Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Profile of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Business Name

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Location

Denmark

Services

Architecture

Website

http://www.big.dk

Principal(s)

Bjarke Ingels (born 1973)

• 1993-99 Studies at Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen
• 1996-97 Studies at Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura, Barcelona

Philosophy

BIG is a Copenhagen based group of over 80 architects, designers, builders and thinkers operating within the fields of architecture, urbanism, research and development. The office is currently involved in a large number of projects throughout Denmark, Scandinavia and the Middle East.

BIG's architecture emerges out of a careful analysis of how contemporary life constantly evolves and changes. Not least due to the influence from multicultural exchange, global economical flows and communication technologies that all together require new ways of architectural and urban organization. We believe that in order to deal with today's challenges architecture can profitably move into a field being to a large extent unexplored a pragmatic utopian architecture that steer clear of the petrifying pragmatism of boring boxes and the nadve utopian ideas of digital formalism.

In our projects we test the effects of size and the balance of programmatic mixtures on the triple bottom line of the social, economical and ecological outcome. Like a form of programmatic alchemy we create architecture by mixing conventional ingredients such as living, leisure, working, parking and shopping.

By hitting the fertile overlap between pragmatic and utopia, we architects once again find the freedom to change the surface of our Planet, to better fit contemporary life forms. In all our actions we try to move the focus from the little details to the BIG picture.

Background

• Founded: 2006
• Offices: 1
• Design team: 80

Key projects

• BH Big House Mixed Use, 62,000 m2, Completion 2009, DK
• WIB Wings Residences, 19,600 m2, Completion 2009, DK
• ODA Odense Aqua Center, 5,000 m2, Completion 2009, DK
• MTN Mountain Dwellings, 33,000 m2, Completion 2008, DK
• SJA Headquarters for Sjakket, 2,000 m2, Completion 2007, DK
• PSY Helsingrr Psychiatric Hospital, 6,000 m2, Completion 2005, DK
• VM Houses in Rrestad, 25,000 m2, Completion 2005, DK
• MAR Maritime Youth House, 2,000 m2, 1st prize, Completion 2004, DK
• BAD Islands Brygge Harbor Bath, 2,500 m2, Completion 2003, DK

Key publications

• ARQUITECTURA and CONSTRUCAO no. 44 p. 18-22 Sept 2007
• ICON no. 50, p. 74-90, August 2007
• A+T no. 29, p. 66-73, August 2007
• STO, p. 46-49, July 2007
• LOTUS no. 130, p. 11-14, July 2007
• H.O.M.E. no. 08, p. 42, July 2007
• ARQUITECTURA and CONSTRUCAO no. 43, p. 52-56, July 2007
• ARCHIWORLD no. 145, July 2007
• MARK no. 5, p. 7-11, January 2007
• TASARIM no. 167, p. 76-80, December 2006

Key awards

• 2007 Contract World Award for Best Interior - SJA
• 2007 IOC Honorable Mention - BAD
• 2007 Mies van der Rohe Award Traveling Exhibition - VM
• 2006 FORUM AWARD 2005, Best Building in Scandinavia - VM
• 2005 Mies van der Rohe Award- Special Mention - MAR
• 2004 Copenhagen Award for Architecture - MAR
• 2004 AR+D Award, Architectural Review, RIBA - MAR
• 2004 GOLDEN LION, Venice Biennale Best Concert House - STA
• 2004 European Prize for Urban Public Space - BAD
• 2002 Nykredits Architecture Prize