LEGO house opens: first look inside the bjarke ingels-designed venue

after four years of construction, the bjarke ingels-designed ‘LEGO house’ has opened its doors to the public. located in the danish town of billund, where the iconic brick was first invented, the institution has been conceived as an immersive experience center, which includes paid attractions as well as areas that are free and open to the public. the complex is expected to attract approximately 250,000 guests each year with around 2,500 visitors on peak days. ‘it has been a dream for me for many years to create a place that will give our visitors the ultimate LEGO experience,’ says LEGO owner, kjeld kirk kristiansen.

all images and video courtesy of LEGO

designed by bjarke ingels group, the building comprises 21 white bricks stacked on top of one other, crowned by an oversized 2×4 LEGO block named the ‘keystone’. the enormous bricks create space for indoor activities, while simultaneously providing sheltered public space. filled with 25 million LEGO bricks, the 12,000 square meter building contains a series of ‘experience zones’, comprising two exhibition areas and four color-coded play areas that each symbolize a special aspect of play and learning. red encourages creative skills, blue fosters cognitive skills, green for social skills, and yellow for emotional skill development.

an aerial view of the complex ahead of its opening

the ground level includes a store, three restaurants, conference facilities, and a 2,000 square meter public square. the company’s story will be told in the history collection located in the basement, while the masterpiece gallery — which includes fan creations — will be located at the uppermost level. non-paying guests are able to walk to the top of the building to enjoy views from the outdoor terraces.

21 white bricks have been stacked on top of one other

‘with LEGO house, we celebrate creativity and the strength of learning through play,’ continues LEGO owner, kjeld kirk kristiansen. ‘when they play, children learn the basic skills that they need, such as creativity, collaboration and problem-solving abilities. with LEGO bricks, you can express yourself creatively and make anything imaginable. the possibilities are endless, and nowhere else in the world can you experience it in the same way as in LEGO house.’

the 15 meter-tall ‘tree of creativity’ is one of the largest LEGO structures ever built

‘all activities in the house are related to our LEGO philosophy that learning through play promotes innovation and creativity,’ says jesper vilstrup, lego house CEO. ‘play runs through the LEGO group’s DNA, and it is really brought to life in LEGO house. everything from experience zones and outdoor areas to our restaurant concepts is based on play and creativity, so no matter what you do in LEGO house, it will have something to do with playing.’ due to current space restrictions, potential visitors must book their trip in advance via the official website.

the tree took 6,316,611 standard LEGO bricks and 24,350 hours to assemble