How much time do you have? Because Lego’s biggest set ever has arrived, and it has more than 12,000 pieces.
The Danish toymaker is releasing a model of Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, a 12,060-piece set, for $800. Lego said in Thursday’s announcement that it’s the largest set it has ever released. The one that comes closest, and is still available, is the Eiffel Tower, which has more than 10,000 pieces.
Gaudí, an influential Catalan architect, died 100 years ago this month, and the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona is considered his masterpiece. Lego’s design of the Sagrada Familia incorporates a few special touches we don’t usually see in Lego sets, like the stained-glass window effect that mimics how light moves through what you’d see in Barcelona.
The set includes known parts of the Sagrada Familia, including the apse, crypt, Gaudí’s Nativity facade and the Passion facade. It includes the six towers of the Barcelona landmark, along with the Eastern Sacristy and the Glory facade.
The interior of the Lego Sagrada Familia includes a stained-glass effect.
The Sagrada Familia set is available now for preorder on Lego’s website. It will be released globally on Nov. 1 in stores and online. Lego says the recommended age is 18 and over. And 3D instructions for the set will be included in the Lego Builder app — my personal favorite way to build my sets.
The finished Lego build of the Sagrada Familia is more than 2 feet tall, 18 inches wide and 15 inches deep. It looks as if a black display base is included. I’ve built quite a few Lego sets over the past few months, including a Bonsai tree and a bouquet of roses. Neither set was tedious or time-consuming, but the Sagrada Familia is over 12,000 pieces, so how much time should builders expect? Lego didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lego always has a lot going on. I’m always on the lookout for what’s new in Lego’s Botanical collection, like the new mushrooms and flower perfume bottle.
The company recently released 12 new Pokemon Smart Bricks that are now available (and which CNET Principal Writer Katie Collins tested). Smart Bricks are interactive Lego bricks with lights and sounds.
If fantasy buildings are more your speed, Lego’s $650 Minas Tirith is only a few thousand bricks smaller than the Sagrada Familia, at 8,278 pieces.
Watch this: Lego’s Star Wars Smart Bricks Are Surprisingly Delightful, but There’s a Learning Curve
