In a curious case of architecture imitating toys which imitate architecture, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has begun construction on the Lego House. Located in Lego's hometown of Billund, Denmark, the building will resemble an oversized Lego structure and is expected to be completed in 2016.
The brick-laying ceremony included Lego matriarch Edith Kirk Kristiansen, who, along with other members of her family, laid ceremonial foundation stones which look like oversized Lego bricks.
Once it's completed, the Lego House will comprise a total floorspace of 12,000 sq m (129,166 sq ft), including a large covered square that measures 2,000 sq m (21,000 sq ft), and it will rise to 23 m (75 ft) high.
The larger part of the Lego House will be given over to four play zones, showcasing some of Lego's best ideas, from the past, the present, and future, and there will also be other exhibits and family-friendly activities. It's early days yet, but we'll be continuing to follow the project as it progresses.
"For me the Lego brick embodies the notion of systematic creativity – that the rigor and rationality of the Lego brick allows children of all ages infinite possibilities to create their own worlds and to inhabit them through play," said BIG's founder, Bjarke Ingels. "We have been inspired by the modularity of the Lego brick to create the Lego House. It will appear like a cloud of interlocking Lego bricks that form spaces for exploration and exhibition for its visitors within."
