Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) recently transformed a former Aldi store into an extraordinary museum. This isn’t something we see usually, but it is interesting to see the firm convert a humble store into something quite so impressive. The former store will be completely transformed into a paper museum with a light-filled space.

A visually intriguing and eye-catching roof will top the structure, and remind you of a massive piece of paper, that seems to be draped over the building. It is located in Jutland, Denmark, and currently, there aren’t any photos of the original store. But we have caught a glimpse of the current museum building. Dive in!

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group

The building occupies around 900 sq m, but it will be increased to double the size to host workshops, events, teaching rooms, offices, and storage facilities. The pre-existing building walls will be equipped with a new acoustic-regulating layer of paper art on the exterior. This paper art draws inspiration from origami, and it will include loads of glazing.

The timber sourced will be from the same wood used to produce the paper. The museum will host paper-related exhibitions, and currently, it also includes a Paper-Plane airport and paper boats for children to interact and play with. It will be exciting to watch the exhibitions and events the museum will hold in the future.

“Paper art is about creating three-dimensional shapes and complex images from a monochromatic two-dimensional material – a sheet of paper,” said BIG boss Bjarke Ingels. “By treating the roof surface as such – a single sheet of folded paper – existing and new functions are brought together in one unifying gesture. The expressive is accentuated by the clear, complexity arises from simplicity. And an obsolete supermarket finds new life under the floating curved roof.”

The Museum for Papirkunst is a fine example of how many architectural designs and firms are undertaking initiatives to conduct massive and ambitious renovations. They are taking steps to improve existing buildings and elevating them, instead of building new structures and creating more pollution. This is a commendable effort on the part of majors firms and designers.

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The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is known for creating extraordinary and unique buildings, they recently designed their own headquarters, and we’re really quite curious to know more about it. The HQ is called Piranesian, and it is situated in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is tucked away in a popular section of the Nordhavn Harbor neighborhood. It isn’t as extravagant as some of BIG’s creations and instead adopts the form of a chunky concrete building with a height of 89 feet. A 460-ft staircase wraps around the exterior of the building, forming an outdoor terrace and fire escape for all seven floors.

Designer: BIG

The building is made from Uni-Green concrete, which was developed in collaboration with Unicon. A section of the cement clinker was replaced with calcined clay and lime filler, leading to a carbon dioxide reduction of around 25% in comparison to a traditional concrete mix. The interior adopts a lot of concrete, and some wood too. It also features another large staircase that seems to zigzag through the multiple floors. The inside is designed to be free-flowing, with an ample amount of floor space left available. Natural light was maximized, and an elevator and a small secondary staircase were placed at the northern edge of the structure.

Quite a bit of greenery was incorporated around the building as well. The outdoor staircase features wind-tolerant species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and perennials. The herbs are utilized by the chefs for cooking in the staff canteen. The rooftop terrace is equipped with wood from a local sawmill and plenty more greenery. The terrace also offers lovely views of the surrounding landscape. A park was also constructed for visitors.

“At the tip of Sundmolen in Nordhavn, we’ve transformed what was once a parking lot into a 1,500-sq-m (roughly 16,000-sq-ft) beach park – a hidden gem in the heart of the city,” said Giulia Frittoli, Partner and Head of BIG Landscape. “Inspired by Denmark’s beautiful coastal landscapes, we envisioned a place where people can relax, play, fish, and connect with nature. The park reflects what would have naturally grown here before the harbor emerged, making it an homage to both the past and future.”

BIG’s HQ is designed to be pretty energy-efficient,  given its size and type. The roof is marked with solar panels to cut down on grid-based power use. A combination of a geothermal energy system and natural ventilation delivers 84% of heating requirements, and 100% of its cooling.

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