Playing nicely with LEGO

I grew up with LEGO. Those colourful interlocking plastic blocks helped fuel my imagination and develop my concepts and ideas around three-dimensional architectural spacial design. Way before the company introduced its fancy Technic range — before this we did the full-on ‘engineering’ stuff with Meccano — multi-storey cities where springing up in my bedroom to house imaginary minions and my vast parking lot of Matchbox die-cast cars, which my dad added to most generously each month.

Essentially still the same plastic blocks but with millions of added extras, we can learn a lot from a company that has evolved and managed to stayed relevant — even to girls — since the Danish firm was founded in 1932.

According to Wiki the word "lego" is derived from the Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well”, and this is what the world most certainly has done. This month we’ve two LEGO collaborations, which prove that there is no age-restriction to play and that “everything is awesome!!!”.

The LEGO Technic BMW R 1200 GS Adventure is not just a model kit (603 parts), it is also the result of a creative collaboration between BMW Motorrad and LEGO Technic, with the result that the parts can also be used to create the Hover Ride Design Concept. The really exciting bit is that the BMW Junior Company were so inspired that they turned the Hover Ride into an actual full-size replica.

On a much more ‘serious’ note, fans of the Dark Knight (and LEGO) will by now have seen The LEGO Batman Movie. Accompanying this of course are colourful box sets of all the characters, their transporters and secret weapons. The 22cm high Scuttler for example features two stud shooters, a jetpack for the main man, and net shooter. Characters’ gear reads like the Spring/Summer 2017 accessories from New York Fashion Week collections. Batgirl is in hot pursuit of the Joker and Harley Quinn as they cruise the back streets of Gotham City in their ultra-cool, pimped-up (24cm) Lowrider, featuring bouncing suspension function, and thankfully blurring the lines for me on what’s an ‘age-appropriate’ toy.

Earlier last year, Porsche fans with smaller bits, I  mean wallets, would have been thrilled with LEGO Technic's Porsche 911 GT3 RS numbered edition (57cm long, 1:8 scale) with its mind-blowingly detailed components to construct (over 2700 pieces), including fully functional double-clutch gearbox, the six-cylinder engine and adjustable wing. Price-tagged around R3300.00, but apparently they're all sold out. Proof that boys and girls of all ages will always love their 'toys'.