LEGO Creates ‘Laundromat Of Dreams’ Lathered To Life With Over 200,000 Bricks
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
The mundane concept of a laundromat has been washed anew, thanks to the LEGO Group and artist Yinka Ilori, who have created what looks to be the launderette of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
The whimsical Launderette of Dreams is an interactive art installation based on Ilori’s childhood memories of his local coin wash on Essex Road in North London. Admittedly, those trips were pretty boring, but a young Ilori made those moments more interesting by indulging his imagination.
More than 200,000 colorful LEGO bricks were used to bring this kaleidoscopic kidcore laundromat to life. Each element is designed to encourage play and creative problem solving—effectively turning “everyday experiences into adventures”—from the vending machines that give out LEGO toys instead of the usual soap, to the hopscotch floor and mural wall that can be built, taken apart, and rebuilt.
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
“The Launderette of Dreams is a very personal project for me because I spent a lot of time during my childhood at the launderette. It was where I could dream about the things I wanted to achieve,” said Ilori, known for his signature art style of eye-popping graphics and colors drawn from his British and Nigerian heritage, in a press release.
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
“We often forget about the mundane spaces which play an important role in bringing the community and people from different cultures and backgrounds together, as well as providing an opportunity for kids to meet, play and share ideas,” he continued.
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
To truly run in the mind of a child, LEGO and Ilori turned to kids from the artist’s former primary school, St Jude & St Paul’s C of E., to reimagine the typical laundromat. The schoolchildren were brought to a local launderette and asked how they would spin it in a way that’d be more beneficial to the community. The end result is a mishmash of Ilori’s imagination with the creative resilience and optimism of the next generation.
“Their creative optimism inspires us every day, and we hope the Launderette of Dreams shows how fun and playful the world around us can be when approached with a bit of childlike imagination and joy,” detailed LEGO Group’s vice president of global brand development Alero Akuya.
The vibrant installation will run through November 6, 2021 at 133-135 Bethnal Green Rd, London, E2 7DG, and is free to enter. More details are available here.
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
Photo taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO
[via Creative Boom, images taken by Mark Cocksedge for LEGO]
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