Bjarke Ingels leads a walkthrough of BIG's new HQ in Copenhagen

At the core of Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) design philosophy lies the concept of information-driven design. The firm's founder and creative director Bjarke Ingels firmly believes that data, insights, and a deep understanding of the diverse parameters affecting a project are essential to conceive spaces that resonate with their inhabitants. By combining technological innovation with creative ingenuity, BIG weaves a tapestry that not only embraces the present but also remains resilient to the future. These are some of the ideas BIG has expressed in their upcoming headquarters. During the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023, STIR had the opportunity to visit the near-completion BIG HQ in Copenhagen harbour, where BIG founder Bjarke Ingels led a tour of the building.

Located on a small footprint at the end of a pier in Copenhagen’s historic harbour, the design of Danish architects BIG's new headquarters pays homage to the surrounding structures while adding a contemporary flair. The building’s façade features materials reminiscent of the warehouses, such as weathered wood and industrial material accents. By doing so, the structure blends into its historical context, becoming an extension of the city’s architectural narrative.

Given the small footprint of the building, BIG was presented with a design dilemma on how to unify a single work environment across a minimum of four levels whilst preserving the site’s industrial heritage. “In a counterintuitive decision we split all the floors in half and doubled the number of levels, thus focusing on the efficiency in verticality,” the architect explained during a tour of the upcoming headquarters.

A central atrium connects the different floors designed to foster creativity and a sense of community in the workplace. A series of half-floor plates overlap to create a cascading environment of interconnected levels that unite the entire seven-storey building visually and physically into a single space. The floor plates are carried by 20-metre-long concrete beams stacked on each other, making the exterior façade appear as a checkerboard of interchanging solid beams and transparent windows.

At the main entrance, visitors will find themselves inside a Piranesian space, where the inner life of the building reveals itself through diagonal views all the way up to the top floor. Apart from the beams resting on each other, a single stone column of six different types of rock, ranging from dense granite at the bottom to solid marble at the top carries the structure at the heart of the space.

In the middle we have a stair that always transits between the levels which is where I imagine everybody will actually be moving up and down. – Bjarke Ingels

An open stair ricochets from level to level, all the way from the ground to the top floor. Each floor has direct access to a balcony connected to the balcony above and below, forming a continuous 140-metre-long ribbon of outdoor spaces, spiralling from the roof to the quayside like a mountain path. The ribbon doubles up as the additional fire escape freeing up the interior from the obstruction of the traditional core. From energy-efficient systems to green rooftops, the building embodies eco-friendly practices that reduce its environmental footprint.

At the tip of the pier, BIG's landscape design is taking over a former parking area and turning it into a 1,500 sqm public sand park. A reference to Danish landscapes with sand dunes, rocks, and coastal plantings, which are wind, salt and flood-resistant species. Towards the North, trees, such as pines and oaks, are planted to provide shelter from the wind, and towards the South, areas with plants, rocks, and woods are created to support habitat and enrich the local biodiversity.

Long benches are created with reference to the building’s beams and define an urban character of the waterfront promenade. On the roof, a terrace is conceived as a forest floor, with lush, planted mounds framed by live-edge wooden planks, celebrating Danish craftsmanship and landscapes. On the headquarters' terraces, placed on the exterior of the building, a series of deep planters on the building’s facades allow for rainwater collection and reduced irrigation.

BIG headquarters is the firm’s first prototype of a fully integrated LEAP design—a collaboration between landscape, engineering, architecture, and product design. Everything from door handles to concrete columns, urban design to glass facades have been given form by the LEAP team. The building is designed to achieve the Danish sustainability certification, DGNB Gold. Per the studio, this is achieved through the use of FutureCem concrete which claims to reduce CO2 emission by approximately 25 per cent reduction as well as the integration of solar and geothermal energy systems and natural ventilation of the office spaces.

Cities are living organisms that evolve with time, through meticulous research and trend analysis. BIG’s new headquarters hopes to anticipate the changing needs of inhabitants and ensure their designs stay relevant and functional. In his keynote address at this year’s UIA World Congress of Architects 2023, Bjarke Ingels presented his ground-breaking concept of “hedonistic sustainability”. This term represents a paradigm shift in the way we approach sustainable architecture and design, promoting the idea that environmental responsibility and indulgence can coexist harmoniously.

Throughout his address, Ingels showcased a range of his firm’s projects as practical examples of this hedonistic sustainability. These projects could include buildings with integrated green spaces, designs that optimise natural light and ventilation and structures that adapt to changing environmental conditions. By introducing this concept, he had hoped to inspire architects and designers worldwide to reimagine their approach to sustainable architecture.

In a conversation with STIR, Ingels elaborated on how their buildings are like an invitation to the neighbourhood and the city instead of acting like fences that exclude. In the same spirit, BIG’s new headquarters will run a restaurant/café that will welcome non-staffers inside, catalysing chance encounters. Tap the cover video to watch the highlights of STIR's visit to the BIG HQ.

If every building would only care about its ‘own’, you would end up with a city of self-centred individuals, in that sense we always try to use the need, to build as an opportunity to create an invitation or contribution to that particular neighbourhood or place. – Bjarke Ingels

After Ingels' keynote at the UIA World Congress, STIR Founder and Editor-in-Chief Amit Gupta, and Curatorial Director Samta Nadeem also engaged with him in an exclusive conversation, which can be viewed at the link below.

The UIA World Congress 2023 programme featured talks, panel discussions and presentations by influential and innovative creative practices. STIR as an official Media Partner, brings you the highlights of the congress through a series of interviews, visits and conversations.