How is BIG’s Lego house coming along?
Pretty well it seems - Bjarke Ingels should have it finished by September!
So, Bjarke Ingels is building a Lego house, and, what’s more, he's not going to be able to finish it until September. This may sound a little more plausible if we add that the structure isn't being built on the stairs where the family dog sometimes lies but is somewhat grander in scale - a full on piece of architecture in fact that will serve as a multi-purpose visitor centre in his architecture practice BIG's home town of Billund, Denmark.
“Lego House is a manifestation of the very essence of the Lego idea,” says Jesper Vilstrup, the building's general manager. “This will be an amazing place where Lego fans, their families and friends can experience, or re-experience, the playfulness of the Lego universe. All activities are related to our philosophy that creative play promotes innovation.”
Ingels’ 12,000 square metre building will house a shop, three restaurants, a conference centre, and four colour-coded play zones, as well as a Lego museum and a Masterpiece Gallery housing fans' creations.
Unlike the brand’s ticketed Legoland amusement parks, many of Lego House’s facilities will be free to use, including the house’s public square. Although parts of Lego House will be made to look like the firm’s world-famous building bricks, including a large-scale 2 x 4 Lego block on the house’s very top, called the Keystone, the house will actually be clad in clay tiles, and strengthened with 1,900 tons of steel.
For more playful architecture take a look at our new book Mobitecture.