The SXSW interactive play area Credit: Photo by Richard Whittaker

What’s the greatest thing about SXSW? The music? The films? The panel discussions? The mounds of free schwag that everyone ends up having to tote home?

NO! It’s the huge pile of Lego that is the SXSW Interactive Playpen. Guests are invited to decompress from the strains and rigors of the festival (and trust us, one can only consume so many hors d’oeuvres before life becomes terribly tiresome) by playing with Lego. Lots and lots and lots of Lego. Builders can even take photos of their handiwork and upload them for the chance of winning a t-shirt.

Of course, it’s not the same since they started making all these ultra-specialized shapes of blocks (the rot set in when they released the first oneXone block, I tell ye), but what engineer’s heart does not soar at the sight of this much Lego?

Click on the image above for our own photo-gallery.

This article appears in March 7 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.