WeWork has confirmed, through their CEO Adam Neumann, that Bjarke Ingels has joined the company as their chief architect.
In a press release on WeWork’s website, Neumann painted a broad role for Ingels, saying the architect “will offer his insights and ideas to extend and help us push the boundaries of architecture, real estate, technology, and design at WeWork.”
The company, while still known for its coworking spaces, has branched out to other areas in recent years: in 2016, it launched its co-living venture WeLive, while last year the company opened the first location of its fitness and wellness brand, Rise By We. While BIG hasn’t been involved in any of those projects, it is designing WeWork’s school, dubbed WeGrow. BIG has said that the WeGrow school, whose location hasn’t yet been determined, will feature “modular classrooms, tree houses, digital portals, and a vertical farm promote an inclusive and collaborative teaching environment.”
With new initiatives like WeGrow, Rise by We, and WeLive, the company’s scope has grown considerably. It seems that Ingels will help WeWork further define its plans and leverage his star power to interact with a wide range of potential partners and collaborators. Newmann writes that Ingels will be facilitating WeWork’s relationships with “urban planners, mayors, and other business and community leaders,” adding that his work will help “develop and ultimately offer a vision for the future that uplifts, inspires, and connects people around the world.”
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