Bjarke Ingels joins WeWork as chief architect

Global co-working network WeWork announces Bjarke Ingels (opens in new tab) as chief architect. The Danish architect, the founder of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (opens in new tab), will bring his expertise and vision to WeWork to create a design language across all buildings, campuses and neighbourhoods.

Ingels, who will maintain his leading role as founding partner and creative director at the helm of BIG, was impressed by the progress and innovation of the WeWork team: ‘WeWork was founded at the exact same time as when I arrived in New York. In that short amount of time – the blink of an eye at the time scale of architecture – they have accomplished incredible things and they are committed to continuing their trajectory to places we can only imagine,’ he says.

The Eleventh is one of BIG’s upcoming projects in NYC. Image courtesy of DBOX for HFZ Capital Group and Bjarke Ingels Group

See more of what’s to come from Bjarke Ingels (opens in new tab)

‘WeWork’s commitment to community and culturally-driven development is perfectly aligned with our active, social and environmental agendas. As WeWork takes on larger and more holistic urban and architectural challenges, I am very excited to contribute with my insights and ideas to extend their community-oriented vision to ground-up buildings and urban neighbourhoods,’ says Ingels.

Adam Neumann, co-founder and CEO, WeWork, credits Ingels with ‘changing the way we think about architecture’: ‘His designs inspire as much as they surprise. When we started WeWork eight years ago, we knew the world didn’t need another office building, it needed spaces where people could collaborate on projects, connect and create together, and potentially change the world. As WeWork’s Chief Architect, Bjarke Ingels will help us reimagine and reshape the future of our spaces, our company, and ultimately our cities.’