Billund - the Capital of Children
Billund is of great importance to KIRKBI A/S, LEGO A/S and the LEGO® brand. The story of the LEGO brand began in 1932 when Ole Kirk Kristiansen started making wooden toys in his workshop in Billund. The toys were sold as LEGO® toys from 1934.
Today, Billund counts almost 7,000 citizens and thousands of people commute to Billund every day. About three million tourists come to the town every year to pay the town’s many attractions a visit – such as the world’s first LEGOLAND® Park or LEGO House - the Home of the Brick™.
Billund City Vision
Billund is also where KIRKBI is headquartered and the owner family has been actively engaged in supporting the development of the town through generations. In 2015, KIRKBI initiated a vision plan for the development of the town together with Billund Municipality and Realdania.
The result was the Billund City Vision, which sets the framework for supporting and strengthening Billund’s unique character as the Capital of Children, where children of all ages learn through play and are creative citizens of the world. The vision provides KIRKBI and our partners with a framework for urban and cultural planning in a town that is multifaceted despite its small size.
A focal element in the vision is to mould greater cohesion between spaces for citizens, employees and visitors. One way to connect these spaces is to concentrate urban spaces and include green environments in and around them. The so-called “Playline” – a playful walk and bicycle path – will realise this concept and connect the different parts of the town.
For KIRKBI specifically, the vision provides a framework for how Billund could develop, and subsequently, how KIRKBI can support the continued development of Billund – the Capital of Children – through real estate and other activities.
KIRKBI is currently engaged in several real estate projects in Billund – all of them supporting the City Vision. Four of KIRKBI’s current projects are:
LEGO CAMPUS
A new gathering point for the entire LEGO Group. The campus includes 54,000 sqm and office space for approximately 2,000 colleagues. Part of the construction is dedicated to a “People House” - an area with facilities such as workshops, sports facilities, café, accommodation and much more. The People House is open to colleagues who work out of Billund on a daily basis as well as to colleagues who stay in Billund for a shorter or longer period of time.
BUTIKSTORVET
The city centre of Billund has been transformed to a new downtown area with stores, offices, flats, urban nature and a ‘Playline’ connecting the buildings. In October 2020, the area was inaugurated, and the new residents could move in.
KASTANIEHJØRNET
A residential property of 6,300 square metres in Billund’s midtown, comprising dementia flats in connection to Billund Municipality’s care home, council apartments to the non-profit housing association, and flats that are administered by KIRKBI. The construction of Kastaniehjørnet started in 2019 and was finalised in 2021.
KLØVERMARKEN
A new office area in the former Modulex location ‘Kløvermarken’ has been rebuilt to host some of the organisations that work for the development of the Capital of Children. CoC Playful Minds – the organisation which develops the programs that shall make the city vision of Billund come to live – is one of the tenants, which moved in when the building was inaugurated in October 2019. CoC Living Lab includes an entrepreneurial environment for businesses and start-ups to create synergy and support knowledge-sharing and network among them. In addition, Billund Erhvervsfremme has also moved into the new premises.