Boston’s business community just got a little more colorful, as the city welcomed toymaker Lego Group as its newest commercial resident.
The toy company officially opened its new U.S. headquarters Thursday at 1001 Boylston St. The offices, which span six floors and 157,000 square feet of the Back Bay office building, will eventually be home to more than 800 employees.
“Boston is a key city for playing and opportunity, in sports, in digital or in the arts, and it’s also an incredible center for learning, with some of the world’s finest universities here,” CEO Niels Christiansen said. “We know that by being in Boston, we are able to tap into a global talent pool that will help us develop and grow our business further.”
Lego Group announced in 2023 that it would be closing its previous headquarters in Enfield, Connecticut, where it had been for 50 years. Some employees have already moved to or been hired in Boston, and the rest will have the opportunity to transfer over the next year.
Gov. Maura Healey touted the company’s arrival in Massachusetts as an example of the state’s economic competitiveness.
“Lego is the standard for creative play and for innovation,” she said. “At a time when we’re concerned about devices and the impact of devices on our young people, Lego sets this incredible opportunity to offer our children gifts of imagination and also agency that makes it a perfect fit for Massachusetts, because we are the top-ranked state in America for education and innovation.”
At Thursday’s event, company leaders announced that over the next two years, Lego Group would contribute $5 million to provide access to play for children in Boston. This will include a partnership with the Boston Public Library to fund learning experiences for children up to age 13, among other programs.
A visitor to the new Lego office wouldn’t have any trouble recognizing where they were. Offices and common spaces are decorated with models built from Lego bricks. Nearly every room is equipped with a bin full of bricks that can be snapped onto the walls during meetings.
Even surfaces not covered with Legos are reminiscent of the iconic toys: lighting, furniture and other design elements are circular and arranged to mimic Lego‘s patented “stud and tube” design.
Office amenities include flexible workspaces, parents’ rooms and wellness areas, a cafe, gym access and panoramic views of the city.
In the office lobby, a prominent series of models references Boston Common‘s “Make Way for Ducklings” statue. However, the first duck in the line is not the expected mother mallard, but a wooden toy that was one of the first created by the company when it was founded in Denmark more than 90 years ago.
“Our founder’s son hoped to achieve time and cost savings by applying only two coats of varnish to the ducks when the standard was three coats. His father found out and insisted the ducks be retrieved for a third coat of varnish,” Chief Commercial Officer Colette Burke said. “Our 31,000 employees across the globe know this story and recognize the duck as a symbol of our commitment to quality.”
Lego Group employs about 3,500 people in the United States, including at 150 Lego stores across the country. The company plans to open a new factory and regional distribution center in Virginia in 2027, which is expected to employ 2,000 people.
