obi Wan Kenobi’s head (which does work well), and the torso is also repurposed from 75948 Hogwarts Clock Tower.

Here’s a look at the back printing. There isn’t an alternate face printed on.

The minifigure is a lovely addition to LEGO’s growing collection of historic figures such as Amelia Earhart and Jane Goodall, which will appeal to history buffs.

Here’s a look at the completed model which cleverly captures a cross section of Gustave’s Eiffel’s apartment, which is perched right at the top of the Eiffel Tower, directly above the public observation platform.

The cutout format allows a blend of interiors and exteriors, focusing on a corner of the apartment which is furnished and decorated to look like a 19th century home.

Space is a premium here, and just like the real apartment the presence of the iron beam which sticks through most of the living areas is captured here very well, adding plenty of points for accuracy.

Despite the stickers, the wallpaper patterns used are incredibly detailed and true to the wallpaper preserved in Eiffel’s Apartment, which add a lot of realism to the apartment.

Check out a tour and more information about the Apartment in this Youtube video, which also contains some interesting insights into the Eiffel Tower’s history as a whole.

There’s a small desk for Gustave Eiffel to read/write letters. Apparently, he used to get plenty of fan and hate mail from those that hated the design of the Eiffel Tower, as well as incredible offers to rent the apartment from him.

Nice window view too.

And in the other corner of the room is a small side table with some flowers/plant, as well as a mini version of the Eiffel Tower which uses LEGO revolvers for its feet.

The revolver use is really clever and gives it a very unique look, and in my head, this could be a meta joke, where Gustave Eiffel has his very own LEGO Eiffel Tower set in his apartment.

The exteriors on the other hand is pretty bland, with a monochrome dark bluish gray look, which on one hand accurately mirrors the actual LEGO Eiffel Tower, but isn’t terribly exciting to look at.

There are 2 telescopes for Gustave to spy on his haters, and admire the view of Paris from above, and there is plenty of space to place the minifigure, or invite some of Gustave’s other friends to the observation deck.

The walls are a little bland, and too prison-like for my liking.

Here’s a comparison with the top of the actual LEGO Eiffel Tower.

What I liked:

Gustave Eiffel is a splendid historic minifigure
Warm colourful design on the inside matching 19th century interiors
Accurate wallpaper stickers

What I didn’t like:

Lots of stickers to apply
Exterior is quite boring
Have to buy the Eiffel Tower to get this

FINAL THOUGHTS:

For history buffs and passionate Eiffel Tower enthusiasts, 40579 Eiffel’s Apartment is a great little gift with purchase (GWP) that complements the larger, more expensive LEGO Eiffel Tower really well.

The inclusion of the Gustave Eiffel minifigure is great, and I’d love to see more historic figures get the minifigure treatment.

The interiors are pleasantly decorated, giving the apartment plenty of life, and I especially like the accuracy of the the wallpaper designs, even if its a bit of a pain to apply so many stickers.

It’s a nice little bonus for those with the capacity and ability to purchase the LEGO Eiffel Tower, and if timed right with Double VIP or other LEGO GWPs, feels like you’re getting more bang for your buck.

Sadly, it’s also gated behind one of the most expensive LEGO sets of 2022, and something that not many have the capacity to just impulse purchase. It would’ve been really nice to see this GWP be a lot more accessible, but at the same time, I understand the need to reward early adopters of the 10307 Eiffel Tower with an exclusive GWP.

Rating and score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰

Build [3] – After the repetitive and long Eiffel Tower build, this was a nice palate cleanser
Real Value [3] – Gated behind an expensive set, but feels like a nice reward for those who bought it early on
Innovation [3] – Not a lot of innovative techniques or builds, but I like the continuation of historical figures, and accuracy of wallpaper
Coolness [3] – A really unique GWP that’s well designed and celebrates the history and legacy of Gustave Eiffel that complements 10307 Eiffel Tower
Keepability [4] – As it’s small, this is a fun one to display, with the LEGO Eiffel Tower, or alongside other historical figures

40579 Eiffel’s Apartment is a free gift with purchase (GWP) for those that purchase 10307 Eiffel Tower from LEGO’s online store that will be available while stocks last, or until 31 December. That said, I can see them extending it, until they run out given how hard it is to qualify for this GWP.

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set over for an early review!

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