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How to build the Soma cube bench

The bench uses all seven Soma pieces, 27 cubes in total. Here is one solution: first the finished figure, then the pieces one by one from the floor up, in an order you can follow with real pieces.

BPTZALV
The finished bench, seen from the front left and above: the front is at the lower right, the left side at the lower left.
  • Vsmall corner
  • LL shape
  • TT shape
  • Zstep (Z shape)
  • Atwist A
  • Btwist B
  • Pbranch

Open in 3D, piece by piece

Opens the solver with this figure. Press "Next" to place one piece at a time, and drag to turn the view.

Step by step

Build in this order from the floor up, lowering each piece from above. Every piece rests on the floor or on pieces already placed.

  1. B

    Step 1 · Place piece B (twist B) on layers 1–2, on the right. Three of its cubes lie on layer 1, and one sticks up onto layer 2.

  2. P

    Step 2 · Place piece P (branch) on layers 1–2, on the left. Three of its cubes lie on layer 1, and one sticks up onto layer 2.

  3. T

    Step 3 · Place piece T (T shape) on layers 1–3, at the back left. It stands upright like a wall running from left to right.

  4. Z

    Step 4 · Place piece Z (step) on layers 1–3, in the middle. It stands upright like a wall running from front to back.

  5. A

    Step 5 · Place piece A (twist A) on layers 2–3, in the middle. Three of its cubes lie on layer 2, and one sticks up onto layer 3.

  6. L

    Step 6 · Place piece L (L shape) on layers 2–4, at the back right. It stands upright like a wall running from left to right.

  7. V

    Step 7 · Place piece V (small corner) on layers 3–4, at the back left. It stands upright like a wall running from left to right. All 7 pieces are in place and the figure is finished.

Layer by layer, seen from above

Layer 1 is the floor. In each plan the top edge is the back of the figure and the bottom edge is the front.

PPZBPTBB
layer 1 · floor
PAAZBTTAZL
layer 2
VTAZL
layer 3
VVLL
layer 4

Tip

Only pieces A, B, and P can fill the cube at the front left of layer 1. Try those there first.

About this figure

Open in 3D, piece by piece