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Get your LEGO bricks out!
Two special “LEGO® bricks” stamps pay tribute to Swissness. An authentic wooden chalet and a beautiful brown cow were created in a unique LEGO design, and then featured on the stamps. The designs can be completely recreated at home.
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What would you build if someone asked you to create a piece of Switzerland using multi-coloured LEGO® bricks? The legendary Danish company The LEGO Group did just that for Swiss Post.
Swiss Post issues philatelic products aimed at a young audience. The “piece of Switzerland” theme was retained in 2022, the first time Swiss Post has worked with the world-famous Danish toy maker. The company, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, was delighted to receive the request.
A creation designed at the LEGO studios in London
The challenge was taken up by Chris Booth. Chris lives in London and has worked for the LEGO Group, headquartered in Denmark, for 14 years.
He is the Associate Creative Director and Head of Design for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Once assigned the task, Chris had to come up with some ideas. What symbol of Switzerland would he choose to build? Perhaps a watch? William Tell? A bar of chocolate? Or maybe a fondue pot?
Chris Booth is the creator of the two LEGO stamps. © The LEGO Group
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Childhood memories
In discussion with Swiss Post and its teams, he selected designs related to the Alps, opting for a chalet and a cow.
“I visited Switzerland at a young age and loved it. I have vivid memories of cows grazing on the mountain sides and their delightful bells. I knew straight away that we had to recreate a LEGO cow,” says the designer.
Brown bricks are pieced together. A yellow piece is perfect for the bell, two white buttons are used for the eyes and pink ones for the udder. A magnificent brown cow grazing against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps is taking shape in the designer’s hands. And everything’s done on a computer.
“We create most of our models using 3D software. It’s much easier having virtual access to bricks of all different colours than trying to find actual pieces in real life. There are so many LEGO® bricks that it’s difficult to find space in the studio to stock them all,” explains Chris.
Design challenges
Chris gets started on the chalet. The shapes, cogs and special elements bring the traditional Swiss chalet to life. The colour of the shutters and the flowers in the windows now have to be chosen. And here’s a perfect round brick for the chimney. But should we add the Swiss flag? Building the mythical Swiss chalet in LEGO really is a daunting task.
“The first model of the LEGO chalet I designed was huge and very complex. I tried to include so many details that I forgot it had to appear on a small stamp. I had six or seven attempts before achieving what I really wanted.”
A charming chalet and a delightful brown cow were soon put together. “We spend two weeks on the creation of conceptual blueprints, then another week designing the model,” adds Chris.
Collecting and/or building the designs
The two “LEGO® bricks” stamps will appeal to both the young and the old who love the small, bright stickers and multicoloured bricks made by the Danish company.
“I’m really honoured that my designs will feature in stamp collections all over the world. I hope children and collectors find the two stamps appealing and fun and are inspired to get out their LEGO bricks to reconstruct them,” says the Londoner proudly.
“When I created the models, it was really important that they could actually be built in real life so that children and families could make them at home.” The designs can be reproduced by showing some inventiveness as the models don’t exist. It’s up to everyone to find their own pieces and style.
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I want my LEGO stamp!
The two “LEGO® bricks” stamps are featured in special products. The stamps, special covers and sheets including stickers are available at Swiss Post philately branches or at postshop.ch.
