All it takes is one glance at Billund, Denmark’s newest office campus to quickly identify which company will be taking residence there. Fully equipped with giant LEGO bricks on the roof and integrated into the facade, LEGO Group recently opened the first phase of its new campus, which, when completed, will span 581,250 sf and house 2,000 employees.
Designed by C.F. Møller Architects, the two buildings were inspired by a painting in Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen’s (the LEGO Group owner) office of a boy holding up a building he made with LEGO bricks. The goal of the design was to express LEGO Group’s core values of imagination, creativity, fun, learning, caring, and quality.
The interior space is highlighted by colorful textured walls resembling LEGO bricks and decorated with LEGO creations of familiar faces such as Spongebob Squarepants, Winnie the Pooh, and LEGO “minifigs” dressed as firefighters, police officers, etc. And while the spaces look like all fun and games, they were designed to help employees produce their best work.
See Also: Chicago’s long-gestating luxury condo tower nears construction
“In the same way you build with LEGO bricks, we took elements our people love and brought them all together to create something unique,” said Anneke Beerkens, Senior Workplace Anthropologist, LEGO Group, in a release. “For example, employees told us that they wanted the freedom to choose an environment that suited them best for whatever they were working on, but also liked to stay close to teammates. So we built team ‘neighbourhoods’ which are a mix of individual and collaborative workspaces designed to create a caring environment where people can do great quality work.”
Sustainability was also a key tenet of the design. 4,150 solar panels cover the roof of a nearby parking garage and produce more than 1 million kWh, which will supply half of the energy needed to power the campus. Additionally, the new buildings’ rooftops are covered with Sedum plants, which absorb water and CO2, and rainwater will be used to irrigate parks in the campus area.
The full eight-building campus is slated for completion in 2021. A large central area, dubbed the “People House” will feature a large auditorium, fitness center, arts and crafts workshop, cafe, and accommodation for employees visiting from out of town.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Mar 11, 2023
Austin mixed-use development will provide two million sf of office, retail, and residential space
In Austin, Texas, the seven-building East Riverside Gateway complex will provide a mixed-use community next to the city’s planned Blue Line light rail, which will connect the Austin Bergstrom International Airport with downtown Austin. Planned and designed by Steinberg Hart, the development will include over 2 million sf of office, retail, and residential space, as well as amenities, such as a large park, that are intended to draw tech workers and young families.
Architects | Mar 8, 2023
Is Zoom zapping your zip? Here are two strategies to help creative teams do their best work
Collaborating virtually requires a person to filter out the periphery of their field of vision and focus on the glow of the screen. Zoom fatigue is a well-documented result of our over-reliance on one method of communication to work. We need time for focus work but working in isolation limits creative outcomes and innovations that come from in-person collaboration, write GBBN's Eric Puryear, AIA, and Mandy Woltjer.
Green Renovation | Mar 5, 2023
Dept. of Energy offers $22 million for energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades
The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy is offering more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams across America. Prize recipients will be selected based on their ideas to accelerate widespread, equitable energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.
Sustainability | Mar 2, 2023
The next steps for a sustainable, decarbonized future
For building owners and developers, the push to net zero energy and carbon neutrality is no longer an academic discussion.
Industry Research | Mar 2, 2023
Watch: Findings from Gensler's latest workplace survey of 2,000 office workers
Gensler's Janet Pogue McLaurin discusses the findings in the firm's 2022 Workplace Survey, based on responses from more than 2,000 workers in 10 industry sectors.
Seismic Design | Feb 27, 2023
Turkey earthquakes provide lessons for California
Two recent deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria offer lessons regarding construction practices and codes for California. Lax building standards were blamed for much of the devastation, including well over 35,000 dead and countless building collapses.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2023
New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis
A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.
Retail Centers | Feb 24, 2023
Santiago Calatrava unveils plans for a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany
Renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, along with the CENTRUM Group, has unveiled plans for Calatrava Boulevard, a luxury retail and office complex in Düsseldorf, Germany. Running parallel to Königsallee and connecting with the Steinstrasse station, Calatrava Boulevard will incorporate and connect to the boulevard’s existing buildings.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Feb 16, 2023
Insights from over 300 potential office-to-residential conversions
Research from Gensler finds that, surprisingly, the features that result in an unpleasant office often make for a superlative multifamily product.
High-rise Construction | Feb 15, 2023
Bjarke Ingels' 'leaning towers' concept wins Qianhai Prisma Towers design competition
A pair of sloped high-rises—a 300-meter residential tower and a 250-meter office tower—highlight the Qianhai Prisma Towers development in Qianhai, Shenzhen, China. BIG recently won the design competition for the project.
