Our Heroes: A Multi-Part Series

Architecture is to some extent a profession of precedents. Every architect learns from the experiences of architects past. As a student, sometimes I can't help it but feel like a pre-teen school girl at a Justin Beiber concert. For my heroes are the greatest ever, and any flaws are hugely overshadowed by the sheer beauty of what they build. Unlike Justin Beiber, Architectural heroes are intelligent productive members of the global community. They set a standard and push above and beyond that. Our heroes inspire us to be greater than who we though we could be. They set a target for our aspirations. Perhaps without them knowing, they've already become silent mentors to a generation of rising architects.

One cannot be in the world of architecture today without hearing the name of Justin Beiber

I'm just joking, Justin Beiber is a joke human being. Let me re-phrase...

One cannot be in the world of architecture today without hearing of the firm BIG. The man behind the firm will be the focus of this post. My fanboyism of Bjarke Ingles began with the Danish Pavilion of the Shanghai 2010 Expo. The video explanation of that pavilion is what sparked my fascination with the Expo, and subsequently and more importantly, with the Bjarke Ingles Group. The name just keeps popping up, with projects my professor wants me to look at, or articles I read online. It's hard to imagine that months ago, I had no idea that he was anyone important. 

The most regrettable occurrence was when he came to lecture at our school. Bjarke Ingles, the man, himself, was there, and I shrugged him off because I came in after lunch and was going to be late for soccer. What I realize now was out of all the lectures that year, that one was probably one of the most important ones I should have gone to. It's okay though, I bought his book and it was the book that started me on a binge in buying architecture books.

Yes Is More (the monograph of BIG) made me like the firm even more. Their philosophy and design process is something I deeply admire. The quality of the work they produce sets a new bar in my horizon. (It's like seeing your first really hot girl, it really makes you re-evaluate your life.)  On top of it all, the man has the balls and the swagger, to break out onto the world stage as if he was always there. 

For all the right reasons, Bjarke Ingles is first on the list of our heroes.