When work on the Sagrada Família first began in 1882, the original architect could hardly have imagined that, 144 years later, the ambitious undertaking would still be underway. Famously, the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) spent the last four decades of his life designing and building the Gothic-inspired basilica in Barcelona. Then came the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), which destroyed many of his architectural plans, leaving successive generations of architects to piece together Gaudí’s vision and move the project forward.
At long last, earlier this year, builders completed the central Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands 566 feet high, making the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. Although work on the Glory façade still remains, the basilica has reached a near-complete state—complete enough for Lego to roll out the official Sagrada Família Lego set. At 12,060 pieces, it’s the largest Lego set ever made, and it lets you build the Sagrada Família section by section, following the same order as the original architects.
It then moves on to the naves and the Western Sacristy. Complete the 6 towers and finish the basilica with the Eastern Sacristy and the Glory façade.” With the video above, you can watch the building of the Lego basilica, compressing hours of work into 10 minutes. The Lego set will be available on November 1, 2026.
An Architectural Tour of Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s Audacious Church That’s Been Under Construction for 142 Years Download Instructions for More Than 6,800 LEGO Kits at the Internet Archive The Incredible Engineering of Antonio Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, the 137 Year Construction Project The Japanese Sculptor Who Dedicated His Life to Finishing Gaudí’s Magnum Opus, the Sagrada Família With 9,036 Pieces, the Roman Colosseum Is the Largest Lego Set Ever We’re hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. To support Open Culture’s educational mission, please consider making a donation. We accept PayPal, Venmo (@openculture), Patreon and Crypto!
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