The end of July puts those of us in the northern hemisphere in peak summer mode. I’ve been busy balancing summer travels with progress building and reviewing LEGO sets, improvements to my book, and adding parts to The LEGO Parts Guide. To match the lighter mood of the summer season, this month’s update is a little shorter than usual.

New at Brick Architect

What’s new this month?

• Review: #21067 Tower Bridge (LEGO Architecture)
  An updated LEGO model of London’s Tower Bridge is back; 16 years after the earlier rendition. Was the redesign worth the wait?
• Review: #21066 New York City – The Big Apple (LEGO Architecture)
  The ‘city that never sleeps’ and ‘the big apple’ collide in this nightscape of New York City on an apple-shaped backdrop. Let’s take a bite!
• Review: #11512 Hanging Golden Pothos & #11513 Dark Flower Arrangement (Botanicals)
  The two newest additions to the Botanicals lineup offer good building experiences, but very different vibes.

Behind the scenes

This month, patrons got an inside look into my philosophy around when to use ‘LU’ (LEGO Units) versus the simpler term ‘units’ in the book.

Technically precise language is in tension with writing for actual humans. … I needed to create a bridge between the human concept of ‘units’ used in the chapter text, and the mechanical reference to ‘LU’ used in illustrations.

If you are interested in joining a community of LEGO builders supporting my work, please check out my Patreon — Thanks!

August 2026 releases for AFOLs

January and August are the two biggest months for new LEGO set releases. By my count, there are thirteen new 18+ sets; a likely record for a single month. It’s another sign that The LEGO Group’s growth is increasingly tied to an older audience.

• #72160 Arcanine (Pokémon)
  While I’m hardly a Pokemon expert, this is cuter than the two other 18+ sets debuting this month.
  1190 pieces, ages 18+, $110.
• #21067 Tower Bridge (LEGO Architecture)
  It’s a redesign of an earlier set, it’s overpriced, but it is also a good looking model and many of my readers love LEGO Architecture. (Read our review to learn more.)
  3745 pieces, ages 18+, $350.
• #21369 The X-Files (LEGO Ideas)
  While also arguably overpriced, this set based on the iconic TV show includes a whopping 8 custom minifigures. Is it a good set? I want to believe.
  1478 pieces, ages 18+, $200.
  A compelling gift-with-purchase, #40896 The X-Files: Scully’s Lab, makes this a much better value through August 10 or while supplies last…

Thanks to a good-looking gift-with-purchase, #21369 The X-Files is the pick of the month.

• #11382 Hubble Space Telescope (LEGO Icons)
  LEGO sets based on fictional and real-world space exploration are always popular. This model takes a different approach to previous spacecraft, leveraging a fabric element for the solar panels instead of a brick-built solution. I can’t decide if it is an upgrade or not.
  1252 pieces, ages 18+, $140.
• #21372 La Catrina (LEGO Ideas)
  While it feels expensive for an unlicensed LEGO Ideas set, I was pleased to learn in this BrickNerd article by Dulce Gomez that model accurately reflects La Catrina’s cultural symbolism, such as the cempasúchil flowers, iconic Mexican Pink details, and monarch butterflies.
  1212 pieces, ages 18+, $140.
• #11512 Hanging Golden Pothos (LEGO Botanicals)
  Despite an atrocious price-per-part, Koen van der Hoeven gave this gorgeous set a 4/5 rating in our recent review. The dual-molded leaves look really nice…
  372 pieces, ages 18+, $60.

With so many new sets for adults, here are the remaining 18+ sets so you can see the breadth of this month’s lineup:

• #11381 Jaguar E-Type (LEGO Icons)
  1673 pieces, ages 18+, $140.
• #21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (LEGO Ideas)
  1226 pieces, ages 18+, $140.
• #31221 Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (LEGO Art)
  4000 pieces, ages 18+, $300.
• #72051 Donkey Kong Arcade (Super Mario)
  1371 pieces, ages 18+, $200.
• #11513 Dark Flower Arrangement (LEGO Botanicals)
  562 pieces, ages 18+, $60.
• #72168 Rayquaza (Pokémon)
  1083 pieces, ages 18+, $130.
• #72150 Munchlax (Pokémon)
  757 pieces, ages 18+, $70.

While the focus of this list is to highlight sets of interest to adult LEGO builders, there are a ton of interesting new sets aimed at younger builders too. That’s because August is when the bulk of new sets for the holidays are released, giving retailers time to stock shelves in advance of the festive season.

A few of the standout themes for younger builders releasing this month include:

• Twelve Pokemon sets based on the Smart Play system (ranging from $20-$120).
  Don’t forget, #40887 Ditto as Squirtle: Movie Night is free with a Pokemon Smart Play purchase of $130 or more — while supplies last. (Smart Play remains exclusive to a small number of countries.)
• Five LEGO Technic sets including a remote-controllable Batmobile Tumbler ($50-$190)
• Three additional Star Wars sets, including a medium-sized Sandcrawler. ($50-$200)
• Five Jurassic World sets including two simple sets for ages 4+. ($25-$100)
• Five sets based on Pop Star Olivia Rodrigo ($35-$120)
• Seven pirate-themed sets based on Netflix’s One Piece series ($30-$180)

The following sets are finally available in North America in August:

• Eleven sets in the LEGO Friends lineup (ranging from $10-$150).
• Eight LEGO city sets including the gorgeous Classic Beach Tram and playful Lava Land Roller Coaster Park ($30-$130)
• Ten sets based on the popular LEGO Ninjago theme, including the impressive-looking Ultra Dragon Battle. ($10-$200)

As always, you can explore all of the new releases by visiting the lego.com store. (Making a purchase using our referral link helps support this website.)

Best articles from around the web

I hope you enjoy this month’s collection of interesting LEGO links…

• I Design Real Pinball Machines – Here’s How LEGO’s Pinball Machine Compares
  Guest author Dan Lachcik is the perfect person to provide an honest assessment of the new #11374 Arcade Pinball Machine. While limited in many ways, it sounds like they got a lot of things right!
  —BrickNerd
• The Midnight Valley Collection: Could this be the start of a new original Story Theme?
  Head rambler Richard Jones explores this upcoming Halloween-themed LEGO set. It is poised to grow into a spookier alternative to the annual Winter Village series, and at $120 for 1420 pieces, it’s also a good value.
  —Rambling Brick
• The Evolution of LEGO Ideas: A Chat with Brent Waller from CUUSOO to The X-Files
  This interview with fan designer Brent Waller demystifies the LEGO Ideas program, acknowledging that your original submission is just the beginning. You will likely need to modify, resubmit, and promote your project if you want it to succeed. There’s also a ton of specific insights into the upcoming set based on the X-Files.
  —BrickNerd

Comparing the final set (left) with the original LEGO Ideas submission (right). (Photo: BrickNerd)

• The Conversation Piece #17: LEGO Composition Techniques to Catch the Eye
  This short article by the Builder Improvement Initiative offers practical tips to make photos of your LEGO creations catch people’s eye, and beautiful examples showing you how to put these ideas into practice.
  —BrickNerd
• Celebrating LEGO’s Disability Representation
  The LEGO Group dramatically increased disability representation in recent years, such as hearing aids, limb differences, and wheelchair use. Kate E also notes than many of these figures are only included in pretty expensive sets. It’s a good reminder to include diverse figures in your models — it makes them more realistic and helps you connect with the widest possible audience.
  —Women’s Brick Initiative
• Phoning Home: How LEGO Ideas E.T. Took Me Back to the ‘80s
  Melissa Rekve didn’t just build the upcoming #21370 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial set, she also posted the cute alien in scenes inspired by the classic 80s movie.
  —BrickNerd

Melissa posed the brick-built ET in scenes inspired by the movie. (Photo: BrickNerd)

• Review: 11217 – Brick-Built Bluey Family
  This article offers a closer look at some of the weird new parts which debuted with these BrickHeadz inspired buildable Bluey figures. The new ‘hand’ element with a Technic Pin Hole is especially unusual.
  —Rebrickable
• The Might of 42233 Mighty Machines series 1 (Review)
  The author of this article is a big fan of these little Technic models, which show that you can build something interesting with a small number of Technic elements.
  —Rambling Brick
• LEGO Batman: Honoring the Legacy of the Dark Knight
  Henry Licklider unpacks the latest playable LEGO Batman game with a lens to both the 80-year history of Batman comics, games, and movies. The result is a game that portrays Batman as a blend: serious, competent, and at time goofy rather than just one flavor of the caped crusader. It’s a good reminder that we can reconcile competing ideas in our own creative projects.
  —BrickNerd