Sheela Søgaard has transformed the Bjarke Ingels Group over the past 11 years from a 45-person shop in Copenhagen, Denmark, that was short on cash to a 550-person international megafirm by implementing a rigorous vetting system for each effort, no matter how small. “It comes down to: What does it cost to deliver projects?” she says. Her vigilance has enabled BIG’s architects to take on these recent bold, experimental projects.
Copenhill
The firm constructed the world’s only ski slope atop a garbage incinerator (Denmark’s Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant), which opened in 2019.
Google’s expanded headquarters
BIG is working with British designer Thomas Heatherwick to create a four-building complex in Mountain View, California, as well as a massive “landscaper” London headquarters at King’s Cross.
Virgin Hyperloop One
his high-speed transit system has mirrored pods and glass-enclosed waiting areas. Mumbai and Pune, India, are being considered for test-track locations.
Mars Science City
The United Arab Emirates government commissioned BIG to create a concept for a research center that simulates life on Mars. Early designs feature robot-built biospheres partially buried in the ground to reduce radiation.