What Lego Lost When It Grew Up - The Atlantic
Next month, just in time for the holidays, Lego will launch its largest set yet: a miniature version of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. (“Perfect for anyone who loves visionary design, architecture or travel,” the website proclaims.) The price tag, at $799.99, is a bargain if you assess it on a per-brick basis: The set contains 12,060 pieces, most of which are beige. The instructions are laid out such that the person building the model will re-create the historical timeline of the church’s construction, starting with the crypt. When complete, the model stands about two feet tall and is densely ornamented, frosted with wings and spires and 42 hook-handed figures serving as statues of biblical characters. Antoni Gaudí meant for his masterpiece to inspire awe and, at times, fear; so, too, may this heap of bricks. Lego fans sometimes refer to their “dark ages”—the period of their life, usually starting in their teens, when they lost interest in their brick sets. Such angst has gone th