Lego Does D.C. . . . Again

LEGO HAS JUST introduced a new D.C. building kit as part of its Architecture series: A model of the U.S. Capitol now joins the White House and the Lincoln Memorial in representing the capital of the free world.

Everyone knows it costs a fortune to get into the White House and, appropriately, the White House kit sells for $49.99, whereas the Lincoln Memorial is $29.99.

But it costs a lot to run for Congress as well, so the 17-inch-long Capitol will cost $99.99  when it becomes available on September 1 at Lego.com and at select retailers.

These Washington models join the ranks of icons of the built environment from all around the world. There’s Sydney’s Opera House, Piazza San Marco in Venice, the Louvre in Paris.

Other architectural milestones commemorated by Lego include the Burj Khalifa, at 2,716.5 feet the tallest manmade structure in Dubai—and at a bit more than 15 inches the tallest model Lego has made. It costs $39.99. And there’s the wonderful Flatiron Building in Manhattan (also $39.99). There’s also Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. These last are retired models, but there’s a lively secondary market for them on eBay.

—Nancy McKeon