How many pieces does the Shanghai set 21039 have?

The set has 597 pieces, including 144 unique elements.

Does the set include minifigures?

No, this is a pure Architecture model with no minifigures.

Which range does this set belong to?

Shanghai is part of the LEGO® Architecture Skyline series, released in 2018.

Skylines

Shanghai

Shanghai 21039 belongs to the LEGO® Architecture Skyline series and recreates the silhouette of the city's famous riverfront towers. With 597 pieces and 144 unique elements, it's one of the larger skyline models, and since it's a pure building set with no minifigures, the focus stays entirely on architecture and display.

Set number: 21039
Year: 2018
Pieces: 597
Minifigures: 0
Theme: Skylines
Different parts: 144

What can I build with it?

View the official building instructions at LEGO® ↗

Parts list 144

As BrickLink list (XML)

Import on BrickLink: Wanted → Upload, upload the file (or paste its content), pick a Wanted List and add the parts.

Spare parts (18)

These extra parts come with the set in case one gets lost.

Description

A four-colour city silhouette

Medium blue likely stands in for glass façades and water, light and dark bluish grey cover concrete and metal structures, and tan adds warmer building sections into the mix. That restrained palette is typical of the Architecture range, which favours clean shapes over dense detail. Even so, the 144 unique parts provide enough variety to capture the distinctive tower shapes of Shanghai's skyline, from slender spires to twisted high-rise forms, and because the Skyline series deliberately leaves out streets or people, the colour choice stays calm and keeps the buildings' silhouettes as the main focus.

597 pieces for a shelf model

At 597 pieces, this set sits in the upper-middle range of the Skyline series, offering more building depth than the smaller city sets. Construction focuses on individual tower sections, which are then combined on a shared base plate to form the overall skyline. That keeps the build easy to follow even though the finished result is visually dense, and it gives a pleasant pace for anyone who likes seeing progress in clearly separated stages rather than one long continuous session.

A display piece, not a play set

With no minifigures included, this set is built purely around architecture, matching the Architecture range's appeal to design and city fans rather than classic play. The finished model works well as a shelf or desk piece and sits comfortably alongside other Skyline sets, making it easy to build a small collection of city silhouettes. It also makes a fitting gift for anyone interested in architecture or in Shanghai specifically, since it avoids any playful or toy-like elements.

Finding parts for other builds

Anyone after tan or medium blue pieces for their own projects can check the full parts list on this page, which lists all 144 unique elements by colour. Narrow, tall pieces suited to tower models are easy to pick out here and combine with other Architecture sets to build custom cityscapes or larger skylines.

FAQ

How many pieces does the Shanghai set 21039 have?: The set has 597 pieces, including 144 unique elements.
Does the set include minifigures?: No, this is a pure Architecture model with no minifigures.
Which range does this set belong to?: Shanghai is part of the LEGO® Architecture Skyline series, released in 2018.