Heritage brought to life with colourful bricks
Replicas of nation’s historical buildings on showcase in Muar
JOHOR BARU: A group of Lego enthusiasts from Muar has used the colourful toy bricks to build models of historical buildings to remind people of the importance of preserving the country’s architectural heritage.
A team of 12 from Synergy LUG (Lego User Group registered and recognised by Lego Denmark) has been actively building Lego replicas of local landmarks.
Team member Marco Gan said they wanted to educate and create awareness about the history and background of local buildings.
The group held their first exhibition, showcasing 38 pre-war shops found in Muar, in August and held their second exhibition, which included replicas of historical structures from other parts of the country, in Muar on Friday.
He said they intentionally left out iconic buildings like the Petronas Twin Towers and the red Christ Church in Melaka to provide exposure to lesser-known heritage buildings.
Their 15 Lego replicas in the exhibitions included shops along Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur, St Paul’s Church in Melaka and a well-preserved old residence located near Jalan Ali, Muar.
They also showcased a model of Medan Pasar in Kuala Lumpur, which Gan said they chose because the square was the first Chinese marketplace introduced by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy.
The team spent about three hours in the evenings, after their regular jobs, to piece together the replicas and each model took between two and three months to complete, he said.
Gan, a graphic designer, said they usually ordered their Lego bricks from European countries and the United States, which had a wider colour selection and size variations.
They often spent up to RM2,000 on each structure.
“The biggest obstacle when making the models is to stay as close as possible to the original building, which people have become familiar with – from the windows to the doors – because if we change a single element, the model would have lost its authenticity,” he said in an interview.
He added that the recent exhibition, which included games and workshops for children, received a warm public response.
“The project allowed us to travel around to study the structures before building the models.
“There are so many interesting and old buildings around us but due to various factors like weather and neglect, they suffered damage and are unkempt, which is a shame,” he said.
He said they hoped the Government would do more to maintain old heritage buildings for the benefit of future generations.