Curator Guided Tour: ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION KITS 1890–1990

with Oliver Elser, DAM – Deutsches Architekturmuseum

An exhibition by the DAM – Deutsches Architekturmuseum

At eight stations throughout the MAK, visitors can play, build, and develop new creations using a multitude of building blocks—right in the middle of the Columned Main Hall, the Works on Paper Room, and DIREKTION FÜR ALLE!.

This major interactive exhibition for children aged four and up was curated based on the unique private collection of graphic designer Claus Krieger, which comprises some 150 construction kits from the years 1890 to 1990. It follows the thesis that a kind of “evolutionary development” of building blocks produced this abundance of construction kits. Toy companies experimented with a wide variety of materials: artificial brick, wood, and metal, but also long-forgotten materials like Galalith and even rubber. Countless ingenious variants were developed to create connections that were durable yet easily taken apart. Ultimately, Lego managed to perfect the interlocking principle, and most other companies disappeared.

Wed, 7.10.2026 4.30 pm

MAK – Museum of Applied Arts

Ingenius construction kit (“The New City”), Ingenius Technische- und Handels-GmbH, Austria, 1924 to presumably 1929

Elba Bouwdoos construction kit, N.V. Plaatmetaalindustrie Van Mouwerik en Bal, Netherlands, ca. 1940

Plaspi—Der kleine Großblock-Baumeister, VEB Gothaer Kunststoffverarbeitung, Germany (Thuringia), ca. 1980

Exclusively for this exhibition, selected construction kits have been reproduced for visitors to play with. Students from the HFT Stuttgart have created building systems modeled after historical originals, replicating the valuable original building blocks of the Ingenius, Bâtiss, and Skyline kits on an enlarged scale. Furthermore, an immersive VR experience of an architectural model as well as bricks from the Minibrix, Tetek, and Dusyma systems, along with an East German kit, will be available for experimenting, playing, and building.

The DAM exhibition concept received generous support from the IKEA Foundation.

PRACTICAL INFO

Meeting point: MAK Columned Hall
Language: The tour is held in German.
Duration: approximately 50 minutes
To ensure a pleasant museum visit, the number of participants per guided tour is limited. We therefore recommend booking the tour in advance to secure your spot.
Guided tour fee: € 5,50 plus admission
In addition to the ticket for the guided tour, an admission ticket is required. The admission ticket can be added to your cart after selecting the event ticket.