Architecture

Bricking it: BIG's Lego House opens for business

Bricking it: BIG's Lego House opens for business
The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
View 25 Images
The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
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The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
The Lego House rises to a height of 23 m (75 ft)
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The Lego House rises to a height of 23 m (75 ft)
The Lego House measures 12,000 sq m (129,166 sq ft)
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The Lego House measures 12,000 sq m (129,166 sq ft)
Inside, the Lego House includes areas both free and requiring a ticket
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Inside, the Lego House includes areas both free and requiring a ticket
The Lego House's first and second floors include four play zones, which are arranged by color
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The Lego House's first and second floors include four play zones, which are arranged by color
The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
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The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
The top of the Lego House is given over to the Masterpiece Gallery, a curated collection of Lego fans' best creations
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The top of the Lego House is given over to the Masterpiece Gallery, a curated collection of Lego fans' best creations
The Vault – located in the Lego House basement – allows visitors to see the first edition of almost every Lego set ever manufactured
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The Vault – located in the Lego House basement – allows visitors to see the first edition of almost every Lego set ever manufactured
The Lego House replaces the Danish city of Billund's former City Hall building
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The Lego House replaces the Danish city of Billund's former City Hall building
The Lego House formally opened on September 28
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The Lego House formally opened on September 28 
Naturally, the Lego House is packed with both fan and Lego made creations
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Naturally, the Lego House is packed with both fan and Lego made creations
The Lego House features pixellated staircases that double as auditoria
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The Lego House features pixellated staircases that double as auditoria
The Lego House's large central square is open to the public, allowing visitors and locals to take a shortcut through the building
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The Lego House's large central square is open to the public, allowing visitors and locals to take a shortcut through the building
The Lego House's square is a cavernous space and includes no visible columns
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The Lego House's square is a cavernous space and includes no visible columns
A gigantic tree, called the Tree of Creativity is the centerpiece of Lego House – it consists of more than six million Lego bricks and rises to 15 m (50 ft)
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A gigantic tree, called the Tree of Creativity is the centerpiece of Lego House – it consists of more than six million Lego bricks and rises to 15 m (50 ft)
Inside the Lego House, play areas are color coded
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Inside the Lego House, play areas are color coded
Red is creative, blue is cognitive, green is social, and yellow is emotional
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Red is creative, blue is cognitive, green is social, and yellow is emotional
Another of the Lego House's play areas
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Another of the Lego House's play areas
Another of the Lego House's play areas
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Another of the Lego House's play areas
The Lego House's rooftop terraces offer choice views of the city
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The Lego House's rooftop terraces offer choice views of the city
The attention to detail within Lego House is impressive
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The attention to detail within Lego House is impressive
The Lego House features pixellated staircases that double as auditoria
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The Lego House features pixellated staircases that double as auditoria
The Lego House rises to a height of 23 m (75 ft)
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The Lego House rises to a height of 23 m (75 ft)
The Lego House replaces the Danish city of Billund's former City Hall building
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The Lego House replaces the Danish city of Billund's former City Hall building
The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
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The Lego House appears to be constructed from oversized Lego bricks
View gallery - 25 images

It's been a long time coming, but BIG's wonderfully whimsical Lego House (aka Home of the Brick) is finally open for business. Serving as the Danish toymaker's flagship building, the eye-catching premises looks like it was constructed from oversized Lego bricks and is chock-full of play zones and impressive Lego displays.

On paper, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) always seemed a perfect match for Lego, and this has indeed proved to be the case. The firm has brought a real sense of fun to the project.

Rising to a height of 23 m (75 ft), the Lego House measures a total of 12,000 sq m (129,166 sq ft) and is located on the site of a former City Hall in Billund, Denmark. The building is structurally complex and consists of 21 large overlapping concrete blocks covered in brightly colored clay tiles to lend the impression that they're oversized plastic bricks.

Steel supports enabled the creation of an impressively large central square without any visible columns. This square is open to the public, as are some of the terraces, which can be accessed via pixelated staircases. A Lego store, restaurants and cafes and conference rooms are also on-site.

A gigantic tree, called the Tree of Creativity is the centerpiece of Lego House – it consists of more than six million Lego bricks and rises to 15 m (50 ft)
A gigantic tree, called the Tree of Creativity is the centerpiece of Lego House – it consists of more than six million Lego bricks and rises to 15 m (50 ft)

Inside the Lego House, a gigantic tree comprising more than six million Lego bricks and rising to 15 m (50 ft) tall takes center stage. A total of four play zones are arranged by color to represent a particular style of play or learning. So, red is creative, blue is cognitive, green is social, and yellow is emotional.

The lower levels include an exhibit of Lego's history, in addition to the first edition of almost every Lego set manufactured.

Pride of place at the top of the Lego House is given to the "Masterpiece Gallery," a curated collection of Lego fans' best creations. The gallery's proportions match that of a Lego brick and it also includes eight circular skylights that match a Lego brick's studs.

Around 250,000 visitors a year are expected to visit the Lego House. Those who make the trip can purchase an exclusive Lego House architecture kit that's available only in store.

Sources: BIG, Lego House

View gallery - 25 images
2 comments
2 comments
Bushpossum
Great unless you have a pram or you're frail or use a wheelchair in which case you're mostly excluded.
Bushpossum
On further research I found this: "LEGO® House features nine accessible terraces. Wheelchair users can access all of the terraces by elevator. Guests can also access the terrace on Keystone via a special lift." I guess the models/birds-eye photos are misleading. Hope so.