Lego Embarks on a Global Play Tour, Starting With an Immersive Art Gallery For Kids

Lego opened an immersive art gallery for children in the heart of Paris, following new research that shows many families lack access to adequate or safe spaces for play. 

The toy brand’s Superpower Studios reimagines norms of traditional art museums, which are often “beautiful buildings with exclusive art that you can look at but not touch,” Alero Akuya, vp of global brand development at the Lego Group, told ADWEEK.

“What would an art museum look like through the eyes of a child?” she said.

The answer is an immersive installation at cultural venue La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris, where kids can encounter a fantastical forest, remix artwork, and build their own magical creatures and worlds out of bricks. The Lego Agency and Exposure are behind the project.

Lego partnered with Sarah Andelman, founder of pioneering Parisian concept store Colette, as creative advisor on the project. It also enlisted three Play Ambassadors to create the elements of Superpower Studios.

French illustrator Aurélia Durand is behind the Remix Room, a digital experience where children can blend, paint, and interact with her art to make their own creations. 

Ekow Nimako, a Ghanaian-Canadian artist who uses black Lego bricks to build sculptures, came up with The Mythical Maze, a themed room based on a mythological world of a Ghanaian goddess where kids can craft a guardian creature.

And Chinese paper cutting artist Chen Fenwan developed the Forest of Wishes, an ethereal forest where visitors can build and add to the space with Lego bricks.

Superpower Studios will be open with free admission Sept. 11 to 16. Beyond the activation, Lego has partnered with local organization La Villette to support free workshops and play sessions for 87,000 underprivileged children through 2026. 

After Paris, Lego will host other playable, immersive experiences around the world. There will be a playable library in China, a restaurant-themed popup in Japan, a dance studio in Australia, and a creative camp during the Berlin Festival of Lights in October. 

“We wanted to take spaces that are typically seen as adult and subvert them with play,” Akuya said. 

Building a playful world

These experiences are tangible extensions of Lego’s “Play is Your Superpower” campaign, whose previous iterations have included a playable superhero ad.

“Play is Your Superpower” has the goal of fostering play, which according to Lego’s research can improve learning, development, and connection among children and families. 

Its latest global study found that 90% of children agree that play is the best way for them to learn, develop, and express themselves, while 83% of parents see play as a platform for celebrating differences. 

However, 76% of parents say that today’s children have fewer opportunities to play than previous generations, due to factors such as the pervasive impact of digital devices, parental workload, and restricted access to play spaces. 1 in 5 parents say they never engage in playtime with their children. 

“Play is more than just fun; it’s the key to unlocking essential creative life skills and fostering a more inclusive, joyful world,” Akuya said in a statement. “Superpower Studios is our way of inviting families to make play a priority.”