Interesting, yet somehow it diminishes the piece a little in my mind, as obviously they composited the final image, whereas I imagined standing over the piece as if it were on display.

This. There is something akin to cheating, when each block can be carefully cut, arranged and photographed (potentially multiple times to get a perfect image) and then photoshopped into a final image, as oppossed to getting them all cut and arrangd and taking a photo before the inevitable drooping and leaking.

It is still an incredible image and a brilliant idea.