Bjarke Ingels
Bjarke Ingels (born 2 October 1974) is a Danish architect. He heads the architectural practice Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) which he founded in 2006. In 2009 he co-founded the design consultancy KiBiSi. Known for his innovative and ambitious designs and projects, many of his buildings defy traditional architectural conventions and dimensions, and are often highly photogenic, ranging from representations of mountains to snowflakes. He often incorporates sustainable development ideas and sociological concepts into his designs, but often tries to achieve a balance between the playful and practical approaches to architecture. Amongst his works are Islands Brygge Harbour Bath, a series of five open-air swimming pools in Copenhagen Harbour (2003) and three major housing projects in Ørestad on the southern outskirts of Copenhagen: VM Houses (2005), multi-family housing in V and M shaped apartment buildings; Mountain Dwellings (2008), an extensive parking facility combined with terraced housing; and 8 House (2010), a large mixed-use housing development. Since 2009, Ingels has won numerous architectural competitions and has grown in international scope and acclaim. In October 2011, the Wall Street Journal named Ingels the Innovator of the Year for architecture and, in July 2012, cited him as "rapidly becoming one of the design world's rising stars" in light of his extensive international projects. Successes abroad include the Danish pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai, China, and projects for the New Tamayo Museum, Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico (2009), New Tallinn City Hall, Tallinn, Estonia (2009), Shenzhen International Energy Mansion, Shenzhen, China (2009) and the Faroe Islands Education Centre, Torshavn, (2009). His zero-emission 1,000,000 m2 (11,000,000 sq ft) resort and entertainment city project on Zira Island off the coast of Baku, Azerbaijan, which represents the seven mountains of Azerbaijan, has been cited as "one of the world's largest eco-developments." Among his most recent projects is the 170,000 m2 (1,800,000 sq ft) West 57 apartment project on Manhattan; Ingels has moved to New York City to overlook it and his other current North American engagements.