Bjarke Ingels on the expanded role of the architect

For Bjarke Ingels, architects are more than just designers of beautiful facades. He considers the expanded role of architects in contemporary society.

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Looking to the role of architecture in society, Bjarke Ingels believes that architects need to become designers of ecosystems that channel the flow of people and resources through cities.He speaks about the notion of sustainable cities, relating to the life quality and enjoyment of its citizens. With a multitude of his work as examples, Ingels discusses the importance of public participation in architecture, social infrastructure and architectural alchemy that sees different ingredients mixed together to create added value.

A lot of our projects, even though they are commissioned, have a very intense relationship with the public realm, says Ingels.

In this talk at Design Indaba Conference he discusses projects by his firm, BIG architects,  that demonstrate this emphasis on public participation, such as The Mountain and the Maritime Youth House in Copenhagen, and West 57th Street in New York.

We are constantly conducting experiments on how to best inhabit our cities – Bjarke Ingels

Watch the Interview with Bjarke Ingels