The Illegal Architect

I realize that modern spiraling spaces all look pretty similar, but putting a pool and a statue in the middle seems like blatant plagiarism.

Danish Pavilion | BIG, 2010

Samaranch Memorial Museum | HAO, 2012

Natural History Museum | Bjarke Ingels/BIG

Behavior Sciences Building | Walter Netsch/SOM

BIG’s latest effort is shockingly close to the Field Theory designs of Walter Netsch in the 1960’s.  Too me, the Museum is very disappointing and a complete reversal of BIG’s usual approach.  Instead of placing all things in service to one big idea they have made all things serve a very small idea (repeating geometry).  The result is not too far removed from that of the Behavioral Science Building.  Both buildings share some beautiful patterns and while the Museum appears more up to date, it has similar oddly defined spaces and a fragmented experience that I think will make it tire quickly if it is ever built.

Europa City | Bjarke Ingels Group

Here is a great example of the type of big project that I would love to be a part of, even while having some reservations about it.  The idea and its depiction are beautiful, but I cannot help but think that the facts of occupying a place without history and diversity (both human and architectural) are troubling.

(Source: big.dk)