BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group is one of the world’s most influential design studios. For 15 years, Bjarke Ingels and his colleagues have changed our understanding of what architecture is capable of.

For BIG, architecture is not just about giving shelter in the most efficient and pragmatic way. Nor is it about proposing utopian ideas that do not benefit the actual lives of real people. The studio is, in their own words, pragmatic utopians who want to unite concrete solutions with big thoughts. And always based on a clear idea.

A pyramid-shaped skyscraper. A ski slope in the middle of a city. An underground museum. A 12,000 sqm experience house for LEGO, of course, shaped as LEGO bricks.

With clear-cut concepts, BIG is world champion in communicating their architecture in a way that everyone understands. The architecture almost explains itself. Just look at LEGO House: The architecture is designed to contain LEGO bricks, and at the same time it is shaped like giant LEGO bricks. It’s hard to see where the architecture begins, and the content takes over. In other words, the architecture’s form literally shows what the content of the building is.

Throughout the world, BIG now tells inspirational stories with their architecture. From Oksbøl village on the Danish west coast to the mega-city Shenzhen in Southern China. So, next time you see a BIG project being built, try ask yourself: What story does it tell?

Did you know? 

• Bjarke Ingels founded BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group in 2005. Prior to that he led another studio, PLOT, together with Julen De Smedt, after working for Rem Koolhaas’ studio OMA. 

• BIG has offices in Copenhagen, New York and London – and their more than 500 employees design projects in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. 

• The studio is famous for 8-House in Copenhagen, The Maritime Museum in Helsingør, VIA 57 in New York, Panda House in Copenhagen Zoo and Amager Bakke (a waste plant doubling as a ski slope).

• In 2018, Bjarke Ingels received the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Dannebrog bestowed by H.M. The Queen Margrethe II