Located on a narrow pier in Copenhagen’s Nordhafen district, the BIG headquarters rises 27 meters over seven stories. Completed in spring 2024, this building now accommodates 300 BIG employees in Copenhagen. It marks one of BIG’s initial projects to fully implement its integrated LEAPP concept—an innovative collaboration across the firm’s landscape, engineering, architecture, planning, and product design teams.
The building integrates solar and geothermal energy systems, with renewable sources supplying 60% of its energy needs. Passive design strategies like natural ventilation are also employed. Notably, the geothermal system fulfills 84% of heating demands and covers 100% of the cooling requirements.
Constructed using Uni Green concrete—a collaboration between BIG and Unicon—the building reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 25% compared to traditional concrete. This is achieved by replacing part of the cement clinker with calcined clay and lime fillers. The use of Uni Green represents a bold innovation in construction, expanding the possibilities for concrete applications.
LEAPP, an acronym for Landscape, Engineering, Architecture, Product, and Planning, represents an interdisciplinary collective of expertise and knowledge. This philosophy treats architectural practice as a Renaissance, with every aspect reflected in the headquarters—ranging from planning and product design to the intricate stacking of concrete components. “This building embodies the full spirit of LEAPP,” said Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director of BIG.
Upon entering through a 3-meter-high glass door, employees and visitors find themselves immersed in a Piranesian-inspired space. The black steel atrium staircase spirals diagonally upwards, connecting all seven floors both visually and physically. A single load-bearing column, composed of six types of rock—from dense granite at the base to porous marble at the top—stands as a gravity totem in the building’s core. Each rock layer rotates to align with its supporting crossbeam. Notably, this is the building’s only column; the rest of the structure relies on leaning concrete walls. Every floor has access to an outdoor terrace connected vertically, with one passage serving as an escape route from the roof down to the first floor.
The building’s exterior features a 140-meter-long staircase spiraling down from the roof to the dock. This staircase provides outdoor terraces on each floor and enables vertical movement along the building’s facade. It also acts as an additional fire escape. To maximize the openness of the workspaces, the design locates the elevator, vertical lift, and a secondary escape staircase along the building’s northern edge, allowing more natural light to flood the work areas.
At the base of the building, BIG’s landscape team transformed a former parking lot into a 1,500 square meter public park inspired by Denmark’s beaches and coastal forests. The park’s northern side is planted with local wind-resistant trees like pine and oak to withstand strong harbor winds. The southern part features planting areas, rocks, and forests designed to promote biodiversity while providing inviting spaces for relaxation and play.
Nestled among the trees, the sculpture “Stone 40” by American artist Benjamin Langhowitz offers an engaging sensory experience for visitors of all ages. Comprising 40 stones arranged in a spiral, it creates an artistic pathway. Surrounding the headquarters, wind-resistant trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs have been planted—many herbs are used by the studio cafeteria’s chefs. The rooftop terrace continues the natural theme, paved with locally sourced wood. It provides a unique connection between urban space and architecture, offering stunning views of the city and sea for employees and visitors alike.
“We transformed a parking lot into a 1,500 square meter beach park—a hidden gem in the city center. Inspired by Denmark’s coastal landscape, we envisioned a space where people can relax, play, fish, and connect closely with nature. The park reintroduces native plants that once thrived here, honoring the past while looking toward the future. By preserving industrial site characteristics and integrating them with the Danish coastal environment, this park creates a living space where nature and humanity coexist. We hope it will become a cherished part of visitors’ memories and a model of harmonious living with nature,” said Giulia Frittoli, partner and head of BIG’s landscape department.
Project Drawings
Location Map of the Base Area
△ Base schematic diagram
△ Axonometric diagram
Analysis diagram
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
△ Analysis chart
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△ Analysis chart
Project Information
Architect: Bjarke Ingels Group
Area: 4,488 m²
Photographers: Laurian Ghinitoiu, Rasmus Hjortshøj
Partnership: Bjarke Ingels, Find Nørkjær
Project Management: Ole Elkjær-Larsen
Lead Architect: Frederik Lyng
Project Architect: Jesper Boye Andersen
Design Team: Annette Jensen, Justas Zabulionis, Hanne Halvorsen, Alda Sol Hauksdóttir, Jesper Boye Andersen, Gabrielle Nadeau, Lisbet Fritze Trentemøller, Tobias Hjortdal, Fabiana Cortolezzis, Maria Natalia Lenardon, Sergiu Calacean, Lenya Schneehage, Steen Kortbæk Svendsen, Katrine Juul, Mads Enggaard Stidsen, Kaja Terze, Eddie Chiu Fai Can, Mathieu Jaumain, Jannik Albæk, Matthew Thomson, Felicia Olofsson, Helen Shuyang Chen, Mads Primdahl Rokkjær, Arthur Martinevski, Ewa Zapiec, Snorre Emanuel Nash Jørgensen, Marius Tromholt-Richter, Kresimir Blazina, Magni Waltersson, Atibadi Brugnano, Graham Forrest Jordan, Ioannis Mathioudakis, Yunyoung Choi, Dobrochna Anna Klimczak, Shu Zhao, Joos Jerne, Narisara Ladawal Schröder, Mikkel M. R. Stubgaard, Søren Martinussen, Kim Lauer, Lone Fenger Albrechtsen, Jonas Høgh Rask, Tommy Bjørnstrup, Kanetnat Puttimettipanan, Celia de la Osa Muñoz, Anne-Charlotte Wiklander, Helena Hammershaimb, Danyu Zeng, Guoyu Liu, Thor Larsen-Lechuga, Filip Jacek Rozkowski, Irie Annik Meree, Anna Wozniak, Høgni Laksafoss, Jonathan Otis Navntoft Russell, Jiewei Li, Frederik Skou Jensen, Luca Pileri, Margarita Nutfulina, Gül Ertekin, Aya Fibert, David Zahle, Paula Madrid, Xingyue Huang, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Yehezkiel Wiliardy, Omar Mohamed Nabil Mohamed Saad Mowafy, Alexandra-Madalina Nita, Petra Hajdu, Johan Frederik Lindqvist, Mariana De Soares E Barbieri Cardoso, Marah Wagner, Xinying Zhang, Jakob Lange, Martyna Kloda, Nandi Lu, Henrik Jacobsen, Bart Ramakers, Celina Holck, Mussa Algasra, Andrea Angelo Suardi, Xavier Thanki, Agla Egilsdottir, Eddie Can
BIG Engineering Team: Andrea Megan Hektor, Tim Christensen, Alexander Gale Heiede, Jesus Fernandez Fraile, Kai-Brith Kalda, Thomas Lejeune, Andreas Bak, Kannan Selvaraj, Jonathan Otis Navntoft Russell
BIG Sustainable Development Team: Tore Banke, Sille Folding, Alexander Matthias Jacobson
BIG Landscape Team: Giulia Frittoli, Ulla Hornsyld, Louise Mould, Anders Fønss, Brian Malig Collado, Christian Kuczenski, Ahmed Badra, Anna Bertolazzi, Anna Lindgaard Jensen, Barbora Hrmova, Bartlomiej Lew, Dina Brændstrup, Fernanda Furuya, Giulia Genovese, Ines Zunic, Jialin Liang, Jonathan Udemezue, Juhye Kim, Kristian Mousten, Milan Moldenhawer, Xinyi Chen
On-site Management: Lars Thonke, Michael James Kepke, Jannik Albæk, Louise Brøndbjerg, Mathilde Jeppesen, Marija Cvijovic
Collaborators: LM Byg, Aalborg Portland, Centrum Pæle, Connex, El Team Vest, Energy Machines, Skel.dk, Paschal Stillads, Kjellerup VVS, HB Trapper, Eiler Thomsen, Deko, Brønnum, Primatag, Optimus, Krak Bau, Alt om Fugning Aps, YOUR PARTNER, Kvadrat Acoustics, GOTESSONS, Akustik Miljø, Dansk Belægningsenterprise, NO.BA Studio, Ceramica Cielo, TONI Copenhagen, Dinesen Floors A/S, Influit, Helden, Artelia Group, DTU, Popl, EcoBeton Danmark ApS, Rambøll, PD Elevator, Fritz Hansen, Muller van Severen, Aluflam, Artemide, Function, WindowMaster, Byggeweb, Viasol, Schüco, Anker & Co., E. Nielsens Mechanical Stenhuggeri A/S, Allremove, Miele, SHURE, Shack Trapper, BoConcept
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
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