Educational toy made in plastic versions. In the mid-1950s, more explicitly engineering-themed construction toys appeared, including plastic girders, columns, and panels that could be assembled into a model curtain wall skyscraper. Later, this Girder and Panel structural system was extended to a Hydro-Dynamic setup by adding pipes, valves, tanks, nozzles, and pumps to allow construction of model plumbing, HVAC, and chemical engineering systems like a simulated distillation column. Other extensions of the system supported suburban-style housing developments (Build-A-Home), or monorail transportation systems (Skyrail). The building toy Lego was originally developed by Ole Kirk Christiansen in Billund, Denmark, in the 1930s. The name
Lego Atlantis Lego Atlantis Lego Atlantis was a product range of the construction toy Lego, themed around the underwater world of Atlantis. The range was announced in 2009, for launch in early 2010, and was discontinued by the end of 2011. Sets included models of buildable underwater vehicles, as well as 'heroic diver' and 'shark warrior' minifigures. A ride based on the range was operated at Legoland Windsor. The product range underwent extensive development, with the design team using focus groups "mostly comprising boys aged between six and 12, but also child psychologists". Designer William Thorogood commented on these focus groups that