Vienna museum opens hands-on exhibition of architectural building sets

A hands-on exhibition featuring about 70 architectural building sets from 1890 to 1990 has opened at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts, ORF reports. Visitors can view the historical toys and use them to build their own designs.

The exhibition, curated by Oliver Elser, was previously shown at the German Architecture Museum. It presents miniature building, bridge and landscape designs across eight stations, with several museum rooms turned into play spaces for children aged four and older and adults. A cathedral made from 4,000 felt blocks is among the highlights.

The sets reflected the newest architecture of their time and were designed for active play. Their original instructions were often complex, so the exhibition has provided all the sets at the play tables with standardised, simplified instructions in an IKEA-style format.

The display also explores different approaches to making building pieces that were durable but easy to take apart. Anker was an early producer, but it was one of many: around 900 companies in German-speaking countries made building systems between 1880 and 1960. Materials included wood, metal, artificial brick, natural rubber and Galalith, a material also known as milk stone. Plastic is now the most common material.

The exhibits come from the private collection of Wiesbaden graphic designer Claus Krieger, and many have been assembled into models. Students from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences have also created oversized versions of the Ingenius, Bâtiss and Skyline sets. Visitors can explore a virtual model world using a VR headset.

A workshop for children, titled Build with me, is scheduled for October 24. Participants can build with replicas of historical blocks as well as Bioblo and Lego, then assess one another’s creations in an architecture competition. The exhibition runs until March 14, 2027, in the museum’s Column Hall, Art Prints Room and director’s office.