Everyone knows Lego. Yet long before the Danish company conquered the global market, hundreds of manufacturers were producing an astonishing variety of construction sets—dating back to around 1880. Now the German Architecture Museum (DAM) in Frankfurt has seized a rare opportunity: using graphic designer Claus Krieger's private collection of architectural building sets to create an exhibition that shatters the "glass barrier"—that invisible wall museums typically place between their objects and visitors for conservation purposes. Across eight interactive stations throughout the exhibition, visitors can play, build, and discover new possibilities.

Prof. Andreas Kretzer from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (HFT) and his students have scaled up the original building blocks from "Ingenius," "Bâtiss," and "Skyline" to make them interactive and playable. The exhibition also features bricks from "Minibrix," "Tetek," and "Dusyma," alongside the "Kleine Großblockbaumeister" (Little Big Block Builder)—a gem from East German production—all available for hands-on building. Visitors can even step into a virtual model world via VR goggles, developed by students under Prof. Philipp Reinfeld, also from HFT. Around 60 construction kits in total are presented—both documented in a comprehensive catalogue and displayed in their fully assembled forms, showcasing dozens of completed models.

Opening: Friday, October 24, 2025, 7 p.m.

October 25, 2025 – February 8, 2026

www.dam-online.de