BIG expands its leadership as it begins to build globally

Five new Partners and two new Associate Partners from the existing management group entered into an ownership group of BIG A/S. BIG Architects,was founded by
Bjarke Ingels in 2005 after having co-founded PLOT Architects in 2001.

It has become one of the leading firms of a new generation of architects, repeatedly attracting public attention and triggering political debate with thought provoking designs. Over the past four years the office has experienced increasing interest throughout the world with projects currently ongoing in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and East Asia. In order to better service the growing work in Asia, BIG will soon be expanding to include an office in Hong Kong which will open in the first half of 2010.

After a series of competition wins including the Tallinn Town Hall, the Astana National Library, World Village of Women's Sport in Malmo and the Shenzhen Energy Mansion all of which have begun or are soon moving towards detailed planning the opportune time to expand BIG's leadership and ownership structure has arrived. As of December 1st , 2009 Andreas Klok Pedersen, Finn Nørkjær, Thomas Christoffersen, Jakob Lange and David Zahle will become Partners at BIG.

All five new Partners have collaborated with Bjarke Ingels since PLOT Architects and are leading the design work upon some of the aforementioned projects. In addition to the five new design Partners who will be guiding the current and new projects are two Associate Partners Sheela Maini Søgaard who has acted as Managing Director since 2008 and Kai-Uwe Bergmann who has been Director of Business Development and Communications since the beginning of 2009.

Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, "We are a group of people from more than 20 nationalities and I'm happy to say that I have the privilege to collaborate with a BIG group of very smart, intelligent, passionate, talented, relentless people of all age groups, ethnic groups, religions and nationalities. Regarding my new partners I see it as a natural evolution of our long lasting collaboration to turn our great professional relationship into an actual partnership."

Andreas Klok Pedersen has been project leader on a number of BIG's master plan and large-scale projects. Most recently, he has led the prize-winning competition for the 200 meter tall Shenzhen Energy Manson as well as the ongoing 1,000,000 m2 CO2 neutral Zira Island master plan in Azerbaijan. His projects also count the new Tamayo Museum in Mexico, REN People's Building, Lego Towers, Kløverkareén, Scala Library, Arlanda Hotel and BIG's contribution to the Venice Biennale in 2004 and 2008. He also runs a studio at the Royal Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen.

Finn Nørkjær has been responsible for the development and completion of most of BIG's built projects, such as the VM Houses and The Mountain. Finn's latest projects include the 8 House and the Danish Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai Expo, which are both currently under construction in Copenhagen, Denmark and Shanghai, China respectively and will be completed in 2010.

Thomas Christoffersen has worked on nearly every notable project from the VM Houses to one of the office's most recent and global developments, Astana National Library. Other accomplishments of his include the design for Iceland's National Bank in Reykjavik and the 8 House in Copenhagen. He is currently teaching at the Royal Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen.

Jakob Lange has led the design and development of The Mountain which has received numerous international awards including WAF – World's Best Housing project, MIPIM Award – Best Housing, ULI Award - Best Housing in Europe and the Forum AID Award which awards the best project in Scandinavia. Most recently Jakob has served as the project leader for the new Tallinn Town Hall in Estonia, which will be completed in 2012.

David Zahle is managing the Danish Maritime Museum project, which is set to be complete in 2012. His most recent major involvement in projects includes the recently won competition for the World

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