LEGO and Lagardère Travel Retail unveil exclusive race car installation at DXB

With the Formula 1 season coming to an end, the world’s largest LEGO store in an airport, at Dubai International (DXB), is keeping the excitement alive this holiday season with the launch of an impressive new race car installation.

The activation transforms a central pillar of the store into a dynamic racetrack, complete with a custom-built LEGO race car and immersive, interactive features.

The installation brings the high-speed world of racing directly into DXB. The pillar-turned-racetrack is illuminated and features interactive buttons that play racing sound bites giving customers the sensation of being right on the track.

The custom-built LEGO race car was inspired by the original LEGO set 1631, released in 1990. The race car was constructed using 67,432 LEGO bricks and took 372 hours to build. It weighs 78 kilograms and traveled 6,814 kilometers from Billund, Denmark to its new home at DXB.

The store also features a behind-the-scenes video documenting the race car’s journey from concept to completion, giving customers a rare look into the creative process behind large-scale LEGO builds.

In addition to offering an immersive racing experience, the installation also supports the popularity of the LEGO Formula 1 product range, which has been one of the store’s strongest-performing collections since launch. The introduction of the large scale LEGO race car celebrates the success of these sets and provides an engaging focal point for fans, inspiring travelers to explore the wider assortment of Formula 1 themed LEGO sets available in-store.

The installation further enhances the store’s already robust ‘retailtainment’ concept and offers travelers a unique experience during the busy holiday travel period.

Operated by Lagardère Travel Retail, the store spans 190 square meters, and is designed to resemble giant LEGO bricks. The space offers a series of interactive experiences including The Minifigure Scanner, which transforms a hand scan into a personalized LEGO Minifigure, and The Digibox, an augmented reality screen that animates LEGO sets to inspire creative building.

The store also showcases large-scale LEGO installations that have become popular photo backdrops, including a Dubai skyline mosaic (33,219 bricks; 134 hours; 62 kg), a 190cm tall LEGO pilot (45,033 bricks; 180 hours; 134 kg), and an Formula 1 inspired LEGO race car (33,219 bricks, 134 hours, 62kg) which travelers can sit for a photo moment.

Vadim Motlik, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail UAE, said, "We are thrilled to unveil this one-of-a-kind race car installation, which reflects our continued commitment to elevating the airport retail experience through innovative and engaging concepts for travelers at DXB. Bringing the excitement of racing into the LEGO store was a strategic decision that not only enhances the in-store experience but also supports the strong performance of the LEGO Formula 1 range. Together with LEGO Travel Retail, we remain focused on pushing the boundaries of what retailtainment can achieve in a global travel hub."

Rasmus Kaiholm Skov, Key Account Manager, EMEA Travel Retail at the LEGO Group, added, "We are super excited about this new race car installation at the LEGO Travel Store in DXB. It is truly an eye-catching and inspiring piece of art that will excite guests of all ages, visiting the LEGO store. A big thank you to the entire Lagardère Travel Retail UAE team for driving this together with our LEGO Certified Professionals at BrickWorks; their ongoing creativity and commitment makes them frontrunners in bringing memorable customer experiences to life everyday."