In the world of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)<\/em>, architecture is not merely a way of building, but a way of thinking. An idea brought into space. A meeting point between utopia and strategy.<\/p>\n We spoke with Jo\u00e3o Albuquerque<\/em>, partner and head of BIG<\/em>\u2019s presence on the Iberian Peninsula, to discover how this unique vision is taking shape in Spain through iconic projects \u2013 and now, with the opening of a new office in Barcelona.<\/p>\n BIG<\/em>\u2019s new office in Barcelona is not just an operational hub, but an architectural statement.<\/p>\n Designed by the studio itself, the space embodies the values that define its DNA: openness, fluidity, creativity, and sustainability. It\u2019s far from a typical corporate environment \u2013 rather, it\u2019s a space crafted to foster collaboration, disruptive thinking, and direct engagement with the local fabric.<\/p>\n \u201cBarcelona represents a fascinating intersection of culture, history and urban experimentation. Being here allows us to connect from within with what\u2019s happening in Southern Europe,\u201d Jo\u00e3o<\/em> tells us.<\/p>\n One of the most provocative concepts BIG<\/em> has brought into contemporary architectural discourse is hedonistic sustainability.<\/p>\n Far from guilt-driven narratives, it offers an optimistic lens: being sustainable doesn\u2019t mean giving things up \u2013 it means gaining in quality of life.<\/p>\n This principle is clearly reflected in two of BIG<\/em>\u2019s most significant projects currently underway in Spain: the Joint Research Centre<\/em> in Seville and the Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (GOe)<\/em> in San Sebasti\u00e1n.<\/p>\n In Seville, the Joint Research Centre<\/em> \u2013 promoted by the European Commission<\/em> \u2013 rises as a campus-laboratory that aims to redefine how we work, think and innovate.<\/p>\n Architecture here responds to Andalusia\u2019s climate and landscape: a vast solar pergola shades the site, filtering light and generating energy, while local materials such as limestone and ceramic reduce the carbon footprint and echo the region\u2019s heritage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe building doesn\u2019t just host research \u2013 it inspires it. We wanted the design to enhance collaboration and creativity, as if the space itself were part of the experiment,\u201d Jo\u00e3o<\/em> explains.<\/p>\n At the heart of San Sebasti\u00e1n\u2019s innovation district, the GOe<\/em> is much more than a culinary centre \u2013 it\u2019s a platform for exploration, learning, and community. Its sinuous shape flows through the urban landscape like a wave \u2013 a nod to the nearby Cantabrian Sea \u2013 while its green roof both beautifies and provides natural temperature control and rainwater collection.<\/p>\n This is a project that blends the tangible with the symbolic: architecture as an active ingredient in a gastronomic, cultural, and sustainable ecosystem.<\/p>\n From the very beginning, BIG<\/em> has resisted easy labels. Its architecture is serious yet playful, rational yet provocative, technical yet emotional. Rather than choosing between opposites, it embraces them.<\/p>\n For Jo\u00e3o<\/em>, this translates into a way of working that blends analytical thinking, artistic intuition and advanced technology: \u201cEach project is a chance to question what we think we know about space. How can we make a building more useful, more beautiful, more accessible, more efficient\u2026 and more inspiring?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n With the rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital fabrication and digital twins, BIG<\/em> sees an opportunity to enrich its processes \u2013 not replace creativity. For them, technology is a means, not an end.<\/p>\n This vision becomes even more relevant in the Spanish context, where regulatory or budgetary constraints can spark fertile ground for innovation. The new Barcelona office brings BIG<\/em> closer to these realities, allowing them to better understand the nuances of each location, each client, and each opportunity.<\/p>\n BIG<\/em>\u2019s presence in Spain is not just an extension \u2013 it\u2019s an immersion. Projects like the JRC<\/em> in Seville and the GOe<\/em> in San Sebasti\u00e1n, along with the new Barcelona office, do more than expand the studio\u2019s geographical footprint: they expand its imaginative one. These are examples of how radically contemporary architecture can be deeply human, local, and transformative.<\/p>\n Because in the end, as Jo\u00e3o Albuquerque<\/em> concludes, \u201cwhat truly drives us is not building more \u2013 but building better. And that begins with listening, imagining, and daring to think big.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n (*)<\/strong> Photos provided by BIG. Cover photo, slider photos 1, 5, 7, and 9: Laurian Ghinitoiu; Render 4 by Playtime; Renders 2, 8, and 10 by Fusao. Barcelona office photos: Adri\u00e0 Goula; Noma 2.0 images: Rasmus Hjortsh\u00f8j.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Where design becomes idea In the world of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), architecture is not merely a way of building, but a way of thinking. An idea brought into space. A meeting point between utopia and strategy. We spoke with Jo\u00e3o Albuquerque, partner and head of BIG\u2019s presence on the Iberian Peninsula, to discover how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":86464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5959,5957,5918,5917,5916,5900],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-design-en","category-inspiration-en-2","category-interviews","category-inspiration-en","category-art-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBarcelona as laboratory: a new office that is also architecture<\/h6>\n
Hedonistic sustainability: designing for pleasure (and the planet)<\/h6>\n
\u201cBIG introduced hedonistic sustainability into contemporary architecture.\u201d<\/h2>\n
JRC Seville: science, light and landscape<\/h6>\n
GOe San Sebasti\u00e1n: architecture you can taste<\/h6>\n
More than buildings: a way of seeing the world<\/h6>\n
The future is already here<\/h6>\n
BIG in Spain: Redrawing the posible<\/h6>\n