Jun 4, 2009 9:28 am US/Central
Frank Lloyd Wright Homes Reproduced In Lego Form
New Building Sets Replicate Wright's Works
OAK PARK, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
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Believe it or not, Lego blocks like these can be turned into replicas of the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.
AP
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The Guggenheim Museum in New York is one of the Wright buildings you can build wth Legos.
AP
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Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)
AP
The work of one of the most famous architects in history is coming to the masses -- in miniature.
Lego is introducing two new building sets that are models of Frank Lloyd Wright works. Adam Reed Tucker of Northbrook is the Lego designer.
"I had been an architect for 10 years and was bored with what I was doing," Tucker said.
"I had the idea of sharing architecture with the world and wanted to explore the Lego brick as a medium."
Two of Wright's most recognizable buildings, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City and Fallingwater in southwestern Pennsylvania are the fifth and sixth buildings that are part of a Tucker-designed Lego Architecture line introduced in 2008.
Both Frank Lloyd Wright Lego Architecture sets contain booklets that feature traditional building instructions along with exclusive archival historical material and photographs of each building.
The Guggenheim Museum model, which was released May 15, has a retail price of $39.99. The Fallingwater model is slated for a July release, Tucker said, with a cost of $89.99 or $99.99.
Tucker said he approached the Lego Group in 2006 with the idea of a new architecture line for the popular company. When they said yes, he headed to a nearby toy store and purchased 17 Lego kits.
"I hadn't played with them since I was a kid," said Tucker, 37. "The Lego brick is thought of as a toy. I'm an adult, but I didn't see why it couldn't be used for something like this.
"Landmarks aren't going anywhere, so there's really no limit to the shelf life for Lego models like this."
Tucker partnered with the Lego group in June 2008 and now has his name on the boxes of the models in the Lego Architecture line.
Locally, the models will be for sale at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio Museum Store, 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park.
"I think it's a great idea," said Edwin Wald, operations manager for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. "We expect to do quite well with (the Lego models)."
Tucker, a 1990 graduate of Glenbrook North High School, said he believes the new models are for everyone.
"There really is no target audience for these; they can be for anyone of any age," he said. "These are more of a fine art model; it's not about playability."
With that in mind, the Frank Lloyd Wright Lego models won't be for sale at most toy and department stores. Instead, they will be available for purchase at various Frank Lloyd Wright shops, cultural centers and on Tucker's Web site, www.brickstructures.com.
Tucker, who said he is a "huge fan" of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, said he hopes to add one more Wright building to the Lego model collection next year.
"Architecture is something most people don't understand, and they are intimidated by it," Tucker said. "Using Lego bricks kind of levels the playing field and allows everyone to explore architecture."
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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