Kapla
Encyclopedia
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, with dimensions in the ratio of 1:3:15; i.e., 1 unit high, 3 units wide and 15 units long.
Overview
The blocks are precision cut to a single size and shape, which assists in the stability of larger constructions. Each block is a cuboid
Cuboid
In geometry, a cuboid is a solid figure bounded by six faces, forming a convex polyhedron. There are two competing definitions of a cuboid in mathematical literature...
in the ratio 1:3:15. The length of the longest side is 12 centimeters (4¾ inches). The blocks are certified green from renewable forests of Marine pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
near the Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
region of France. The blocks are not varnished or treated. Colored blocks are stained with non-toxic water based paints of six different hues.
In French schools and kindergartens the blocks are used as educational toys. There are many videos on the Internet of large and tall Kapla constructions by adults.
A model Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
made of thousands of Kapla blocks was exhibited in 2008 in the Cité de l'Architecture
Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine
The Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine is an architecture museum located in the Palais de Chaillot at 1, Place du Trocadéro, Paris, France. It is open daily except Tuesday; an admission fee is charged....
in Paris. Kapla has also shown at the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
and at the Children's Museum of Manhattan
Children's Museum of Manhattan
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan was founded by Bette Korman, under the name GAME , in 1973. With New York City in a deep fiscal crisis, and school art, music, and cultural programs eliminated, a loosely organized, group of artists and educators set up a basement storefront to serve Harlem and...
.
Origins
The idea behind Kapla developed around 1988, when the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
art historian and antique dealer Tom van der Bruggen moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in search of an old castle to restore. During renovation, Vanderbruggen was inspired by the original wooden beam design of his old farmhouse and used small planks to fashion a scale model of the castle of his dreams. Those small beam planks became the game KAPLA. The name Kapla comes from the Dutch term for "gnome planks", Kabouter Plankjes.