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Building Restoration, With Lego

By: Tom Doerr

Hundreds of buildings and monuments across the world have received unexpected repair work from an unlikely source. From banks to bridges and statues to stations, German artist Jan Vormann has been revamping surfaces with the popular building blocks, Lego.
After revealing the idea at a 2007 arts fair in Rome, Vormann has travelled the world in an attempt to (symbolically) save many of the world's historical buildings from decay with his brightly coloured version of polyfiller. He often seeks the permission of local authorities before working in a city to avoid vandalism charges. Although he works alone, he often receives help from eager passers by to painstakingly place the little blocks in cracks, missing bricks and even bullet holes.
Thousands of the little Danish blocks have been used by the 26 year old to put a positive spin on the demise of our iconic structures. Passers by have noted that although he brings to your attention the fact that these buildings are falling apart, he fills that void with colour, joy and childhood nostalgia. "My work draws attention to the smallest parts of our cities that are falling apart because of the brightness of the Lego. It draws people's attention through the coloured blocks and makes them aware that this wall or statue or construction is not complete anymore."
Since beginning his quest in 2007, Vormann explains that although he has most enjoyed visiting Ecuador and Serbia, his favourite still remains his hometown Berlin, "I filled in the holes still left by guns and shrapnel from the Second World War. That drew people's attention to the Lego and hopefully they would ask themselves why the Lego was there."
Despite bringing colour to a dull environment, the bricks provide no actual purpose in the restoration of the buildings. London based architect Jon Pipe says "The bricks themselves offer no structural benefit to the buildings and monuments, they in fact offer no purpose whatsoever which I guess is the whole point of art." Vormann's work has angered some city planners and building owners as it highlights their shortfalls in maintaining buildings however Vormann claims this is definitely not his intent. He could argue that if they did their job properly he would have nowhere to put his art, but he doesn't.

Article Source: http://www.arabian-affiliate.com/articles

Although receiving much media attention, Vormann's work does not count to any official building refurbishment chester but since his project many of the cities he visited have commissioned measured building surveys chester.

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