TED2019
Bjarke Ingels: Floating cities, the LEGO House and other architectural forms of the future
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Design gives form to the future, says architect Bjarke Ingels. In this worldwide tour of his team's projects, journey to a waste-to-energy power plant (that doubles as an alpine ski slope) and the LEGO Home of the Brick in Denmark -- and catch a glimpse of cutting-edge flood resilience infrastructure in New York City as well as an ambitious plan to create floating, sustainable cities that are adapted to climate change.
Bjarke Ingels - Architect
Theory meets pragmatism meets optimism in Bjarke Ingels' architecture. His big-think approach is informed by a hands-on, ground-up understanding of the needs of a building's occupants and surroundings. Full bio
Theory meets pragmatism meets optimism in Bjarke Ingels' architecture. His big-think approach is informed by a hands-on, ground-up understanding of the needs of a building's occupants and surroundings. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
My mom has always reminded me
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that I have the same
proportions as a LEGO man.
proportions as a LEGO man.
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(Laughter)
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And she does actually have a point.
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LEGO is a company that has succeeded
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in making everybody believe
that LEGO is from their home country.
that LEGO is from their home country.
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But it's not, it's from my home country.
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So you can imagine my excitement
when the LEGO family called me
when the LEGO family called me
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and asked us to work with them
to design the Home of the Brick.
to design the Home of the Brick.
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This is the architectural model --
we built it out of LEGO, obviously.
we built it out of LEGO, obviously.
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This is the final result.
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And what we tried to do was to design
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a building that would be as interactive
and as engaging and as playful
and as engaging and as playful
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as LEGO is itself,
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with these kind of interconnected
playgrounds on the roofscape.
playgrounds on the roofscape.
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You can enter a square on the ground
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where the citizens of Billund
can roam around freely without a ticket.
can roam around freely without a ticket.
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01:04
And it's probably one of the only
museums in the world
museums in the world
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where you're allowed
to touch all the artifacts.
to touch all the artifacts.
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01:10
But the Danish word for design
is "formgivning," which literally means
is "formgivning," which literally means
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to give form to that
which has not yet been given form.
which has not yet been given form.
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In other words,
to give form to the future.
to give form to the future.
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And what I love about LEGO
is that LEGO is not a toy.
is that LEGO is not a toy.
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It's a tool that empowers the child
to build his or her own world,
to build his or her own world,
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and then to inhabit
that world through play
that world through play
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and to invite her friends to join her
in cohabiting and cocreating that world.
in cohabiting and cocreating that world.
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And that is exactly what formgivning is.
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As human beings, we have the power
to give form to our future.
to give form to our future.
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Inspired by LEGO,
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we've built a social housing
project in Copenhagen,
project in Copenhagen,
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where we stacked blocks
of wood next to each other.
of wood next to each other.
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Between them, they leave spaces
with extra ceiling heights and balconies.
with extra ceiling heights and balconies.
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And by gently wiggling the blocks,
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we can actually create curves
or any organic form,
or any organic form,
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adapting to any urban context.
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Because adaptability is probably one
of the strongest drivers of architecture.
of the strongest drivers of architecture.
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Another example is here in Vancouver.
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We were asked to look at the site
where Granville bridge triforks
where Granville bridge triforks
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as it touches downtown.
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And we started, like,
mapping the different constraints.
mapping the different constraints.
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There's like a 100-foot
setback from the bridge
setback from the bridge
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because the city want to make sure
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that no one looks
into the traffic on the bridge.
into the traffic on the bridge.
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There's a park where
we can't cast any shadows.
we can't cast any shadows.
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So finally, we're left with a tiny
triangular footprint,
triangular footprint,
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almost too small to build.
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But then we thought, like,
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what if the 100-foot minimum distance
is really about minimum distance --
is really about minimum distance --
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once we get 100 feet up in the air,
we can grow the building back out.
we can grow the building back out.
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And so we did.
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When you drive over the bridge,
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it's as if someone is pulling
a curtain aback,
a curtain aback,
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welcoming you to Vancouver.
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Or a like a weed growing
through the cracks in the pavement
through the cracks in the pavement
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and blossoming as it gets light and air.
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Underneath the bridge,
we've worked with Rodney Graham
we've worked with Rodney Graham
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and a handful of Vancouver artists,
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to create what we called
the Sistine Chapel of street art,
the Sistine Chapel of street art,
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an art gallery turned upside down,
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that tries to turn the negative
impact of the bridge into a positive.
impact of the bridge into a positive.
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So even if it looks like
this kind of surreal architecture,
this kind of surreal architecture,
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it's highly adapted to its surroundings.
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So if a bridge can become a museum,
a museum can also serve as a bridge.
a museum can also serve as a bridge.
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In Norway, we are building a museum
that spans across a river
that spans across a river
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and allows people to sort of journey
through the exhibitions
through the exhibitions
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as they cross from one side
of a sculpture park to the other.
of a sculpture park to the other.
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An architecture sort of
adapted to its landscape.
adapted to its landscape.
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In China, we built a headquarters
for an energy company
for an energy company
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and we designed the facade
like an Issey Miyake fabric.
like an Issey Miyake fabric.
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It's rippled, so that facing
the predominant direction of the sun,
the predominant direction of the sun,
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it's all opaque;
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facing away from the sun, it's all glass.
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On average, it sort of transitions
from solid to clear.
from solid to clear.
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And this very simple idea
without any moving parts
without any moving parts
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or any sort of technology,
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purely because
of the geometry of the facade,
of the geometry of the facade,
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reduces the energy consumption
on cooling by 30 percent.
on cooling by 30 percent.
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So you can say what makes
the building look elegant
the building look elegant
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is also what makes it perform elegantly.
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It's an architecture
that is adapted to its climate.
that is adapted to its climate.
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You can also adapt one culture to another,
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like in Manhattan, we took
the Copenhagen courtyard building
the Copenhagen courtyard building
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with a social space
where people can hang out
where people can hang out
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in this kind of oasis
in the middle of a city,
in the middle of a city,
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and we combined it with the density
and the verticality
and the verticality
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of an American skyscraper,
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creating what we've called
a "courtscraper."
a "courtscraper."
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From New York to Copenhagen.
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On the waterfront of Copenhagen,
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we are right now finishing this
waste-to-energy power plant.
waste-to-energy power plant.
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It's going to be the cleanest
waste-to-energy power plant in the world,
waste-to-energy power plant in the world,
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there are no toxins
coming out of the chimney.
coming out of the chimney.
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An amazing marvel of engineering
that is completely invisible.
that is completely invisible.
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So we thought, how can we express this?
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And in Copenhagen
we have snow, as you can see,
we have snow, as you can see,
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but we have absolutely no mountains.
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We have to go six hours by bus
to get to Sweden,
to get to Sweden,
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to get alpine skiing.
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So we thought,
let's put an alpine ski slope
let's put an alpine ski slope
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on the roof of the power plant.
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So this is the first test run
we did a few months ago.
we did a few months ago.
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And what I like about this
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is that it also show you the sort of
world-changing power of formgivning.
world-changing power of formgivning.
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I have a five-month-old son,
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and he's going to grow up in a world
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not knowing that there was ever a time
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when you couldn't ski
on the roof of the power plant.
on the roof of the power plant.
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(Laughter)
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(Applause)
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So imagine for him and his generation,
that's their baseline.
that's their baseline.
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Imagine how far they can leap,
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what kind of wild ideas
they can put forward for their future.
they can put forward for their future.
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So right in front of it,
we're building our smallest project.
we're building our smallest project.
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It's basically nine containers
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that we have stacked
in a shipyard in Poland,
in a shipyard in Poland,
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then we've schlepped it
across the Baltic sea
across the Baltic sea
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and docked it in the port of Copenhagen,
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where it is now the home of 12 students.
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Each student has a view to the water,
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they can jump out the window
into the clean port of Copenhagen,
into the clean port of Copenhagen,
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and they can get back in.
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All of the heat comes
from the thermal mass of the sea,
from the thermal mass of the sea,
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all the power comes from the sun.
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This is the first 12 units in Copenhagen,
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another 60 on their way,
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another 200 are going to Gothenburg,
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and we're speaking with the Paris Olympics
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to put a small floating
village on the Seine.
village on the Seine.
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So very much this kind of, almost like
nomadic, impermanent architecture.
nomadic, impermanent architecture.
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And the waterfronts of our cities
are experiencing a lot of change.
are experiencing a lot of change.
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Economic change, industrial change
and climate change.
and climate change.
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This is Manhattan before Hurricane Sandy,
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and this is Manhattan after Sandy.
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We got invited by the city of New York
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to look if we could make the necessary
flood protection for Manhattan
flood protection for Manhattan
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without building a seawall
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that would segregate the life
of the city from the water around it.
of the city from the water around it.
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And we got inspired by the High Line.
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You probably know the High Line --
it's this amazing new park in New York.
it's this amazing new park in New York.
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It's basically decommissioned train tracks
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that now have become one of the most
popular promenades in the city.
popular promenades in the city.
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So we thought,
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could we design the necessary
flood protection for Manhattan
flood protection for Manhattan
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so we don't have to wait
until we shut it down before it gets nice?
until we shut it down before it gets nice?
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So we sat down with the citizens
living along the waterfront of New York,
living along the waterfront of New York,
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and we worked with them to try
to design the necessary flood protection
to design the necessary flood protection
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in such a way that it only
makes their waterfront
makes their waterfront
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more accessible and more enjoyable.
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Underneath the FDR,
we are putting, like, pavilions
we are putting, like, pavilions
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with pocket walls that can slide out
and protect from the water.
and protect from the water.
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We are creating little stepped terraces
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that are going to make
the underside more enjoyable,
the underside more enjoyable,
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but also protect from flooding.
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Further north in the East River Park,
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we are creating rolling hills
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that protect the park
from the noise of the highway,
from the noise of the highway,
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but in turn also become
the necessary flood protection
the necessary flood protection
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that can stop the waves during
an incoming storm surge.
an incoming storm surge.
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So in a way, this project
that we have called the Dryline,
that we have called the Dryline,
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it's essentially the High Line --
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(Laughter)
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The High Line that's
going to keep Manhattan dry.
going to keep Manhattan dry.
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(Applause)
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It's scheduled to break ground
on the first East River portion
on the first East River portion
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at the end of this year.
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But it has essentially been codesigned
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with the citizens of Lower Manhattan
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to take all of the necessary
infrastructure for resilience
infrastructure for resilience
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and give it positive social
and environmental side effects.
and environmental side effects.
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So, New York is not alone
in facing this situation.
in facing this situation.
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In fact, by 2050,
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90 percent of the major
cities in the world
cities in the world
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are going to be dealing with rising seas.
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In Hamburg,
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they've created a whole neighborhood
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where the bottom floors are designed
to withstand the inevitable flood.
to withstand the inevitable flood.
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In Sweden, they've designed a city
where all of the parks are wet gardens,
where all of the parks are wet gardens,
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designed to deal with storm water
and waste water.
and waste water.
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So we thought, could we perhaps --
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Actually, today,
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three million people are already
permanently living on the sea.
permanently living on the sea.
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So we thought, could we actually
imagine a floating city
imagine a floating city
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designed to incorporate all
of the Sustainable Development Goals
of the Sustainable Development Goals
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of the United Nations
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into a whole new human-made ecosystem.
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And of course, we have to design it
so it can produce its own power,
so it can produce its own power,
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harvesting the thermal mass of the oceans,
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the force of the tides,
of the currents, of the waves,
of the currents, of the waves,
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the power of the wind,
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the heat and the energy of the sun.
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Also, we are going to collect
all of the rain water that drops
all of the rain water that drops
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on this man-made archipelago
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and deal with it organically
and mechanically
and mechanically
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and store it and clean it.
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We have to grow all of our food locally,
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it has to be fish- and plant-based,
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because you won't have the space
or the resources for a dairy diet.
or the resources for a dairy diet.
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And finally,
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we are going to deal
with all the waste locally,
with all the waste locally,
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with compost, recycling,
and turning the waste into energy.
and turning the waste into energy.
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So imagine where a traditional
urban master plan,
urban master plan,
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you typically draw the street grid
where the cars can drive
where the cars can drive
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and the building plots
where you can put some buildings.
where you can put some buildings.
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This master plan, we sat down
with a handful of scientists
with a handful of scientists
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and basically started
with all of the renewable,
with all of the renewable,
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available natural resources,
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and then we started channeling
the flow of resources
the flow of resources
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through this kind of human-made ecosystem
or this kind of urban metabolism.
or this kind of urban metabolism.
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So it's going to be modular,
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it's going to be buoyant,
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it's going to be designed
to resist a tropical storm.
to resist a tropical storm.
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You can prefabricate it at scale,
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and tow it to dock with others,
to form a small community.
to form a small community.
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We're designing these
kind of coastal additions,
kind of coastal additions,
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so that even if it's modular and rational,
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each island can be unique
with its own coastal landscape.
with its own coastal landscape.
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The architecture
has to remain relatively low
has to remain relatively low
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to keep the center of gravity buoyant.
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We're going to take all of the agriculture
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and use it to also create social space
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so you can actually enjoy
the permaculture gardens.
the permaculture gardens.
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We're designing it for the tropics,
so all of the roofs are maximized
so all of the roofs are maximized
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to harvest solar power
and to shade from the sun.
and to shade from the sun.
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All the materials are going to be
light and renewable,
light and renewable,
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like bamboo and wood,
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which is also going to create
this charming, warm environment.
this charming, warm environment.
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And any architecture is supposed
to be able to fit on this platform.
to be able to fit on this platform.
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Underneath we have all the storage
inside the pontoon,
inside the pontoon,
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almost like a mega version
of the student housings
of the student housings
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that we've already worked with.
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We have all the storage
for the energy that's produced,
for the energy that's produced,
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all of the water storage and remediation.
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We are sort of dealing
with all of the waste and the composting.
with all of the waste and the composting.
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And we also have some backup farming
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with aeroponics and hydroponics.
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So imagine almost like a vertical section
through this landscape
through this landscape
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that goes from the air above,
where we have vertical farms;
where we have vertical farms;
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below, we have the aeroponics
and the aquaponics.
and the aquaponics.
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Even further below,
we have the ocean farms
we have the ocean farms
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and where we tie the island to the ground,
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we're using biorock to create new reefs
to regenerate habitat.
to regenerate habitat.
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So think of this
small island for 300 people.
small island for 300 people.
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It can then group together
to form a cluster or a neighborhood
to form a cluster or a neighborhood
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that then can sort of group together
to form an entire city for 10,000 people.
to form an entire city for 10,000 people.
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And you can imagine
if this floating city flourishes,
if this floating city flourishes,
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it can sort of grow
like a culture in a petri dish.
like a culture in a petri dish.
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So one of the first places
we are looking at placing this,
we are looking at placing this,
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or anchoring this floating city,
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is in the Pearl River delta.
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So imagine this kind of canopy
of photovoltaics
of photovoltaics
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on this archipelago floating in the sea.
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As you sail towards the island,
you will see the maritime residents
you will see the maritime residents
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moving around on alternative forms
of aquatic transportation.
of aquatic transportation.
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You come into this kind of community port.
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You can roam around
in the permaculture gardens
in the permaculture gardens
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that are productive landscapes,
but also social landscapes.
but also social landscapes.
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The greenhouses also become orangeries
for the cultural life of the city,
for the cultural life of the city,
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and below, under the sea,
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it's teeming with life
of farming and science
of farming and science
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and social spaces.
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So in a way, you can imagine
this community port
this community port
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is where people gather,
both by day and by night.
both by day and by night.
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And even if the first one
is designed for the tropics,
is designed for the tropics,
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we also imagine that the architecture
can adapt to any culture,
can adapt to any culture,
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so imagine, like,
a Middle Eastern floating city
a Middle Eastern floating city
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or Southeast Asian floating city
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or maybe a Scandinavian
floating city one day.
floating city one day.
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So maybe just to conclude.
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The human body is 70 percent water.
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And the surface of our planet
is 70 percent water.
is 70 percent water.
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And it's rising.
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And even if the whole world
woke up tomorrow
woke up tomorrow
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and became carbon-neutral over night,
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there are still island nations
that are destined to sink in the seas,
that are destined to sink in the seas,
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unless we also develop alternate forms
of floating human habitats.
of floating human habitats.
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And the only constant
in the universe is change.
in the universe is change.
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Our world is always changing,
and right now, our climate is changing.
and right now, our climate is changing.
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No matter how critical
the crisis is, and it is,
the crisis is, and it is,
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this is also our collective
human superpower.
human superpower.
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That we have the power to adapt to change
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and we have the power
to give form to our future.
to give form to our future.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Bjarke Ingels - ArchitectTheory meets pragmatism meets optimism in Bjarke Ingels' architecture. His big-think approach is informed by a hands-on, ground-up understanding of the needs of a building's occupants and surroundings.
Why you should listen
Bjarke Ingels is principal of BIG, based in Copenhagen. An alumnus of Rem Koolhaas' OMA practice, Ingels takes a similar approach: experimenting with pure space, but never losing sight of the building as a solution to a real-world problem. His manifesto "Yes Is More" takes the form of a giant cartoon strip, 130 meters long, that reminds people to keep thinking big -- to see all our modern problems as challenges that inspire us. (The manifesto is now available in comic-book form.)
His deeply-thought-out and often rather large works -- including several skyscrapers and mixed-use projects in a developing section of Copenhagen, plus a project for a new commercial harbor-island -- work to bring coherence to the urban fabric and to help their occupants and users lead better lives. His most famous works include: the Stavanger Concert House, Tallinn’s city hall and the VM Houses. He recently won a competition to design Copenhagen’s waste-to-energy plant with a design that will place a ski slope on top of the structure.
Bjarke Ingels | Speaker | TED.com