Springing from the site of the former City Hall building in Billund, Denmark, a new LEGO experience hub looks like it was built out of giant, colorful LEGO blocks. Bjarke Ingels Group and COWI designed the 12,000-sm LEGO House.
The 23-meter-tall building is conceived as an urban space and as an experience center. Twenty-one overlapping blocks are placed like individual buildings and frame a 2,000-sm “LEGO Square” that is illuminated through the cracks and gaps between the volumes. The plaza has no visible columns and is publicly accessible, allowing visitors and citizens of Billund to take a shortcut through the building.
Photo: Iwan Baan
The LEGO Square contains a café, restaurant, LEGO store, and conference facilities. Above the square is a cluster of galleries that overlap to create a continuous sequence of exhibitions. Each gallery is color-coded in LEGO’s primary colors to act as a simple wayfinding strategy.
Colors are also used on the first- and second-floor play zones. The play zones are arranged by color and programmed with activities that represent certain aspects of a child’s learning: red is creative, blue is cognitive, green is social, and yellow is emotional.
Photo: Iwan Baan
A “Masterpiece Gallery” sits atop the structure and contains a collection of LEGO fans’ creations that pay tribute to the LEGO community. The Masterpiece Gallery is made to resemble the 2X4 LEGO brick and uses eight circular skylights that resemble the brick’s studs. Visitors can venture to the top of the Masterpiece Gallery to get a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding city. Some of the rooftops can be accessed via pixilated public staircases that double as informal auditoria for people watching or seating for performances.
Photo: Iwan Baan
On the lower level is the “History Collection.” Here, visitors can experience an archival immersion into the LEGO company and the brand’s story. The Vault, meanwhile, is located underneath LEGO Square and presents visitors with the first edition of almost every LEGO set ever manufactured.
LEGO House is now open and is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors annually. To celebrate the opening of LEGO House, LEGO released a 774-piece, 197-step kit that replicates the structure. It is part of the LEGO Architecture line and is sold exclusively at LEGO House.
Photo: Iwan Baan
Photo: Iwan Baan
Photo: Iwan Baan
Photo: Iwan Baan
Related Stories
Market Data | Feb 24, 2021
2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast
Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.
Museums | Jan 28, 2021
Arkansas Arts Center to undergo $142 million transformation into the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Studio Gang is designing the project.
Reconstruction Awards | Dec 29, 2020
The reenvisioned Sazerac House: A delectable cocktail that's just perfect for the Big Easy
The 51,987-sf Sazerac House is an interactive cocktail museum, active distillery, corporate headquarters, and event venue, all under one roof, next to the historic French Quarter of New Orleans.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Museums | Nov 16, 2020
Design of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum unveiled
Reed Hilderbrand and Trahan Architects designed the project.
Museums | Nov 12, 2020
The National Museum of the United States Army opens
SOM designed the building.
Museums | Nov 5, 2020
The Weekly show: Designing cannabis facilities, Bob Borson's Life of an Architect, museum design
BD+C editors speak with experts from Cooper Robertson, Life of an Architect, and MJ12 Design Studio on the November 5 episode of "The Weekly." The episode is available for viewing on demand.
Museums | Oct 15, 2020
A new museum at Princeton University designed as ‘a campus within a campus’
The building would double the size of the existing museum.
