ACCIONA is collaborating in an exhibition of construction toys to open at Madrid’s Círculo de Bellas Artes fine arts center on 18 February and running until 15 May 2016.
Hundreds of original toys, project outlines, plans and notes collected over 20 years by Juan Bordes will occupy the Picasso Room at the CBA with the purpose of highlighting the involvement of construction toys throughout the history of contemporary architecture and building construction.
The history of construction toys goes back to the end of the 18th Century. German educator Friedrich Fröbel, pioneer of the ‘childhood garden’ concept, spotted in building blocks a didactic tool that would be appropriate for exploring spatial logic, analytical thought and creative design in new depth. The blocks thus began to be employed in schools to teach mathematics, geometry and drawing. Their manufacturers, aware of the possibilities of these models, began producing toys in card, wood and later stone, metal and plastic, which went on to take their place in easily recognizable formats that stood the test of time and feature in this exhibition.
“For a company like ACCIONA, with nearly a century of history in the infrastructure sector, “Construction Toys” represents another step in our commitment to culture. These items, which have helped further the careers of great architects and engineers, including those who developed with ACCIONA over the years, still continue to have a positive influence on how we can build with sensitivity and in a more sustainable way,” commented Isabel Gistau, ACCIONA’s Director of Global Brand and Corporate Image.
Commitment to culture
ACCIONA collaborates with art and culture through various sponsorships and alliances. As an associate company to ‘SUR’, the School of Artistic Professions in Madrid, we offer scholarships to broaden access to the school, where we also organize the “ACCIONA Professor” conferences, talks given by prestigious authors and global thinkers. ACCIONA also puts on exhibitions, and designs museums, all over the world through its subsidiary ACCIONA Producciones y Diseño (ACCIONA Productions & Design).