explore bjarke ingels group's waterfront headquarters in copenhagen

an architecture studio in Copenhagen’s Industrial Heart

Located at the tip of Sundmolen in Copenhagen’s waterfront Nordhavn neighborhood, the new headquarters for Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has completed to exemplify the studio’s individual approach to architecture. This 4,488-square-meter building, completed in spring 2024, is among the first to fully realize BIG’s integrated LEAPP model, combining expertise in Landscape, Engineering, Architecture, Planning, and Product Design. Built from custom Uni-Green concrete in collaboration with Unicon, the seven-story, 27-meter-tall building is set against Copenhagen’s bustling maritime and industrial landscape.

Built to meet the stringent DGNB Gold standards, BIG’s headquarters integrates solar panels and geothermal energy systems, achieving a 60% reliance on renewable energy sources. The geothermal setup supplies 84% of the building’s heating and fully meets its cooling demands, complemented by passive design strategies like natural ventilation.

images © Laurian Ghinitoiu, unless otherwise stated

bjarke ingels describes Holistic ‘LEAPp’ Approach

Bjarke Ingels Group’s LEAPP concept is fully embodied in the design of its Copenhagen headquarters. According to the studio‘s founder Bjarke Ingels, the LEAPP model embraces a multidisciplinary approach, from structural engineering to intricate interior detailing. The building’s structural integrity relies on a single, central column made from six types of Scandinavian stone — the column, layered with dense granite at the base and lighter, porous marble at the top, rotates as it rises to align precisely with the beams on each floor. The unique architecture further allows for outdoor terraces on each level, connected by a continuous, exterior staircase that wraps around the facade.

Bjarke Ingels comments: ‘The idea behind LEAPP is an architecture practice as a renaissance, interdisciplinary body of people and knowledge — LEAPP being the acronym for Landscape, Engineering, Architecture, Product, and Planning. Every single aspect of LEAPP has been involved in our HQ, including the planning, the product design, the very complex stacking of the concrete elements.

‘Because of the way it’s engineered, it only holds one column in the whole building. A series of Scandinavian granite and marble are stacked between the beams and everything else is these concrete walls resting on each other.‘

the 4,488-square-meter building follows BIG’s integrated LEAPP model

workspaces united by a zig-zagging Staircase

Upon entering Bjarke Ingels Groups’ headquarters through a three-meter glass door, visitors step into a spacious, open environment where interior views span diagonally across seven floors, framing vistas of Copenhagen beyond. A blackened steel staircase zigzags through the center, creating a sense of vertical flow throughout the space. The design maximizes openness, relocating key elements like the elevator and secondary stairwell to the north edge, while workspace areas remain unobstructed for generous sunlight.

One of the building’s most important elements is its 140-meter staircase that spirals from the rooftop to the quayside below. This exterior staircase provides each floor with a terrace, allowing movement between levels along the facade and doubling as a fire escape. The design emphasizes accessibility to outdoor spaces, generating an environment where employees can step outside to enjoy views of the water, nearby windmills, and the surrounding Nordhavn community.

built with Uni-Green concrete, the structure rises seven stories and uses 60% renewable energy

From Parking Lot to Urban Park

Surrounding the headquarters, BIG’s landscape team has transformed an adjacent former parking area into a 1,500-square-meter public park. Inspired by Denmark’s coastal forests, the park features native species such as pine and oak, which buffer the site against harbor winds. Toward the south, diverse plantings and natural materials create habitats for local wildlife, enhancing biodiversity and offering a soft surface for relaxation and play. American artist Benjamin Langholz’s ‘Stone 40’ sculpture — a spiral path of stones — adds a playful touch for visitors of all ages.

The building’s rooftop extends the natural themes of the park, incorporating wood sourced from a local sawmill and planted with wind-tolerant herbs used in the studio’s canteen. This terrace not only provides a scenic outdoor space for employees but also strengthens the building’s connection to Denmark’s natural landscape, creating a harmonious blend of urban and ecological elements.

a central stone column, made from six types of rock, supports the open structure with minimal internal columns

geothermal and solar systems supply nearly all heating and cooling needs

each floor has access to outdoor terraces connected by a 140-meter exterior staircase | image © Rasmus Hjortshøj

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project info:

name: BIG Headquarters

architect, client: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds

location: Copenhagen, Denmark

size: 4,880 square meters (52,528 square feet)

completion: 2024

photography: © Laurian Ghinitoiu | @laurianghinitoiu, Rasmus Hjortshøj | @coast_studio

partner in charge: Bjarke Ingels, Finn Nørkjær

project manager: Ole Elkjær-Larsen
design lead: Frederik Lyng
project architect: Jesper Boye Andersen

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: Andrea Megan Hektor, Tim Christensen, Alexander Gale Heiede, Jesus Fernandez Fraile, Kai-Brith Kalda, Thomas Lejeune, Andreas Bak, Kannan Selvaraj, Jonathan Otis Nanvtoft Russell

BIG sustainability: Tore Banke, Sille Foltinger, Alexander Matthias Jacobson

BIG landscape: 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

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, Rambøll, EcoBeton Danmark ApS, PD Elevator, Fritz Hansen, Muller van Severen, Aluflam, Artemide, Funktionen, Windowmaster, Byggeweb, Viasol, Schüco, Anker & Co., E. Nielsens Mekaniske Stenhuggeri A/S, Allremove, Miele, SHURE, Shack Trapper, BoConcept