Bjarke Ingels Architecture

Bjarke Ingels is the founder of BIG. His work is driven by the belief that architecture can be a tool for turning fiction into fact - merging pragmatic solutions with utopian possibilities.

Since founding BIG in 2005, Ingels has led projects that redefine typologies and challenge conventional constraints. From the figure-eight loop of 8 House in Copenhagen, to the hybrid pyramid-courtyard of VIA 57 West in Manhattan, to the skiable waste-to-energy plant CopenHill, his work proposes that sustainable cities can not only be better for the environment, but also more enjoyable to live in.

BIG’s portfolio includes global collaborations with companies like Google, LEGO, and Toyota, as well as public projects such as the Smithsonian Master Plan, the Prague Philharmonic - a cultural landmark for music in motion - and Zurich Airport, the world’s largest timber building, redefining both scale and sustainability in aviation architecture. Across all scales, Ingels advocates for hedonistic sustainability, an approach where ecological responsibility and human enjoyment are not at odds, but mutually reinforcing.

He has taught at Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, and is the author of Yes Is More, a graphic monograph on BIG’s design philosophy. His recognitions include the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark), Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), the French National Grand Prix for Architecture (Grande Médaille d’Or), the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, the Louis I. Kahn Award, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, as well as being named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.