System i Leg, which translates to System of Play, was the natural progress of LEGO Mursten and is the foundation of L:EGO sets today. Designed by Godtfred Kirk Christiansen who organized the existing LEGO Mursten sets and modeled new designs around a single, common theme - a townscape or street scene. After nearly a year of development the result was the LEGO Mursten System i Leg (System of Play). The System i Leg was unveiled at the Nürnburg Toy Fair in February 1955. The original Automatic Binding Bricks sets and then LEGO Mursten sets were continued to be manufactured under the System i Leg theme.
1959 LEGO Sets
1959 was a year of international expansion and creative growth. LEGO established companies in France, Belgium, Britain, and Sweden, extending its European reach. The Futura department was also founded in Billund to focus on design innovation and long-term product development, including set concepts, parts, and new technologies. While few new sets were released, Futura’s work would later lead to several of LEGO’s most influential themes.