This Architect.
© Pari Dukovic
Bjarke Ingels will forever hold a place on my pedestal of admiration for his ability to combine seemingly incompatible ideas. A ski-slope on a power plant? Yes.
His life story is easily googlable, so I won’t waste time talking about the parts of his journey that someone else has already described in detail. I’m merely listing the things I find inspiring about him and what he has brought to the world of architecture.
Let’s start with his humour... His website is big.dk. I love his tenacity to laugh at not only the industry, but also at himself, by directing people who are going to spend tens of millions on projects, to a website insinuating his appendage. Have you visited his site? You should. It’s a consistent source of inspiration which I will often visit time and time again to break out of my usual patterns of practice when creating a new piece or series.
There are multiple creative TV series that feature him (just search his name on Netflix), which are not only in themselves works of art, but an glimpse into a true genius’ practice. His generosity of insight is actually quite thrilling. He’s accomplished an extraordinary amount for someone as young as him, and he continues to be hungry for more.
His work. I’ve picked out a couple of my favourite projects of his to show you.
© Bjarke Ingels Group
Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet - La Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, 2020.
“A pavilion for the art and science of watchmaking that is conceived as a storyline for the visitors - every element is governed by the functional requirements of the exhibition, while appearing as a striking sculpt conceived in a single gesture.”
© Bjarke Ingels Group
The Serpentine Pavilion, London, 2016
“We decided to work with one of the most basic elements of architecture: the brick wall. Rather than clay bricks or stone blocks - the wall is erected from extruded fibreglass frames stacked on top of each other. The wall is pulled apart to form a cavity within it, to house the events of the Pavilion’s programme. The unzipping of the wall turns the line into a surface, transforming the wall into a space.”
© Bjarke Ingels Group
The Spiral, New York, Under Construction
“Located at the intersection of the High Line and the newly developed Hudson Boulevard Park on Manhattan’s new western frontier, The Spiral extends the green space of the former train tracks in a spiralling motion towards the sky - from High Line to the skyline.”
© Bjarke Ingels Group
VM Houses, Copenhagen, 2018
“As a result of the zigzagging, stepping, sloping, intricate circulation and multilevel apartments, the VM houses are populated by a swarm of different apartments. Out of 225 units there are more than 80 unique types. The many multilevel apartment types interlock in complex compositions on the façade, transforming the exterior of the VM houses into a three dimensional game of Tetris.”