Architect Bjarke Ingels Is Already Designing for 130 Years in the Future

Architect Bjarke Ingels Is Already Designing for 130 Years in the Future
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Architect Bjarke Ingels Is Already Designing for 130 Years in the Future

Architect Bjarke Ingels Is Already Designing for 130 Years in the Future

Bjarke Ingels isn’t known for doing anything small. The charismatic Danish architect first captivated a wide audience with a 2009 TED talk featuring slogans like “yes is more” and “hedonistic sustainability,” since watched by 2.3 million. He’s an outlier in the typically sedate world of architecture, and one who’s hard to ignore.

Affable, analytical, and easy on the eyes, the 44-year-old is a bonafide media sensation. There are the magazine covers, books, sold-out lectures, primetime interviews, and even a flashy Netflix documentary—typically only lavished on select established veterans.

His eponymous firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group (with a URL to pique Freudian psychoanalysts: big.dk) have their sights on even bigger prospects. Aside from building skyscrapers, condominiums, museums, stadiums, and parks in four continents, they’re intent on writing a comprehensive masterplan for the entire planet. In one of two TED talks this year, Ingels discussed the viability of building on Mars. And it’s not just speculative architecture either. BIG recently hired Scott Moon, a former SpaceX rocket scientist, to work on various Mars exploration projects and a hyperloop connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai in time for the World Expo in 2020.

There’s no shortage of critics who bristle against Ingels’s quest to blanket cities with “pragmatic utopias,” as he calls it. Some in the architecture establishment loathe BIG’s tendency to propose “over-programmed” structures—architecture speak for buildings that are too packed with an array of seemingly discordant features. For example: a football stadium-slash-water park-slash-artificial beach proposed by BIG design for the Washington Redskins stadium. Or a power plant that doubles as a ski slope, like Amager Bakke in Copenhagen.

But even Ingels’s harshest detractors (and competitors) can’t look at BIG’s portfolio without some measure of envy or awe. In a little over a decade, BIG has grown to a 550-person firm with offices in Copenhagen, New York, London, and Barcelona. They have over 40 completed projects and an even longer list of commissions in progress. Many are represented in the firm’s recently-opened retrospective at the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen, which runs through January 2020.

Titled “Formgiving: An Architectural Future History from Big Bang to Singularity,” the sprawling, 14,000-foot-exhibition is jam-packed with renderings, architectural models, screens, portals, and interactive stations showcasing BIG’s ideas about the future of habitats, both earthly and celestial.

Is there a common thread throughout BIG’s projects?

Bjarke Ingels: Yes. You can call our practice and our worldview “pragmatic utopia.” We have the power as human beings to organize all the elements of our world and society in a socially and environmentally perfect way. The power we have as architects is that we can say, yes, we’re going to give you everything you asked for and in addition to that, we’re going to give you something more—something you didn’t ask for. Now that we’ve put it forward, the world would be a lesser place without it. Typical examples I’ve shown at TED: A power plant that is so clean that we could turn the roof into a ski slope, a hiking path and a climbing wall. Or the museum that is also a bridge from one side of the sculpture park to the other. In Vancouver House, we turned the underside of the existing bridge into a Sistine Chapel of street art.

How do you get clients to expand their thinking beyond their original brief?

Architecture is about turning fiction into fact. It’s a cliché that the uncompromising creative/artist should ignore all the constraints so it doesn’t pollute the purity of their thinking. I think we have found a way where we actually turn all of the chaos of the conflicting demands [of a project] into the driving force of the design.

In a way, as an architect, when you are asked to design a school, or an apartment building, or a work space, there is almost always a standard way of doing it. It’s important to remember that things don’t become the standard by being bad. They actually become the standard by being incredibly effective at delivering a certain level of quality. Whenever we do a project, we tell ourselves: The only way to beat the standard is by being better; by addressing issues that are important but have not been identified.

What tools and resources does BIG use to improve on these standards? I noticed that you often cite scientific research in your proposals.

We do collaborate a lot with scientists. We have one rocket scientist on our team who came from SpaceX. We’re considering changing from “BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group” to “BIG LEAP.” LEAP” would stand for Landscape, Engineering, Architecture and Production. Right now, we have landscape architects, mechanical engineers, structural engineers, environmental engineers and landscape architects, horticulturalists, production designers and contractors. BIG builders, basically. To be able to act meaningfully as a creative company today, you need to absorb internally in your organization as many skillsets as possible.

Are there limits to the architect’s domain? What makes you interested in designing for the entire planet?

I think it’s interesting that the whole discussion about the climate collapse is always about declarations of intentions or opinions. They’re urgent warnings but not so much recipes or specific actionable action items. And of course, it is because the planet is such a vast entity, that it’s like a hyper object. You can’t fathom it. I think of how the “overview effect” profoundly affects astronauts when they look back at earth—it creates some kind of cognitive shift within them.

Are there limits to the architect’s domain? What makes you interested in designing for the entire planet?

I think it’s interesting that the whole discussion about the climate collapse is always about declarations of intentions or opinions. They’re urgent warnings but not so much recipes or specific actionable action items. And of course, it is because the planet is such a vast entity, that it’s like a hyper object. You can’t fathom it. I think of how the “overview effect” profoundly affects astronauts when they look back at earth—it creates some kind of cognitive shift within them.

One thing it maybe does change is that having a child has made things more concrete. Typically, when we’re making plans for the future like climate change in 2030 or 2050 or 2100, it’s very, very abstract. You almost feel that you have to have some kind of an abstract sense of solidarity with humanity in general to feel really motivated by things so deep into the future, because in 2100, I’m probably not going to experience it myself. You know, 2050 is really going to be quite late in my life.

Has it made your work more consequential?

The Icelandic writer Andri Magnason, who is a good friend of mine, asked a question while we were hiking in Iceland one summer. Amid the disappearing glaciers, he asked: In what year do you think will the last human being you love dearly be alive?

I’m 44. Let’s give me until I’m 84, which is a relatively reasonable ambition. When I’m that age, maybe I’ll have a ten-year-old granddaughter who I love. She’s my favorite granddaughter, she’s so charming, so smart, just great. I’d spend a lot of time with her and she’s then going to live until 100, let’s say. So that means that 130 years into the future, my favorite granddaughter is still going to be around and she might talk about things that I talked to her about. I imagine she might tell people once in a while the story about her grandfather. This is the year 2149.

That’s so far into the future—a hundred years further into the future than the last Blade Runner movie. It’s almost outside the charts of science fiction, right? That’s how deep into the future that someone I loved dearly in my life is still going to be around. So our sense of ownership and responsibility for the future reaches much further than we imagined in a very intimate, mammalian way. It’s no longer some kind of abstract, general good-for-society kind of way. No, no, no. People you love are going to be affected by the decisions we take today.

Quartz from Tribune Media



King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Launches Three Major Environmental Projects

The third project involves the construction of protective barriers, gates, and signboards in the Khafs and Noura meadows to better manage visitor traffic and preserve these areas - SPA
The third project involves the construction of protective barriers, gates, and signboards in the Khafs and Noura meadows to better manage visitor traffic and preserve these areas - SPA
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King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Launches Three Major Environmental Projects

The third project involves the construction of protective barriers, gates, and signboards in the Khafs and Noura meadows to better manage visitor traffic and preserve these areas - SPA
The third project involves the construction of protective barriers, gates, and signboards in the Khafs and Noura meadows to better manage visitor traffic and preserve these areas - SPA

The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority has announced the launch of three new environmental projects that mark a significant step in its conservation efforts.

These initiatives aim to protect natural resources, develop vegetation and wildlife, and create a sustainable environment for research and eco-tourism.

The first project involves a large-scale reforestation effort to rehabilitate over 2,000 hectares of the reserve. To date, 270,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted, with an additional 30,000 allocated to local associations, SPA reported.

The second project focuses on creating semi-natural oases in the Tanhat meadow. This initiative, covering 2,450 square meters, includes the creation of a pond and the planting of native trees to provide safe habitats for migratory birds and enhance local biodiversity.

The third project involves the construction of protective barriers, gates, and signboards in the Khafs and Noura meadows to better manage visitor traffic and preserve these areas.

These projects align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, reinforcing the reserve's role as a model for sustainable environmental development and a prominent tourist destination.


Osaka Says Plush Toy for US Open Final Would've Been Osaka Herself

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, walks on the court with a Labubu doll hanging from her bag before playing against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, walks on the court with a Labubu doll hanging from her bag before playing against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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Osaka Says Plush Toy for US Open Final Would've Been Osaka Herself

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, walks on the court with a Labubu doll hanging from her bag before playing against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, walks on the court with a Labubu doll hanging from her bag before playing against Amanda Anisimova, of the United States, during the women's singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Naomi Osaka's last Labubu as the US Open was going to be Osaka herself.

For Osaka, that was the real bummer about losing one match short of the final.

“Oh, don’t make me cry, man,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said during her press conference early Friday morning after her 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 semifinal loss to Amanda Anisimova. “Oh my God, the most devastating question.”

Osaka had been toting a different version of the popular plush toy attached to her racket bag to each of her matches in Flushing Meadows. She gave them catchy names like Billie Jean Bling (for Billie Jean King), Althea Glitterson,” (a tribute to Althea Gibson ) and Arthur Flashe (as in Arthur Ashe, for whom the main US Open stadium is named.)

Had she been playing in Saturday's final, Osaka said the Labubu would have been patterned after the green skirt she wore last year at the tournament she won in 2018 and 2020, which included a green bow over the white jacket she entered the court wearing.

“I would have had the bow, and I’m sick about it,” The Associated Press quoted Osaka as saying. “Oh, my God, that’s like the worst thing. Honestly, I’m fine losing, but don’t ask me about this Labubu, man. Yeah, it would have been me.”


New Recipes Help Pakistani Mothers Ward off Malnutrition

A doctor examines a child during a UNICEF nutrition program at Fateh Muhammad Soomro village in Sindh. Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP
A doctor examines a child during a UNICEF nutrition program at Fateh Muhammad Soomro village in Sindh. Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP
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New Recipes Help Pakistani Mothers Ward off Malnutrition

A doctor examines a child during a UNICEF nutrition program at Fateh Muhammad Soomro village in Sindh. Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP
A doctor examines a child during a UNICEF nutrition program at Fateh Muhammad Soomro village in Sindh. Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP

Clutching their hungry babies, a group of mothers mix a semolina dish under the guidance of a teacher, an attempt to curb malnutrition which affects nearly one in two children in Pakistan's south.

Despite Sindh province being home to the mega port city of Karachi, the financial center of the country that sprawls along the Arabian coastline, children in rural areas just a few hours away face stark levels of wasting and stunting, reported AFP.

In the arid village of Sujawal, lethargic children with prominent bones wilt in the searing heat as social workers educate mothers on nutrient-rich ingredients and dispel myths around food.

"Before, we only gave our children potatoes because they were always available at home," said Shahnaz, 25, who has radically changed the diet of her six children, weak and frequently sick, after a year of classes.

Now, convinced that children should eat a varied diet, she has introduced affordable ingredients such as lentils and semolina into her cooking, lifting her daughter out of malnutrition.

In impoverished rural Sindh province, 48 percent of children under five suffer from malnutrition and 20 percent from its most severe form, wasting, according to the latest national survey on the issue conducted in 2018.

In this class, Azma, a social worker, shows mothers how to cook with semolina -- easily available in the market.

"Semolina is cheap -- for 50 rupees it can last a week if you're feeding one to two spoonfuls daily to a six-month-old child," she explained to AFP.

In Sindh, a province of 55 million people where contraception remains taboo and large families are the norm, 3,500 mothers have benefited from cooking classes developed by UNICEF.

Like many mothers in the area, Kulsoom, 23 and pregnant with her sixth child, all born prematurely and underweight, once only fed her children pieces of fried flatbread.

"One of my children died, and my youngest is extremely weak, so I was advised to take these classes," said Kulsoom, who goes by only one name, like most women in her district.

No spices

Parents are recommended to feed babies solid foods from about six months old, but in rural Sindh this often means adult leftovers, too spicy for young stomachs.

"The main problem is the lack of dietary diversity," says Mazhar Iqbal, a nutritionist for UNICEF.

In Pakistan, 38 percent of children eat only two or fewer of the eight food categories recommended by UNICEF.

Meat is saved for special occasions, yet inexpensive protein alternatives exist such as chicken offal, boiled bones, lentils and beans.

As for fruit and vegetables, they are usually fried, losing their nutrients.

Bakhtawar Kareem joined the program after her child died of anemia.

"I have no money. Sometimes we eat, sometimes we don't," she lamented, scanning the swollen belly of her one-year-old daughter, who has only sparse clumps of hair.

Like 72 percent of children in the village, her daughter has stunting, well above the average rate in Pakistan of 42 percent -- one of the highest in the world.

Stunting is most closely associated with brain development and physical growth, and can have long-term physical and mental impacts.

Vulnerable to a lack of clean water and sanitation which contributes to malnutrition, children often also suffer from dengue fever or malaria, from vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty urinating, and have abnormally swollen bellies.

Women eat leftovers

But the vicious cycle of malnutrition begins with the mothers.

"With early marriages and repeated pregnancies, more than 45 percent of women in Sindh are anemic," said the nutritionist.

"This increases the risk of having low birth weight babies, who are more likely to suffer from malnutrition."

In Sujawal, where only a quarter of the population can read and write, myths about food also deprive women of vital nutrients.

Farrah Naz, the head of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition in Pakistan, regularly has to repeat that eggs and dried fruits do not cause women to bleed more during their periods.

Cultural norms around women serving meals to men first and eating the leftovers -- despite the physical work they carry out in the fields -- also contributes to poor health.

"And when food runs out, it's their rations that are cut first."