Man Who Moved the Little Mermaid Talks at Ga Tech

Point: If you are a designer, design student or fan in Atlanta, take advantage of free programs at Georgia Tech. Extraordinary things happen there right under our nose.

Now I know: Bjarke Ingels is an architect super star. He spoke at Georgia Tech yesterday to a standing room only crowd. Folks drove from Clemson to see him. Were there any folks from SCAD, Georgia State, ADAC, Emory?

This 37 year old started with Rem Koolhaas. His own firm is BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group. He teaches at Harvard and Colombia yet finds time to turn Möbius strips into buildings. He can tell you how and why with a joke.


He must be the best salesman in the world (better than the Nationwide guy on TV).


His firm designed the Denmark Pavilion at EXPO 2010 Shanghai. They moved The Little Mermaid to the pavilion for the show. You can see her in this video as Bjarke rides his bike through the building from bottom to top to bottom.

XPO - BJARKE BIKES THROUGH DANISH PAVILION from BIG on Vimeo.

Bjarke's book is a graphic novel.


Lots of students own the book and lined up for a book-signing. Maybe I should buy the book when the large print edition comes out. (Notice the beautiful gold fabric in the Reinsch-Pierce Family Auditorium, a superior auditorium IMHO)


"Yes is More" is part of his challenging yet humorous shtick, like a bicycle path inside a building. This could be his next book title.


yeah, that's what Bjarke is talking about...


Now I know: Bjarke Ingels is the Total Package and I saw him for free on an ordinary Wednesday night right here in Atlanta.

I shared the experience with a roomful of students who will be doing big things in the near future. Some may even read my blog. Maybe.


Thanks so much to Bjarke Ingels, and the Georgia Tech College of Architecture, and special thanks to George Johnston Chair, School of Architecture and to Ashley and Mike Bennett who made me feel especially welcome.