160 OCTOBER 2019
VIA57WEST:IWANBAANA^]h^lgmfZd^
[nbe]bg`lmaZm Zk^
[^Znmb_neZk\abm^\mnkZeer
maZm rhn \Zgmebo^ bg' “There’s a lot of energy, but it’s very regulated, almost in the
extreme. Combine that with the extreme real estate value, and
it makes certain things suddenly feasible that would be infeasi-
ble elsewhere.”
Take the XI, for example, a pair of towers under construc-
tion in Chelsea that resemble a dancing couple, flirtatiously
twisting toward each other as they soar skyward; the design
maximizes square footage without compromising views.
HFZ’s Ziel Feldman, the project’s developer, recalls meet-
ing Ingels for lunch to discuss it; by the end of the meal, the
architect had sketched an initial concept on a napkin. “He’s
not egotistical, and he has almost superhuman energy,” Feld-
man explains. “And he will design from the inside out, not
the outside in. He doesn’t make buildings that are beautiful
architecturally that you can’t live in.”
Ingels relished the challenge of designing on this plot
in particular. “In the case of the XI, it became very much
a dialogue between these two buildings and their sur-
roundings, because it has been zoned with all kinds of
requirements vis-à-vis the High Line: minimum distance,
maximum façade lengths, those kinds of things,” he says.
“It was really more like a radical reinvention [of the site]
than an actual proposition.”
Another of the dozen or so BIG buildings under
construction is the Audemars Piguet museum in Swit-
zerland. Michael Friedman is the brand’s historian and
has closely collaborated with Ingels on the project, a
partially sunken pavilion that sits, half-hidden, in the
landscape around Vallée de Joux. Friedman enjoys
the architect’s intensity and enthusiasm in meetings,
where he’ll often turn his chair around, Arthur Fon-
zarelli–style, and absorb others’ input. “He is unapol-
ogetically himself, which I learned from him,” Fried-
man observes. “He doesn’t want you to walk into
any of his spaces once and be amazed. He wants you
to be amazed the 500th time you do.” As for Ingels,
he sees parallels between Audemars Piguet’s busi-
ness and his own. “Today, the whole world is all
about hardware and software, but hardware is just
a container—look at any handheld [device], and
they’re all the same now, right? The content, the
good stuff, is the software,” he says. “But not in
architecture or in watchmaking, where the form
is the content. And form-giving is the Danish
word for design.”Fk';b`So Ingels’s repertoire now includes count-
less offices, public buildings, condo towers and
cultural complexes, but there are few private
homes in the BIG archive. Why? “When I started
out, I didn’t have any wealthy friends in Denmark
that we could design a house for, so we ended up
doing all kinds of other things,” he says matter-of-
factly. With his rising reputation, of course, came
requests, most of which he declined, since the
would-be owner was unwilling to commit as fully
to the project as Ingels required. “Making a house
for someone is architecture as portraiture, captur-
ing the essence of the subject—not just
the appearance, but their personality,
so they have to spend some time with
us.” He’ll consider future commissions,
but only from clients willing to engage
and explore together. “The design has to be someone’s
dream—not mine, necessarily, but someone’s. Because
if it isn’t, why are we even bothering to do it?” Ingels
does indulge his creativity around private homes with
renderings, though, including one never-before-seen
idea for a Caribbean complex: Airy and open, it can
close up like a clamshell whenever hurricanes threaten,
becoming an impregnable, weatherproof fortress.
There is one private home he’s already completed,
but it doesn’t house humans: Ingels was behind the
brand-new Panda House at Copenhagen Zoo, where a
pair of giant pandas will live while on loan from China, a
deal struck in the wake of his success during the Shanghai
Expo. It isn’t his only new project in Copenhagen, where he
clearly still relishes the chance to work. The quirky power
plant on the city’s outskirts, which turns waste into energy
and features a ski park on its undulating roof, is also now in
operation. In fact, he’s rushing to meet the city’s mayor today,
and suggests continuing the interview in the taxi ride to city
hall, multi-tasking and busy as ever. Before he dashes inside,
though, he pauses. “I always come across as more cocky and
impolite than I am,” he says, before turning away. It’s an atyp-
ical flash of insecurity, and far from fair. Oozing enthusiasm
and talent in equal measure, Ingels is a mash-up of Koolhaas,
P. T. Barnum and an overgrown, social-media-savvy teenager.
Compared to most architects of his stature, of course, he really
is just a kid. “Never forget, he’s still only in his 40s,” says Obrist.
“He’s only just begun.”An aerial
view of Via
57 WestYes is More, an
archicomic on
architectural
evolution (Tashcen)Y
a
a160 OCTOBER 2019
VIA57WEST:IWANBAANA^ ]h^lgmfZd^
[nbe]bg`lmaZm Zk^
[^Znmb_neZk\abm^\mnkZeer
maZm rhn \Zgmebo^ bg' “There’sa lotofenergy,butit’sveryregulated,almostinthe
extreme.Combinethatwiththeextremerealestatevalue,and
it makescertainthingssuddenlyfeasiblethatwouldbeinfeasi-
bleelsewhere.”
TaketheXI,forexample,a pairoftowersunderconstruc-
tioninChelseathatresemblea dancingcouple,flirtatiously
twistingtowardeachotherastheysoarskyward;thedesign
maximizes square footage without compromising views.
HFZ’sZielFeldman,theproject’sdeveloper,recalls meet-
ingIngelsforlunchtodiscussit;bytheendofthemeal,the
architecthadsketchedaninitialconceptona napkin.“He’s
notegotistical,andhehasalmostsuperhumanenergy,”Feld-
manexplains.“Andhewilldesignfromtheinsideout,not
theoutsidein.Hedoesn’tmakebuildingsthatarebeautiful
architecturallythatyoucan’tlivein.”
Ingelsrelishedthechallengeofdesigningonthisplot
inparticular.“InthecaseoftheXI,itbecameverymuch
adialogue betweenthese twobuildingsand theirsur-
roundings,becauseithasbeenzonedwithallkindsof
requirementsvis-à-vistheHighLine:minimumdistance,
maximumfaçadelengths,thosekindsofthings,”hesays.
“Itwasreallymorelikea radicalreinvention[ofthesite]
thananactualproposition.”
AnotherofthedozenorsoBIGbuildingsunder
constructionistheAudemarsPiguetmuseuminSwit-
zerland.MichaelFriedmanisthebrand’shistorianand
hascloselycollaboratedwithIngelsontheproject,a
partiallysunkenpavilionthatsits,half-hidden,inthe
landscapearoundValléedeJoux.Friedmanenjoys
thearchitect’sintensityandenthusiasminmeetings,
wherehe’lloftenturnhischairaround,ArthurFon-
zarelli–style,andabsorbothers’input.“Heis unapol-
ogeticallyhimself,whichI learnedfromhim,”Fried-
manobserves.“Hedoesn’twantyoutowalkinto
anyofhisspacesonceandbeamazed.Hewantsyou
tobeamazedthe500thtimeyoudo.”AsforIngels,
heseesparallelsbetweenAudemarsPiguet’sbusi-
nessandhisown.“Today,thewholeworldisall
abouthardwareandsoftware,buthardwareisjust
a container—lookatanyhandheld[device],and
they’reallthesamenow,right?Thecontent,the
goodstuff,isthesoftware,”hesays.“Butnotin
architectureorinwatchmaking,wheretheform
isthecontent.Andform-givingistheDanish
wordfordesign.”Fk';b`SoIngels’srepertoirenowincludescount-
lessoffices,publicbuildings,condotowersand
cultural complexes,butthere arefewprivate
homesintheBIGarchive.Why?“WhenI started
out,I didn’thaveanywealthyfriendsinDenmark
thatwecoulddesigna housefor,soweendedup
doingallkindsofotherthings,”hesaysmatter-of-
factly.Withhisrisingreputation,ofcourse,came
requests, mostof which he declined, sincethe
would-beownerwasunwillingtocommitasfully
totheprojectasIngelsrequired.“Makinga house
forsomeoneisarchitectureasportraiture,captur-
ingtheessenceofthesubject—notjust
theappearance,buttheirpersonality,
sotheyhavetospendsometimewith
us.”He’llconsiderfuturecommissions,
butonlyfromclientswillingtoengage
andexploretogether.“Thedesignhastobesomeone’s
dream—notmine,necessarily,butsomeone’s.Because
ifitisn’t,whyareweevenbotheringtodoit?”Ingels
doesindulgehiscreativityaroundprivatehomeswith
renderings,though, including one never-before-seen
ideaforaCaribbeancomplex:Airyandopen,it can
closeuplikea clamshellwheneverhurricanesthreaten,
becominganimpregnable,weatherprooffortress.
There isoneprivatehomehe’salreadycompleted,
but it doesn’t house humans: Ingels was behind the
brand-newPanda Houseat CopenhagenZoo,where a
pairofgiantpandaswilllivewhileonloanfromChina,a
deal struckinthewakeofhissuccessduringtheShanghai
Expo.Itisn’thisonlynewprojectinCopenhagen,wherehe
clearlystillrelishesthechancetowork.Thequirkypower
plant onthecity’soutskirts,whichturnswasteintoenergy
and featuresa skiparkonitsundulatingroof,isalsonowin
operation.Infact,he’srushingtomeetthecity’smayortoday,
and suggestscontinuingtheinterviewinthetaxiridetocity
hall, multi-taskingandbusyasever.Beforehedashesinside,
though,hepauses.“Ialwayscomeacrossasmorecockyand
impolitethanI am,”hesays,beforeturningaway.It’sanatyp-
ical flashofinsecurity,andfarfromfair.Oozingenthusiasm
and talentinequalmeasure,Ingelsisa mash-upofKoolhaas,
P. T. Barnumandanovergrown,social-media-savvyteenager.
Comparedtomostarchitectsofhisstature,ofcourse,hereally
is just a kid.“Neverforget,he’sstillonlyinhis40s,”saysObrist.
“He’s onlyjustbegun.”An aerial
view of Via
57 WestYesisMore, an
archicomic on
architectural
evolution (Tashcen)Y
a
a