The intricate stained glass windows of the cathedral will be remade with Legos.

/ Washington National Cathedral

The famous alters will be replicated to look exactly like the National Cathedral's. Washington National Cathedral
The marble columns will be built in this Lego replica of the Cathedral. Washington National Cathedral
Visitors will be able to witness the construction of the Lego National Cathedral's Rose Window. Washington National Cathedral
For $2, you could purchase a brick to build the vaulted ceilings of the lego replica. Washington National Cathedral
The intricate stained glass windows of the cathedral will be remade with Legos. Washington National Cathedral
The tomb of Bishop Henry Yates Satterlee will be replicated in the model. Washington National Cathedral

One Lego brick at a time, the Washington National Cathedral is hoping to raise funds to repair parts of the building still damaged from an earthquake in 2011. Its newest exhibit, a Lego replica of the National Cathedral, is set to begin construction on Friday.

Overall, the cathedral sustained $34 million in damages from the earthquake, most of which affected the central tower of the building. Already, the National Cathedral has repaired $15 million worth of damages, but Kevin Eckstrom, the Cathedral’s chief communications officer, says they still have a long ways to go.

“We are anticipating that [the Lego model] will be finished in the next two or three years and hopefully this project will bring in close to a million to go toward repairs,” Eckstrom said. 

Visitors can view the progress of the Lego model and pay $2 for a Lego brick to help with its construction. After purchasing a brick, visitors will be paired with a volunteer to assist with the construction of a module (doors, windows, towers). Then, the finished product will be snapped onto the model.

The replica, constructed and designed with the help of UK-based Lego building firm Bright Bricks, will be made of approximately 400,000 bricks and span 13 feet lengthwise. Its final projected weight will be 1,400 pounds, making it about the size of a minivan and the world’s largest cathedral to be made from Lego bricks, according to the National Cathedral. The model will feature all of the details of the real building, including the west Rose Window, Bethlehem Chapel, and the central tower.

There will be a “Let There Be Lego!” launch event at the National Cathedral on Friday at 11 a.m. to celebrate the beginning of its assembly. Teddy, the mascot for the Washington Nationals will be in attendance to lay down the cornerstone of the model in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, who laid the cornerstone of the National Cathedral in 1907.

“The Cathedral is thrilled to offer a new way for visitors and worshippers to engage the building, and to relive the process of building a grand cathedral from the ground up,” Charles Fulcher, the Cathedral’s director of visitor programs, said in a statement. “Since none of us were here for the 1907 groundbreaking, we’re honored to have President Roosevelt back to lead us in kicking off another era of construction.”

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