Legoland Discovery Centre coming to Docks in Brussels

Following news earlier this year that a Legoland amusement park would eventually come to Belgium, the Danish maker of the famous building blocks has now announced that an indoor attraction will open next year in Brussels.

Lego has many indoor Discovery Centres around the world with games, play infrastructure, 4D cinema, virtual reality experiences and even rides. The new one for Brussels will take up more than 3,000 square metres in the Docks shopping centre.

Peter Todd of Portus Retail, co-owner of Docks notes that the advantage of a Legoland Discovery Centre is that it’s not reliant on the weather. Docks is eager to get the new Lego attraction up and running as the shopping centre lost money last year.

“The times where you opened up a shop and waited for the customers to come is over,” said Todd. “You have to give consumers a reason to come. People spend money where they spend time – where they work, live or spend their free time.”

While 2020 was a disastrous year for most shopping centres, Docks appeared to be losing retailers before then. It is not keen to release financial information, but JBC, Terre Bleue and Match have all left the centre. MediaMarkt chose to downsize, moving to a smaller unit, and the Lego Discover Centre will take its place.

It is expected that the Discovery Centre will bring in not just fun-park fans in Brussels but from all over the country. “This will expand the recreational options in the canal area,” said Brussels-City councillor Fabian Maingain (DéFi), responsible for economic affairs. “The train museum is in the same area, so this will allow tourists to combine activities. The Legoland Discovery Centre promises to be a major attraction for us.”

Photo courtesy Merlin Entertainments Group