Ancient Italian Walls Repaired With Lego Bricks

Ubuntukitten writes "When some walls in Bocchignano near Roma started to erode, the perfect solution was found in Lego bricks (although some look suspiciously like Duplo bricks to me). FTA: 'At first I thought it would be a complicated procedure to fit the pieces, But as it turned out, the bigger plastic pieces were compatible with the smaller ones, and the Lego held itself in place without any glue whatsoever.' I like the effect. It's like the scene has been created on the holodeck but a few holoemitters are broken ..."

IMHO

[Sobieski]

I find this almost beautiful, more captivating than the original wall. Though if it wasn't there to support the wall, I wouldn't like it.

Then it would just be like grafitti, art is relative... changing someone elses property's appearence is not acceptable.

Re:Call me old-fashioned

[JCSoRocks]

No, it looks like crap. I love legos, but I also love architecture and ye olde buildings.... cheesy plastic bricks + old buildings = garbage.

Dunno, it still seems like grafitti to me

[Moraelin]

1. Hmm, I dunno, I would think it depends more on whether the owner agreed to that kind of modification to their property. If the owners (or the city hall in the case of city property) actually agreed to have their walls repaired with Lego, or maybe in a sort of "doesn't matter with what" kinda contract, then it's ok. If not, it's still defacing someone else's property.

I mean, think of it this way: let's say your house showed some signs of water damage, or maybe (minor) cracks after an earthquake. And I come and glue a brightly coloured poster on top of it. Maybe even a waterproof poster to prevent more water getting there. Fine. But I'm guessing most people would still have a fit about suddenly discovering a bright poster on their property's wall.

2. Additionally, I have to wonder exactly how much _are_ they supporting the wall there. I.e., if it even has that excuse.

That looks like a thick wall of rock and brick. Especially the rock part is actually pretty damn heavy. And usually pretty tough too. Plastic toy bricks, not so much.

If the rest of the wall wasn't holding them in place already, i.e., if the weight of that wall was actually resting on those toy bricks, I'm guessing they'd get crushed instantly.

TFA says they're not even fixed there. Oh, and get this, he tried to fix them there with some _glue_, but it didn't stick to the dusty rock. Maybe someone should tell him about cement. You'd think the rest of the wall would be a clue.

So basically it doesn't look to me like it's even actually "repairing" the wall. It's just a bunch of toy bricks that occupy some available space there, but not much more.

I.e., on the whole it helps the wall just about as much as gluing a poster over the hole would.

3. Hmm, dunno, I have to agree with another poster there. I found the original wall much better, in that photo.

You have to remember that those walls are likely there for historical and cultural value. You know, so people can go and look at an example of roman or medieval architecture.

If they just wanted something brightly coloured instead, they could have demolished those old walls and built a McDonald's there.

Even if I might appreciate a Duplo brick construction on its own, and the wall on its own, it's the combination that bothers me.

It's like going to a museum and putting a clown nose, clown shoes and a pink tutu on a suit of beautiful Maximilian armour [wikipedia.org]. The combination actually defaces and diminishes the original.

I don't know, there's something about it that, well, seems to serve no other purpose than to visually scream "look! there's a hole here! they didn't repair it!" Much like writing "WASH ME" with the finger on a dusty car.

Re:Call me old-fashioned

[Nasajin]

Am I the only one who thinks this is rather appalling? I mean, these are beautiful, ancient relics, now completely defaced.

Exactly! Lego should never be mixed with Duplo. It's a travesty!

Re:without any glue whatsoever

[Prien715]

Actually this is what I think he means:
But as it turned out, the [Duplo Blocks]...were compatible with the [lego blocks]...and the [whole thing]...held itself in place without any glue whatsoever."

I didn't think they were compatible until my younger brother started playing with duplo blocks and started playing around with them. Granted, this is when I was around 10, but without my sibling's interest I wouldn't have figured it out.

Re:Call me old-fashioned

[Anonymous Coward]

It's just a wall and the article never says anything about the antiquity of the wall. Nor do they look terribly beautiful. Did you look at the pictures? They look just like all the other stone walls found everywhere else.
 
Anyways, it's just a publicity stunt by some artist. I don't think the bricks are going to stay there long.

Re:Call me old-fashioned

[JoshJ]

You say that like graffiti isn't commonplace in America. I mean, really.