The LEGO Group has launched a new flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City that aims to provide themed experiences for guests. The 7,175 sq. ft store, which took two years to design, blends physical and digital experiences to immerse guests in the world of LEGO.
New experiences include guests being able to put their LEGO build into a virtual world, reimagine themselves in LEGO form, and explore the Tree of Discovery that is made of 880,000 LEGO pieces.
The new format is scalable and will be introduced to LEGO stores throughout the world.
“We want people to walk into our stores and feel immersed in a world of LEGO bricks,” says Colette Burke, LEGO Chief Commercial Officer. “We’ve designed the spaces to fire up creativity and imagination and encourage hands-on play. Our talented designers have developed entirely new experiences that blend the very best of ground-breaking customization, technology, and physical play allowing visitors to interact with the brand in exciting new ways.”
To highlight the experiences, LEGO has released the following “sizzle film” highlighting the new in-store experiences:
The new experiences include:
Personalization Studio: Using the Mosaic Maker, guests can see themselves in LEGO mosaic form. Using the LEGO Minifigure Factory, guests can create a Minifigure that looks like them.
Brick Lab: Guests can take their LEGO builds and insert them into an on-site virtual world. Walls and the floor encompass the guest in this everchanging world depending on what LEGO builds guests add to it.
Tree of Discover: The Tree of Discovery is made up of 880,000 LEGO pieces. Serving as the store centerpiece, visitors can search for secret insights into the tree.
LEGO Expressions: Guests can interact with LEGO Minifigures which will mimic the guest’s facial expressions.
Storytelling Table: Guests can virtually “meet” LEGO designers and get a sneak peek at new LEGO designs and products.
Larger-Than-Life-Builds: Guests will discover giant versions of local landmarks. For example, the NYC LEGO Store includes a LEGO taxi that guests can sit in, the Empire State Building, One World Trade skyscraper, Marvel Super Heroes, Ghostbusters Firehouse, etc.
To celebrate the launch of its new flagship store, the LEGO Group created a “musical” titled LEGO Store: The Musical (see Explore More below).
“New York and the Broadway community have always been sources of inspiration at the LEGO Group, where we share the values of big dreams, the love of play and above all, building something new every day,” says Travis Blue, vice president, Americas Brand Retail Stores at the LEGO Group. “A collaboration to coincide with the debut of our flagship store was a perfect way to showcase the very best of New York.”
LEGO® Store: The Musical stars Tony Award-winning actress Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, Girls5Eva), is directed by the famed Ezra Hurwitz (NYC Ballet, Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Carousel, Oklahoma), with song produced by Isaac Hurwitz (The Devil Wears Prada, The Secret Life of Bees, Working Girl, Moulin Rouge, Anastasia, Mrs. Doubtfire) and Seth A. Goldstein (The Lehman Trilogy, The Prom) and original music by Michael Mahler (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, October Sky, Hero) and Alan Schmuckler (My Little Pony 2, Night at the Museum). The performance is choreographed by James Alsop (Girls5Eva, The Devil Wears Prada) and features numerous singers and dancers from the Broadway stage including: Zach Bencal (Aladdin), Ava DeMary (Matilda, Evita, Billy Elliot), Shawna Hamic (The Last Ship), Joomin Hwang (The Prom, In the Heights), Shereen Pimentel (West Side Story, The Lion King), and John Riddle (Frozen, The Visit, Phantom), among others. The cast also includes real-life firefighter, Lee Garrett, Brooklyn Nets B-boy, Antonio Smith, professional ballet dancer, Maira Barriga, and professional dancer, Austin Goodwin.
Explore More:
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group.
Feature photo and all other photos: (courtesy of the LEGO Group)
