Dive Brief:
- Denmark-based Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) first-ever office building — the 1200 Intrepid at the Navy Yard Corporate Center in Philadelphia — is now complete, according to Building Design + Construction.
- The 92,000-square foot, four-story building features an exterior meant to simulate the curved hull of a Navy ship, while at the same time incorporating the master plan design of the Navy Yard. A periscope runs through the entire building, allowing those inside to get a glimpse of ships docked nearby.
- The building has been LEED Gold-certified, an achievement helped along by the use of precast concrete panels made from recycled material. A central atrium also provides natural light to the interior.
Dive Insight:
BIG is known for its cutting-edge designs and is led by Bjarke Ingels, who is considered a bit of a wunderkind in the world of architecture.
BIG is the architect for Google's new Mountain View, CA, complex, which has an opaque roof design that has been compared to a "futuristic circus tent." BIG's original plans for the campus, which included a translucent canopy over the main structure, were rejected by local planning officials. Another eye-catching U.S. BIG design is The Spiral at the Hudson Yards development in Manhattan. The mixed-use tower's standout design feature is living greenery winding around its exterior from the seventh floor upwards to the 65th.
However, not everyone is a fan of BIG's architectural style. The designer has been on the receiving end of a good deal of criticism around its $2 billion renovation plans for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Drawing the most fire is the scheduled demolition of the Enid Haupt Garden, which is to be replaced with a carpet-style plaza. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the DC Preservation League and the Committee of 100 on the Federal City have all joined critics in petitioning Institution officials to reconsider razing the existing garden.
