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How to build the Soma cube lighthouse

The lighthouse 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.

VLATZBP
The finished lighthouse, 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. V

    Step 1 · Place piece V (small corner) on layer 1, at the front right. It lies flat, with its bend at the front left corner.

  2. L

    Step 2 · Place piece L (L shape) on layer 1, at the back. It lies flat: a row of three from left to right, with the fourth cube at the front right corner.

  3. A

    Step 3 · Place piece A (twist A) on layers 1–2, at the front left. Two of its cubes are on layer 1 and two on layer 2.

  4. T

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

  5. Z

    Step 5 · Place piece Z (step) on layers 2–4, at the back. It stands upright like a wall running from front to back.

  6. B

    Step 6 · Place piece B (twist B) on layers 4–5, at the back right. Only one cube is on layer 4; the other three lie on layer 5.

  7. P

    Step 7 · Place piece P (branch) on layers 4–5, at the back left. Only one cube is on layer 4; the other three lie on layer 5. 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.

AVVAVLLLL
layer 1 · floor
AATZ
layer 2
TZTZ
layer 3
PZTB
layer 4
PPBPBB
layer 5

About this figure

Open in 3D, piece by piece