“This is a bit of being thrown back to my childhood.” Museum director Hans Stuijfbergen tells while the planes fly around his head and trains around him.
He also has warm memories of the toy blocks. Especially on the blue train that starts to ride laps when you press a button. “This is actually the train from my youth. Only then it worked on batteries, from those flat 4.5-volt batteries. And with those flat rails I will have built a lot,” he says with an almost youthful enthusiasm.
That enthusiastic feeling is also very logical. Upon entering, visitors are attacked by a good dose of nostalgia. From the modern lego set of Star Wars and Harry Potter, to the old boxes from the 80s and huge structures, everything can be seen.
“One plus one is two”
The Museum of the 20th century had wanted to open an exhibition at a different location for some time. “First of all, I thought it was very unfortunate that the station had been empty for so long,” says Stuijfbergen. “But it was actually because we had a lot of lego trains, which we could not give in the museum. Well, one plus one is two.”
In the eyes of the museum director, LEGO is the toy of the 20th century, but certainly in the 21st century it exploded. “It actually went very well with LEGO after 2000, when they started working with famous brands and themes such as Star Wars and Harry Potter.”
“Also don’t forget the flowers, butterflies and birds that they are now releasing. It is no longer just for children. I even believe that a third of all the LEGO is now sold for adults. That says something.”
So Brick City opened for visitors in the Stationshal of Hoorn on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. They can also help build the city themselves.
Building Hoorn icons
One of these builders are Marianne Schoenmaker and her husband. They are volunteers at Brick City and build iconic Hoorn structures. Because with a city that everyone can help build, there is also the desire to add some Hoorn attractions to it.
The two of them build in the converted canteen on the old water tower, which used to be on the corner of the Keern and the Geldelozeweg. There have been quite a few hours in it now and it is already starting to look careful.