Bjarke Ingels: High Riser

Although I am not a regular reader of this publication, (it known as very conservative in its editorial), however I have to admit that his drawings have become classics and they are, in many cases, brilliant critics. Than on a magazine, when more and more publications have slashed or eliminated architecture coverage and criticism, shows an big article about architects, deserves attention.

For some, just the fact that this magazine conduct a profile about Bjarke Ingels is enough credit to think that it is positive. The New Yorker published a whopping 14 pages!!, Yeah, fourteen and not seven, from pages 76 to 89. Some people thought that devoting 14 pages, to show someone's profile, always is positive. Well it seems that not much.

When you fixed attention on the text, your eyes do not give credit. The character is treated with excess and "praise" in reality with this kind of texts, you don't need enemies. The article, by Ian Parker, has a large string of "pearls". The text that everyone can read for free, only corresponds to the first page (after you must to pay or have access to the print version). Parker starts doing a description of the family of the architect, training and the creation of the office he heads. In the following pages, Ian Paker collects a decalogue of frivolous ideas, by Ingels, about other architects, as Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Toyo Ito or Ennead Architects, among others .

The text goes on and on. In the words by Ashley Wells (who made us pay attention to the text, in his article) The text is long and uses the pages "revealing his previous ambitions (graphic novelist!), and detailing his infamous, enormous ego."

The 14 pages are at least boring or as Ashley Wells says with brilliant sarcasm: "Criticism is important in the design world, considering most architects look at a project and immediately think of ways they could have done it better. And because Ingels has an ego as large as his buildings, it’s likely the New Yorker profile will bring him additional condemnation."

It may be true and you need the architecture are rock stars, a personality with whom people can to have connection, or not! and yet despite strong criticism from his fellow. Seen from Spain, when the architecture is to developed with those parameters is too much embarrassing,  look the remains!