Farnsworth House™ joins the LEGO® Architecture Collection of Building Sets

Modernist architectural icon immortalised in LEGO® bricks

ENFIELD, Conn. (April 4, 2011) – Bauhaus director and modernist Mies van der Rohe is the latest architect to have his works immortalised in LEGO® bricks as his modernist masterpiece Farnsworth House™ joins the LEGO Architecture collection of building sets that celebrates the past, present and future of architecture through the LEGO brick.

The Farnsworth House, located in Plano, Illinois, just outside Chicago. It was designed and constructed between 1945 and 1951 as a one-room weekend retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, a prominent Chicago medical specialist. Today, the house is a pilgrimage site for architects and designers world-wide, owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The house museum is open to the public.

“We are proud to introduce Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, a new chapter in architectural history for LEGO Architecture,” said Paal Smith-Meyer, Head of New Business at the LEGO Group. “Our main job has been to capture the essence of this iconic design with our own celebrated icon, the LEGO Brick, and we hope the model and the story behind the building will be an inspiration to builders around the world”

“The Farnsworth House is one of the most celebrated and iconic symbols of Modern architecture and the National Trust is delighted to partner with the LEGO Group to offer this extraordinary home as part of the LEGO Architecture Series,” said Crista Gibbons, Associate Director of Marketing Programs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

LEGO Architecture is a collaboration between the LEGO Group and Chicago architect Adam Reed Tucker. It started as a pilot of 200 boxes in 2007. In 2010, international distribution started through LEGO online stores, brand retail stores and in a growing number of outlets around the world.

LEGO Architecture products come in two types: Landmark and Architect. The Landmark series features well-known buildings, while the Architect series focuses on the work of important architects. Mies van der Rohe is the second architect to be featured after Frank Lloyd Wright.

The LEGO Farnsworth House™ is available for purchase in LEGO brand retail stores, LEGOLAND® Stores and online at http://shop.lego.com/ for $59.99 USD. Toy stores, mass retail stores, bookstores, art galleries, museums, hotels, gifts souvenir shops, hobby shops and online will carry the item in June. The set is designed for ages 12 and up and includes a content-rich booklet with facts and history of Farnsworth House™.
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About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 9,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries.

About National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation www.PreservationNation.org is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group. ©2011 The LEGO Group.