‘Severance’ surprise pop-up transforms Bell Works into a real-life Lumon HQ

'Severance' fans stunned by surprise Stephen Colbert Q&A at Bell Works

Apr 6, 2025 - 17:57

‘Severance’ surprise pop-up transforms Bell Works into a real-life Lumon HQ

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Tramell Tillman, Sarah Bock, Zach Cherry, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Jen Tullock, Britt Lower, Dichen Lachman, executive producer Adam Scott, creator/director/executive producer Dan Erickson, director/executive producer Ben Stiller and moderator Stephen Colbert seen at Apple TV+ global hit series “Severance” for a star-studded Outdoor Retreat Team Building Occurrence (ORTBO) at Lumon Industries on April 05, 2025 in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Fans of Apple TV+’s Severance got an unexpected dose of corporate surrealism this weekend, as the Bell Works building in Holmdel, New Jersey — the same location used for Lumon Industries in the series — was reactivated for a limited-time immersive event.

On April 5, the architectural landmark morphed into an IRL Lumon experience, blurring the lines between fiction and fandom with a museum-style showcase. The event featured curated set recreations, Severance-inspired menus, exclusive branded merchandise, and the pièce de résistance: a waffle party.

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The one-weekend-only activation tapped into the show's meticulously crafted aesthetic, offering attendees a tangible slice of its unsettling officeverse.

The Bell Works building, once home to the legendary Bell Labs — a research and development hub now owned by Nokia — served as more than just a filming location for Severance. In an interview with CNBC Make It, production designer Jeremy Hindle said the space made "our heads explode," calling it a perfect fit for the show's unsettling tone. He noted that Bell Labs was originally designed to be a welcoming environment for the families of scientists and engineers — a concept eerily mirrored by Lumon Industries, though, as Hindle put it, they "went down the wrong path."

That Saturday night also featured a VIP event that included a cast Q&A session moderated by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert and attended by most of the show's stars.