Bjarke Ingels Group

Bjarke Ingels Group
Company type	Private
Industry	Architecture, Design, Urban Planning
Predecessor	PLOT
Founded	2006; Expression error: Unexpected < operator. Expression error: Unexpected < operator.
Founder	Bjarke Ingels
Headquarters	Copenhagen, Denmark
Area served	Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, Middle East
Key people	Sheela Maini Søgaard (CEO), Bjarke Ingels (Founder), Thomas Christoffersen, Jakob Lange, Finn Nørkjaer, Andreas Klok Pedersen, David Zahle, Kai-Uwe Bergmann, Beat Schenk, Daniel Sundlin, Brian Yang, Jakob Sand
Products	Architecture, Product Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning
Number of employees	700+ (2023)
Website	big.dk

Bjarke Ingels Group, commonly known as BIG, is an international architecture and design firm based in Copenhagen, with additional offices located in New York City, London, Barcelona, Shanghai, Oslo, Los Angeles, Zurich, and Bhutan. The company specializes in architecture, product design, landscape architecture, and urban planning, executing projects across Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East. As of 2023, BIG employs a workforce exceeding 700 professionals.

History

In 2001, Bjarke Ingels and Julien De Smedt established the Copenhagen-based firm PLOT. Following PLOT’s dissolution in 2006, Ingels founded BIG. The firm’s inaugural significant undertaking was the Mountain residential project in Copenhagen. Since then, BIG has delivered more than 60 projects worldwide, including notable works such as the Amager Bakke waste-to-energy facility featuring a ski slope in Copenhagen; the VIA 57 West courtscraper in Manhattan developed for Durst Fetner Residential; the Shenzhen Energy Company headquarters; Norway’s Plus furniture factory for Vestre; and Dock A at Zürich Airport.

The year 2009 marked an expansion of BIG’s partnership to incorporate Thomas Christoffersen, Jakob Lange, Finn Nørkjaer, Andreas Klok Pedersen, David Zahle, CEO Sheela Maini Søgaard, and Kai-Uwe Bergmann. That same year saw the release of Yes Is More, an architectural publication produced by BIG.

BIG inaugurated its New York office in 2010 and secured key projects including VIA 57 West and LEGO House in Billund, which opened in 2017. In 2013, the firm published Hot to Cold, a study focusing on architectural responses to varying climates and contexts.

In 2015, four new partners joined: Beat Schenk and Daniel Sundlin based in New York; Brian Yang and Jakob Sand located in Copenhagen. Among BIG’s prominent projects is CapitaSpring in Singapore for CapitaLand Group, completed in 2022. That year also involved collaborations with Hyperloop One to advance Hyperloop technology testing and a partnership with Google on its Mountain View campus.

By 2017, BIG consolidated its New York presence into a larger office situated in Dumbo. CEO Sheela Maini Søgaard publicly addressed issues concerning gender diversity following disclosures about partner demographics; currently, female leadership is represented across all major offices.

The Formgiving exhibition was launched by BIG in 2018, accompanied by a book of the same title published in 2020. In March 2018, BIG was commissioned to design a replacement for Albania’s National Theatre—a project that ignited widespread protests due to the demolition of the historic original structure.

In 2019, BIG commenced work on Wildflower Studios, Robert De Niro's vertical film studio located in Queens. The firm also revised designs for Oakland Ballpark to preserve rooftop park areas accessible to the community. Additionally, BIG designed animal enclosures such as the Panda House at Copenhagen Zoo.

Early in 2020, BIG revealed a masterplan for Toyota’s new city near Mount Fuji. By mid-2021, seven more partners were added to bring the total partnership count to 24. That year also saw the opening of BIG’s London office near Liverpool Street and winning the commission for the National Juneteenth Museum project in Fort Worth, Texas.

In 2022, BIG further expanded by establishing an office in Barcelona and completing IQON in Quito for developer Uribe Schwarzkopf. The firm also secured victory in the competition for Zürich Airport Dock A alongside HOK and inaugurated FLUGT - Refugee Museum of Denmark. Prague unveiled BIG’s design for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall during this period.

In 2023, BIG launched new offices in Los Angeles and Oslo while unveiling its new headquarters located in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district. The Spiral supertall tower was finalized in Manhattan. Moreover, BIG was selected to design Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Completed projects

Copenhagen Harbour Baths, BIG & JDS, Copenhagen (2002)
Maritime Youth House, BIG & JDS, Copenhagen (2004)
Psychiatric Hospital, BIG & JDS, Helsingor (2005)
VM Houses, Ørestad, Copenhagen by BIG & JDS (2006)
Sjakket Community Building, Copenhagen, designed by BIG & JDS (2007)
Mountain Dwellings, Ørestad, Copenhagen (2008)
Faroe Islands Education Centre in Thorshavn (competition victory 2009)
8 House, Ørestad, Copenhagen (2010)
Danish Expo Pavilion at EXPO 2010 Shanghai (2010)
Times Square Valentine installation in New York City (2012)
Superkilen, a park located in Nørrebro, Copenhagen (competition won 2008; finished 2012)
BIG Mermaid sculpture at Heinemann Taxfree Store, Copenhagen Airport (2013)
Danish Maritime Museum, Helsingør (2013)
Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium’s Sports Hall and Cultural building, Hellerup (2013 and 2015)
The BIG Maze exhibition at National Building Museum, Washington D.C. (2014)
Warehouse 421 in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi (2015)
1200 Intrepid, Philadelphia (2016)
VIA 57 West, New York City (2016)
Grove at Grand Bay residential project in Miami (2016)
Serpentine Summer Pavilion, London (2016)
Tirpitz Museum, Blåvand, Denmark (2017)
Lego House, Billund, Denmark (2017)
Transitlager Dreispitz development in Basel, Switzerland (2017)
The Sanctuary Recording Studio and Honeycomb Residences in Albany, Nassau, Bahamas (2017)
79&Park in Stockholm, Sweden (2018)
Urban Rigger and Noma 2.0 projects in Copenhagen (2018)
Shenzhen International Energy Mansion in China (2018)
WeGrow and Klein Cabin initiatives in New York City (2018)
The Plus building in Magnor, Norway (2019)
Isenberg Business Innovation Hub at University of Massachusetts Amherst (2019)
H-B Woodlawn Secondary School in Arlington, Virginia (2019)
Amager Bakke, a waste-to-energy plant with ski slope in Copenhagen (2019)
Kistefos Museum’s The Twist in Jevnaker, Norway (2019)
Biosphere at Treehotel in Harads, Sweden (2019)
Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées and Maison de l'Économie Créative et de la Culture en Aquitaine in Bordeaux (2019)
Vancouver House skyscraper in Vancouver, Canada (2020)
Expansion of Audemars Piguet Museum in Le Brassus, Switzerland (2020)
Mars Dune Alpha habitat prototype and The Smile skyscraper in New York City (2020)
Omniturm tower located in Frankfurt, Germany (2020)
Marsk Tower in Skærbæk and Telus Sky Tower in Calgary completed in 2021
Hôtel des Horlogers and Sluishuis residential complex projects in Amsterdam finished by 2022
Google Bay View and Gradient Canopy developments in Mountain View, California during 2022–2023
IQON and EPIQ real estate projects situated in Quito, Ecuador
CapitaSpring tower located in Singapore city center
Denmark’s Refugee Museum in Oksbøl alongside several housing projects across Aarhus and Aalborg
The Spiral, a high-rise extension of the High Line park in New York City completed by 2023
SuitSupply Headquarters situated in Amsterdam and Dumbo Washington Open Streets initiative in Brooklyn
Cosmic Pavilion at the Long Center in Austin plus UAE International Horticultural Expo Pavilion held in Doha
Downtown Brooklyn Public Realm Phase I finalized along with One High Line skyscraper scheduled for New York City completion by 2024
NYPD 40th Precinct building located in Bronx and Norton Rose Fulbright Tower project in Houston expected to be finished by 2024
Wildflower Studios development in Queens along with Kaktus Towers residential complex planned for completion in Copenhagen during 2024

Projects in Progress

CityWave, Milan, Italy
The Coral at Albany, Nassau, Bahamas
DYMAK Headquarters, Odense, Denmark
East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, New York, USA
EDGE East Side Tower, Berlin, Germany
El Cosmico, Marfa, Texas, USA
Ellinikon Park Rise, Athens, Greece
Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, San Sebastian, Spain
Google Caribbean Campus, Mountain View, California, USA
Google King's Cross Campus, London, UK
Johns Hopkins Student Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
King Street West Development, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
National Theatre of Albania, Tirana, Albania
NOT A HOTEL Setouchi, Sagi Island, Japan
Paris PARC (competition winner November 2011), Paris, France
Robert Day Sciences Center (Claremont McKenna College), Claremont, California, USA
S.Pellegrino Flagship Factory, San Pellegrino Terme, Italy
Skypark Business Center, Luxembourg
Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, Suzhou, China

Accolades

2008 Forum AID Award for Scandinavia’s Best Building (Mountain Dwellings)
2008 World Architecture Festival Award for Outstanding Residential Building (Mountain Dwellings)
2009 ULI Award for Excellence (Mountain Dwellings)
2011 Prix Delarue from the French Academy of Architecture (Paris)
2013 Progressive Architecture Award (Kimball Art Center)
2013 Red Dot Award: Product Design 'Best of the Best' – Architecture & Urban Design (Superkilen)
2013 International Olympic Committee Gold Medal (Superkilen)
2013 ArchDaily Buildings of the Year (Superkilen)
2013 Mies Van Der Rohe Award Finalist (Superkilen)
2013 Den Danske Lyspris (Gammel Hellerup High School)
2014 Architizer A+ Awards Jury Winner for Danish Maritime Museum and Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium
2014 Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects (Danish Maritime Museum)
2014 Royal Institute of British Architects European National Winner (Danish Maritime Museum)
2014 European Architecture Prize Philippe Rotthier (Danish Maritime Museum)
2014 ArchDaily Cultural Building of the Year (Danish Maritime Museum)
2014 Re-thinking the Future First Prize (Vancouver House)
2014 Den Nordiske Lyspris (Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium)
2014 World Architecture Festival Cultural Category Winner (Danish Maritime Museum)
2015 American Institute of Architects National Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design (The DryLine)
2015 Global Holcim Bronze Award for Sustainable Construction (The DryLine)
2015 National Council of Structural Engineers Associations Excellence Award (Grove at Grand Bay)
2015 World Architecture Festival Future Project of the Year (Vancouver House)
2016 American Institute of Architects Honor Awards for Regional and Urban Design (Smithsonian South Campus Master Plan)
2016 Building Design Magazine World Architecture 100 – Ranked Second Most Admired Architectural Practice
2016 AIA New York Chapter Honor Award (2 World Trade Center)
2016 International Highrise Award recipient (VIA 57 West)
2017 AIA Housing Award for Multifamily Housing (VIA – West 57)
2017 ASLA NY Unbuilt Project Merit Award (The Spiral)
2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize Shortlist (8House)
2017 Interior Design Best of Year Awards Multi-Unit Housing category winner (Grove on the Bay)
2017 London Design Awards Silver Winner (Google Kings Cross)
2017 Danish Design Award Finalist in Clean Solutions category (Urban Rigger)
2017 AR MIPIM Future Project Award Commendation (Hyperloop)
2017 European Steel Design Award recipient (Copenhill)
2018 Nykredit Architecture Prize awarded to BIG
2018 AIA NY Honors Award for Architecture (Tirpitz Museum)
2018 Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design Finalist (Superkilen)
2018 Danish Design Award Winner for LEGO House
2018 Lille Arne Award from Danish Architect Association (Dortheavej 2)
2018 HKIE Structural Excellence Award granted to Shenzhen Energy Mansion
2019 Mies van der Rohe Nominee for Dortheavej 2
2019 AIA Institute Honor Awards for Architecture and Interior Architecture to Tirpitz Museum and NOMA 2.0
2019 Best Danish Lighting Prize awarded to NOMA 2.0
2019 CTBUH Best Tall Building Award of Excellence for Shenzhen Energy Mansion in the height category of 200-299m
2020 ICONIC Innovative Architecture Best of the Best Award winner for Copenhill
2020 Fast Company Design Company of the Year Honorable Mention awarded to BIG
2020 UNESCO Prix Versailles Exterior World Winner for Isenberg Innovation Hub
2020 UNESCO Prix Versailles Europe Winner in Shopping Mall category for Galeries Lafayette
2020 AIA NY Honor Award for Architecture given to Musee Audemars Piguet
2020 LCD Berlin Leading Culture Destinations Award presented to The Twist
2020 ICONIC Innovative Architecture Cultural Project Award received by MECA Culture Center
2021 German Design Award Excellent Architecture Fair & Exhibition category winner for Musee Audemars Piguet
2021 World Architecture Festival World Building of the Year awarded to Copenhill
2021 BUILD Recognized Leaders in Architecture and Design included BIG
2021 CTBUH Awards of Excellence recipients: Vancouver House and Telus Sky
2022 ENR Global Best Projects Competition Project of the Year awarded to Google King’s Cross
2022 Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Award winner for Biosphere Treehouse
2022 Architectenweb Residential Building of the Year awarded to Sliushus
2022 International High-Rise Award winner for Vancouver House
2022 Interior Design Magazine Best of Year – Greater World Sustainability Award given to The Plus
2022 MIPIM ASIA Silver Award in Best Mixed-Use Development category awarded to CapitaSpring
2023 Singapore President's Design Award received by CapitaSpring
2023 CTBUH Best Tall Building Awards of Excellence and Asia Award of Excellence granted to CapitaSpring
2023 ArchDaily Office Building of the Year award given to CapitaSpring
2023 DOGA-merket Architecture and Design Award and Scandinavian Design Awards Architecture of the Year awarded to The Plus
2023 Aarhus Municipality Architecture Prize presented to Snail House
2023 Kyoto Global Design Awards Environment category winner recognized multiple projects

Exhibitions

2006-2007 BIG Ideas, displayed at Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera in Prague; Galerie Architektury in Brno; and DESIGN FACTORY in Bratislava
2007 BIG City, presented at the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York
2009 Yes is More, showcased at the Danish Architecture Centre, Copenhagen
2010 Yes is More, exhibited at CAPC Bordeaux
2014 The BIG Maze, featured at the National Building Museum
2015 HOT TO COLD, held at the National Building Museum
2017 BIG Art, hosted by Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen

Publications

Hot to Cold: An Odyssey of Architectural Adaptation, published by Taschen – 2015
Yes Is More: An Archicomic on Architectural Evolution, released by Taschen – 2009
Museum in the Dock, from Arvinius + Orfeus Publishing – 2014
Superkilen Book, published by Arvinius + Orfeus Publishing – 2013
AV Monograph BIG, issued by Arquitectura Viva – 2013
Being BIG by Abitare, published through Abitare – 2012
BIG Red Book, by Ada Edita Global Architecture – 2012
BIG Pink Book, released by Archilife – 2010
BIG Bjarke Ingels Group Projects 2001–2010, from Design Media Publishing Ltd – 2011
A Project as an Icon, an Icon as a Project, featured in STUDIO Architecture and Urbanism magazine Issue #03 Icon, Milano, edited by Romolo Calabrese, 2012
Architektur und Baudetails/Architecture and Construction Details: BIG, Edition DETAIL – 2022
Formgiving, published by Taschen – 2020

External links

Official website