ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo

BIG special

THE BIG TEAM - Andreas Klok Pedersen

Bjarke Ingels credits BIG’s enormous success to the creative team he has built around him, and the studio now has partners spread across the world. Each brings something markedly different to the table, as Kim Megson and Magali Robathan find out


Andreas Klok Pedersen joined Ingels in 2004 during the PLOT days, straight after completing a Masters degree at the Aarhus School of Architecture.

“He helped us with an exhibition we were doing with Bruce Mau, applying design thinking at the scale of a country, in this case Denmark,” says Ingels. “Andreas is a really good conceptual thinker and he doesn’t get bogged down with little things. Together we ended up coining a lot of the ideas that have informed our practice for the following decade, including the terms ‘pragmatic utopia’ and ‘hedonistic sustainability’”.

Based in BIG’s Copenhagen office, Pedersen oversees conceptual designs, competition entries and large-scale masterplans – including EuropaCity in Paris and Loop City for the Danish capital.

“I’m excited about the way we’re starting to broaden our work,” he says. “We’re looking into engineering, sustainability, product design, development, investment. We have really good experience and expertise to be dealing with projects beyond buildings.

“I think my strength is discovering new talent,” he adds. “I like to bring new people to the office and develop the culture of skills and creativity we have here.”

Pedersen is also the partner who’s not afraid to say no. “I’m quite critical,” he admits. “I say no more than yes. You need both sides – people presenting ideas and people not afraid to say if the idea isn’t good.”

Bjarke Ingels on Andreas Klok Pedersen
“He’s mercilessly honest. That sometimes might come across like he isn’t the most diplomatic of all the partners, but you have the guarantee that he’ll really speak his mind. That makes him a great critic and a great contributor.”

EUROPACITY

PARIS, FRANCE
COMPLETION DATE: TBC

BIG were chosen in 2013 to design EuropaCity, a huge leisure development on the outskirts of Paris covering more than 80 acres and offering a mix of retail, culture and leisure.

According to the architect: ‘The programs of Europa City are organised along an internal boulevard with a mix of retail, entertainment and cultural programs on both sides. The boulevard forms a continuous loop travelling through the new neighbourhood, with visitors travelling along it by bike and electric public transport.’

The city will feature a huge range of cultural, sporting, retail and leisure facilities
The city will feature a huge range of cultural, sporting, retail and leisure facilities
The city will feature a huge range of cultural, sporting, retail and leisure facilities
The city will feature a huge range of cultural, sporting, retail and leisure facilities
company profile
Company profile: Alliance Leisure
The company’s core business is the provision of facility development and support for local authorities, educational establishments and leisure trusts that want to improve or expand the leisure products and services they offer.
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
The resort is near the Great Smoky Mountains national park
"Sam was such a champion for the team, and my goal is simply to carry that same torch"

As Blackberry Mountain resort opens in Tennessee, we find out why the project is a deeply personal one for owner Mary Celeste Beall

The interior showcases a mix of reclaimed industrial features and was designed by Studio C102
"We’re passionate about market disupters – companies with conviction and a will to change"

The founders of new microgym 1Rebel

Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
Birch plywood interior walls eliminate the need for primer or paint
"We’re not built for constant comfort. When we live in spaces that connect us to our surroundings, we feel better, stronger and happier – and that is the very definition of being well"

Early-onset MS inspired Adria Lake to explore resilience as both a healing modality and an approach to design in the creation of her new home and company headquarters in Colorado

The design allows the views of the surrounding landscape to take centre stage
NYC-based designer Clodagh
"We were blown away by the light, colours and endless fields of grape vines"

The designer of Six Senses' first European resort

features
DMAC’s Dwayne MacEwen
"The hotel concept came late in the game, but it was an inspired idea"

The newly renovated Chicago Midtown Athletic Club features a boutique hotel, a pool-come-ice rink and spaces designed by Venus Williams

The Alesia Cinemas
Judges praised Manuelle Gautrand for her suprising, bold urban architecture
"I have tried to use my European roots to re-enchant architecture and our cities"

On winning the 2017 European Prize for Architecture

The 85m-high sloped roof at the Amager Resource Center doubles as a ski slope
Brian Yang
"You can be an intern on your first day and be expected to contribute to the design conversation. That’s something driven strongly by Bjarke."

How the idea of putting a ski slope on a factory roof was born

cladkit product news
Jaffe Holden helps bring Academy Museum of Motion Pictures alive
Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics for the Academy Museum
Magali Robathan
Acoustical consulting firm Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics and audio/video design services for the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion ...
Codelocks develops new glass door smart lock
The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Megan Whitby
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and ...
Eco Resort Network conference to convene in Mauritius this May
The event will be hosted in the Mauritius in 2024
Megan Whitby
Hospitality industry event Eco Resort Network is set to take place at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Turtle Bay, Mauritius, from ...
cladkit product news
Eden project uses drones to spell out climate change warning
Magali Robathan
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change ...
Alberto Apostoli and Newform collaborate to launch the A.Zeta showerhead
The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Megan Whitby
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta ...
Koto Design introduces wood-fired hot tub
Koto is known for crafting modular, energy-neutral cabins and homes
Katie Barnes
A striking wood-fired hot tub has been unveiled by Koto, an architecture and design studio which has a passion for ...
cladkit product news
Mather & Co and ITV unite to create Coronation Street Experience
Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers
Magali Robathan
Experience designers, Mather & Co, have orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a ...
Siminetti unveils iridescent decorative panelling range inspired by plants
The Clematis design
Megan Whitby
The Botanicals is Siminetti’s newest Mother of Pearl decorative panelling collection, inspired by the distinctive patterns found in botany and ...
Alberto Apostoli designs tech-forward Wellness Therapy furniture collection for Varaschin
The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Megan Whitby
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto ...
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo