Bjarke Ingels - future-forward formgiving in Copenhagen

Architects seek to shape the world. The lines they draw today help shape the future that we and coming generations will live in. And with this power comes tremendous responsibility. One of the world’s most radical formgivers today is the Danish architectural firm BIG, with celebrated architect Bjarke Ingels at the helm. BIG has become internationally renowned for pushing the boundaries of what architecture is and can do. Its architects create bow-shaped museums, spiral-shaped apartment buildings, ski slopes atop incineration plants and the world’s fastest mode of transportation.

Now, you can experience the same at the biggest exhibition by BIG and DAC, titled, 'An Architectural Future History from the BIG Bang to Singularity'. The exhibition gives visitors a unique insight into the heart and mind of one of our favourite architects, Bjarke Ingels, as he and his team present their new design philosophy, which introduces the concept of ‘formgiving’ to the world. In essence, BIG creates generous architecture that allows people to live and experience life in new ways.

 “The Danish word for ‘formgiving’ literally means to give something a form that does not yet have a form. In other words, to shape the future. And more specifically, to shape the world we want to live in – in the future,” explains Ingels, founding partner and creative director of BIG. The exhibition unfolds in three chapters: from the Big Bang through the present and into the future. In the first element of the exhibition, visitors meet a giant, spatial timeline, beginning with the Big Bang – the birth of the universe 14 billion years ago. This timeline illustrates how formgiving has played a key role in the evolution of our planet and how it continues to do so. On their journey, visitors can step into the Golden Gallery, where creative people of all ages can design the world they dream of living in. Surrounded by 25 BIG buildings in LEGO, a huge pool of LEGO bricks encourages everyone to set their imaginations free. Visitors then meet the present – a miniature city of exciting new architectural works in the form of pioneering buildings and city plans, including the world premiere of several brand-new designs. Finally, visitors are invited to journey into the future for a closer look at building technology such as robots, AI, 3D printing and more, which have the potential to enable humans to one day live on Mars.

“BIG is one of the most successful and innovative architectural firms of our time, and the man behind it, Bjarke Ingels, is a master at pushing boundaries, creating innovative architecture and redefining the value of architecture. We say we’re only limited by our imagination, but Bjarke Ingels’ imagination is limitless,” says Kent Martinussen, CEO, Danish Architecture Centre.

Starting with the Big Bang, DAC’s visitors are taken on a journey through time as the world around us takes form – from the past to the future. The 71 projects on display at DAC offer a glimpse of our world - five, 10 and 50 years into the future. Instead of seeking to predict the future, it offers an opportunity to shape the future. “Every time we design a project, as formgivers we can give the future a gift – giving the world something it otherwise wouldn’t have and hasn’t asked for. By giving the future a gift every time we break ground on a new project, we come one step closer to the world of our dreams: A Pragmatic Utopia,” elaborates Ingels.

It is not hard to feel the tide of history, as you make this journey through formgiving, from the Big Bang to the future on Mars; exploring and experimenting with what we have in our hands to build our dream world.