Today’s big topic: Former employees describe stress and extreme pressure at a Danish star architect’s office
Bjarke Ingels, photographed here in 2019, has achieved such success in the 20 years since founding Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) that the firm now employs more than 700 full-time staff in offices around the world.
What’s happening?
He has been described as the man who »builds the future«. With his eye-catching projects, the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has, over the past 20 years, established himself as an international star. His firm, the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), has more than 700 employees across eight offices worldwide.
But a former BIG manager now describes how, over the years, several employees have paid a price for the firm’s success. According to Camilla Miehs, who led BIG’s HR department in Denmark for three years, employees were subjected to such intense pressure in the drive to win clients and prestige that it affected their health.
»I’ve never worked anywhere where very young people were that stressed«, she says.
Why it matters!
In addition to Camilla Miehs, Politiken spoke with nine former employees who worked at BIG from 2015 to 2026 and who, independently of one another, describe the same daily reality: extreme hours and relentless pressure that led to sick leave.
In a written response, BIG’s chief executive, Sheela Søgaard, wrote, among other things: »It genuinely affects me that someone has had a bad experience working at BIG. We are proud to attract the most talented employees from all over the world, and that’s why our most important task is to ensure a good workplace where people feel safe and want to be«.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
–All injured in train crash are now out of life-threatening danger
The five people who were listed in critical condition after Thursday’s train crash in North Zealand are now all out of immediate danger, according to Anders Damm-Hejmdal, chief physician at the Capital Region’s Emergency Medical Services, speaking to TV : »That does not mean they are not seriously injured and still in need of treatment«, he adds. The accident occurred Thursday morning when two trains collided on the line between Hillerød and Kagerup near Isterødvejen. In total, 17 people have been hospitalized as a result of the crash, writes Ritzau.
– Majority wants to block new hotels in central Copenhagen
A majority in the City Council wants to halt the construction of new hotels in a defined area of the Inner City of Copenhagen. Instead, hotels should be spread out to the rest of the city, the City of Copenhagen writes in a press release, according to Ritzau: »It’s really important that tourists get around the whole city. We don’t want to end up like other European capitals, where some areas are basically just tourist stage sets with no real life or everyday character«, says Lord Mayor Sisse Marie Welling (SF).
– Musician exploited by scammers
For nearly a year, fake profiles in Dorthe Gerlach’s name have been circulating on social media. They reach out to her friends and cultivate personal relationships to get money.
»Recently, I was contacted by a man who was two minutes away from transferring 12,000 kroner to a fake profile because he believed he’d been messaging with me about me singing at his wife’s birthday«, says Dorthe Gerlach, who has reported that specific case to the police.
This weekends itinerary
Where to eat?
The spice’s depth, the tomato’s richness, and butter’s creamy lushness make this paneer butter masala instantly irresistible.
Is an Indian wave washing over us?
What’s striking, at least, is that over the course of a few years, Copenhageners have had their horizons broadened by ambitious Indian restaurants. On Gammel Kongevej, we’ve now made it to South India, where the newly opened Dosa Bar serves street food from Mumbai.
»If you go to Dosa Bar, you’ll get a lovely and inexpensive dinner if you order the crispy pakora, the really good paneer butter masala, and the sweet, satisfying dessert gajjar halva, which tastes like moist, spiced carrot-cake batter. Wash it down with either lemonade or a nonalcoholic Kingfisher beer«, writes food critic Lærke Kløvedal.
Read the full review here.
What to do?
Friday, April 24, marks the opening party for Pumpehuset’s outdoor venue, Byhaven, which will also host the Ibyen Prize 2026 on May 13.
On Friday, April 24, Pumpehuset opens its outdoor stage, Byhaven, which each summer hosts more than 200 free concerts and parties. This year’s lineup is already packed with up-and-coming names that Denmark’s festivals are likely watching, too. The first musician to take the outdoor stage this year is Arto, the songwriter and producer behind some of the biggest Danish hits of the moment for, among others, Tobias Rahim, Drew Sycamore, and Andreas Odbjerg. Free admission.
Read the full guide here.
This newsletter features stories originally published in Danish. AI was used to shorten and translate the articles into English, after which a member of the editorial staff reviewed and refined the content.