Wim Van Osselaer Constructs 50,000-Brick LEGO Ekeren Diorama

Ekeren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Wim Van Osselaer from Ekeren built a 50,000-brick, 152×114 cm LEGO model of the Hagelkruisprocessie and Sint-Lambertuskerk, on display June 29, 2025, at Hagelkruis service centre.

In Ekeren, a district of the city of Antwerp, Belgium, a LEGO model of the Hagelkruisprocessie, a local religious procession, is set to be revealed. Wim Van Osselaer, a resident, spent over a year creating the miniature version. 

The Hagelkruisprocessie is an annual event asking for protection from bad weather. Wim’s LEGO model captures the solemnity and community spirit of the procession. It includes LEGO figures of participants, such as priests and locals, along with bands, banners, and Ekeren’s streets.

What does a 50,000-brick LEGO model reveal about Ekeren?

Wim spent a lot of time and patience on his LEGO project, even waiting for specific pieces to blank”>arrive. He had to order some parts to make sure everything looked like the real procession. The LEGO Hagelkruisprocessie will soon be shown in Ekeren. They mentioned that people can see how local history and creativity come together in a new way. 

Wim Van Osselaer from Ekeren was approached by a local group to recreate the Hagelkruis in LEGO. He expanded on this idea, creating a detailed diorama. This diorama features the Hagelkruisprocessie and a LEGO version of the Sint-Lambertuskerk, a famous church in Ekeren. 

The project is based on a 17th-century sketch, the only known image of Ekeren before photography. This approach gives the project historical and cultural depth, aiming to bring a piece of the town’s history to life with great care.

It has about 50,000 LEGO bricks and is 152 by 114 centimetres. The community can see it on June 29, 2025, at the Hagelkruis service centre. Wim will be there to talk about it. After that, the model will be put in the Sint-Lambertuskerk. 

In the early 15th century, Ekeren faced severe thunderstorms that brought destructive hail, devastating the local fields and ruining the harvest. This caused significant hardship for the agricultural community. Following Ascension Day, a major religious holiday, another intense storm struck. 

However, unlike other areas where the hail quickly melted, a pile of hail persisted for several days near the village centre. This hail miraculously formed the shape of a cross, which the people of Ekeren saw as a divine sign or miracle. They named this phenomenon the Hagelkruis, or “Hail Cross.”