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ALWAYS A LITTLE CLOSER TO UTOPIA: BIG HQ | BIG

BIG

materials provided by
BIG
edited by
Kim Bokyoung
background

SPACE October 2026 (No. 707) 

 

©Laurian Ghinitoiu 

 

©Laurian Ghinitoiu 

 

 

interview Frederik Lyng Partner, BIG, Giulia Frittoli Head of BIG Landscape  / Partner, BIG × Kim Bokyoung​

 

 

Kim Bokyoung (Kim): BIG HQ sits at the very tip of the Sundmolen pier. What made you choose this site for BIG HQ? How was the site’s condition reflected in the project?

Frederik Lyng (Lyng): The site is truly an amazing location in Copenhagen at the transition between the harbour and the sea. From the site you have views towards the open water, down to the inner harbour lined with historic landmark buildings and across to the new development area of Nordhavn, of which the site is a part.

It establishes a sense of connection with the city as well as one of quiet isolation at the end of the pier, where the sounds of the city traffic fade and gives way to seagulls, the lapping of water, and the occasiona...

 
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Architect

BIG (Bjarke Ingels, Finn Nørkjær, Giulia Frittoli)

Design team

Adrianna Szmidt, Agla Egilsdottir, Alda Sol Hauksdóttir, Alexandra-Madalina Nita, Andrea Angelo Suardi, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Anna Viktoria Wozniak, Anne-Charlotte Wiklander, Annette Jensen, Arthur Martinevski, Atibadi Brugnano, Aya Fibert, Bart Ramakers, Brian Malig Collado, Celia de la Osa Muñoz, Celina Holck, Cris Guoyu Liu, Danyu Zeng, David Zahle, Dobrochna Anna Klimczak, Ewa Zapiec, Fabiana Cortolezzis, Felicia Olufsson, Filip Rozkowski, Frederik Skou Jensen, Gabrielle Nadeau,

Location

Copenhagen, Denmark

Programme

office

Site area

1,030m² (11,087ft²)

Building area

4,770m² (51,344ft²)

Gross floor area

4,770m²

Building scope

7F

Parking

integrated bicycle parking, no car parking

Height

26.4m

Building to land ratio

100%

Floor area ratio

~435%

Structure

RC, steel frame

Exterior finishing

concrete, glass, raw aluminium, galvanised steel

Interior finishing

concrete, hot rolled steel, galvanised steel, pick

Structural engineer

BIG

Mechanical and electrical engineer

Kjellerup VVS, Influit

Electrical engineer

Helden, El Team Vest

Construction

LM Byg (concrete works), Pihl & Søn, HB Trapper (steel and wood structures), Eiler Thomsen (glass façades and skylights), Deko (contractor, interior glazing), Primatag (roofing), Optimus (landscaping), Krak Bau (concrete works), Alt om Fugning ApS (joints and sealing), YOUR PARTNER, Dansk Belægningsenterprise, PD Elevator (elevator), Viasol (solar energy)

Design period

2017–2019

Construction period

2021–2023

Client

Sundmolen BIG aps (BIG HQ Building), By & Havn (La

Civil engineering design

Rambøll

Project architect

Jesper Boye Andersen

Project manager

Ole Elkjær-Larsen

Design lead

Frederik Lyng


Bjarke Ingels
Bjarke Ingels is a Danish architect and the Founder of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), a multidisciplinary design studio operating at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, landscape, and systems thinking. His work is driven by the belief that architecture can be a tool for turning fiction into fact—merging pragmatic solutions with utopian possibilities. Ingels has led projects that redefine typologies and challenge conventional constraints. From the ‘courtscraper’ VIA 57 West in Manhattan to the skiable waste-to-energy plant CopenHill, his work proposes that sustainable cities can not only be better for the environment, but also more enjoyable to live in.

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