Importance of the building in the territory and in the city
DESCRIPTION
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An old African saying says: It takes a village to raise a child.
The LEGO House could be conceived as a village for playing and learning – an urban space as much as architecture. As much for Billund’s visitors as for its citizens, public without and within. We propose to approach the spaces and activities for The LEGO House through the lens of a core element of LEGO’s philosophy – Inventing the future of play through systematic creativity. As an idea, The LEGO House can be conceived as a three dimensional village of interlocking and overlapping buildings and spaces. It can be visited as a curated flow – from one building to the next – in a continuous movement. Or it can be experienced as parallel worlds of complete autonomy. Each space can be designed and used independently. Each box can have a unique light setting, a unique dimension and still be part of a flexible totality. Multiple spaces have access to an outdoor space that can be used to expand the LEGO experience to the outside. The LEGO House will be both expressive and rational. Innovative and systematic- like a Guggenheim of white cubes, combining the functionality of the modular space with the iconic character of a sculptural building.
Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG
“LEGO house is a literal manifestation of the infinite possibilities of the LEGO brick. Through systematic creativity children of all ages are empowered with the tools to create their own worlds and to inhabit them through play. At its finest – that is what architecture – and LEGO play – is all about: enabling people to imagine new worlds that are more exciting and expressive than the status quo – and to provide them with the skills to make them reality. This is what children do every day with LEGO bricks – and this is what we have done today at LEGO House with actual bricks, taking Billund a step closer towards becoming the Capital for Children.”
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BIG and LEGO bring the toy scale of the classic LEGO brick to architectural scale with LEGO House, forming vast exhibition spaces and public squares that embody the culture and values at the heart of all LEGO experiences. Due to its central location in the heart of Billund, the 23 m tall LEGO House is conceived as an urban space as much as an experience center. 21 overlapping blocks are placed like individual buildings, framing a 2,000 m2 LEGO square that is illuminated through the cracks and gaps between the volumes. The plaza appears like an urban cave without any visible columns and is publicly accessible, allowing visitors and citizens of Billund to shortcut through the building. The LEGO square is energized by an urban character, welcoming locals and visitors to the café, restaurant, LEGO store and conference facilities. Above the square, a cluster of galleries overlap to create a continuous sequence of exhibitions. Each gallery is color-coded in LEGO’s primary colors so wayfinding through the exhibitions becomes a journey through the color spectrum.
The first and second floors include four play zones arranged by color and programmed with activities that represent a certain aspect of a child's learning: red is creative, blue is cognitive, green is social, and yellow is emotional. Guests of all ages can have an immersive and interactive experience, express their imagination, and not least be challenged by meeting other builders from all over the world. The top of the building is crowned by the Masterpiece Gallery, a collection of LEGO fans’ beloved creations that pay tribute to the LEGO community. The Masterpiece Gallery is made of the iconic 2x4 LEGO brick and showcases art beneath eight circular skylights that resemble the studs of the brick. Like the golden ratio, the proportions of the brick are nested in the geometries of everything man-made in the building, from the glazed ceramic tiles in the steps and walls to the overall 21 block scheme. Atop the Masterpiece Gallery, citizens and visitors can get a 360° panoramic view of the city. Some of the rooftops can be accessed via pixelated public staircases that double as informal auditoria for people watching or seating for performances. The History Collection at the lower level is where visitors can experience an archival immersion into the LEGO company and brand’s story. The Vault – located underneath LEGO Square – is where children and AFoLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) can witness the first edition of almost every LEGO set ever manufactured, including the new 774-piece, 197-step kit replicating the stacked-block formation of the LEGO House.
Kriston Capps, "Lego Goes BIG", Architect 4/2013, april 2013, "Front" p. 36
CLIENT
Lego
DIMENSIONAL DATA
Surface
sq.m. 12,000
Height
m. 23
Number
21 blocks
STAFF
Project
BIG Bjarke Ingels Group
Principal-in-charge
Bjarke Ingels, Finn Nørkjær, Brian Yang
Project leader
Brian Yang
Project management
Finn Nørkjær
Project architect
Snorre Nash
Collaborators
Andreas Klok Pedersen, Agne Tamasauskaite, Annette Birthe Jensen, Ariel Joy Norback Wallner, Ask Hvas, Birgitte Villadsen, Chris Falla, Christoffer Gotfredsen, Daruisz Duong Vu Hong, David Zahle, Esben Christoffersen, Franck Fdida, Ioana Fartadi Scurtu, Jakob Andreassen, Jakob Ohm Laursen, Jakob Sand, Jakub Matheus Wlodarczyk, Jesper Bo Jensen, Jesper Boye Andersen, Julia Boromissza, Kasper Reimer Hansen, Katarzyna Krystyna Siedlecka, Katarzyna Stachura, Kekoa Charlot, Leszek Czaja, Lone Fenger Albrechtsen, Louise Bøgeskov Hou, Mads Enggaard Stidsen, Magnus Algreen Suhr, Manon Otto, Marta Christensen, Mathias Bank Stigsen, Michael Kepke, Ole Dau Mortensen, Ryohei Koike, Sergiu Calacean, Søren Askehave, Stefan Plugaru, Stefan Wolf, Thomas Jakobsen Randbøll, Tobias Hjortdal, Tommy Bjørnstrup
Consultant
Cowi Dr. Lüchinger+meyer Bauingenieure Jesper Kongshaug Gade & Mortensen Akustik E-types
“LEGO house is a literal manifestation of the infinite possibilities of the LEGO brick. Through systematic creativity children of all ages are empowered with the tools to create their own worlds and to inhabit them through play. At its finest – that is what architecture – and LEGO play – is all about: enabling people to imagine new worlds that are more exciting and expressive than the status quo – and to provide them with the skills to make them reality. This is what children do every day with LEGO bricks – and this is what we have done today at LEGO House with actual bricks, taking Billund a step closer towards becoming the Capital for Children.”
