The plaza will consist of two overlapping spaces. One space is conceived like a contemporary interpretation of the Souk, the vast shaded public space where people gather during the day. Tall slender columns mushroom at the top forming a continuous canopy of interconnected disks. Like light filtering through the leaves of the trees, daylight will seep through the gaps through the canopy above. Each disc is tilted towards the center, rising towards the perimeter – the result is a shaded square – opening up to receive visitors from all directions.

The National Bank of Iceland, Landsbankinn held an international design competition for a new building in the center of Reykjavik, to consolidate the bank&#;s operations under one roof instead of operating from different locations around the country. BIG&#;s proposal was chosen for it&#;s vision to combine both the bank&#;s and the public&#;s interests: a corporate HQ that could function as an urban center.

An unbroken section measuring only mm in diameter shapes the structure and houses all the opto-electronic and mechanical elements. Its minimalist presence creates a perfect balance between different materials, weights, light quality, precision of movement and functionality, revealing a deep know-how merged with technological innovation. What appears to be continuity is actually a succession of components with different functions and characteristics, which translate technological complexity into simplicity and freedom.

The development consists of two towers rising m to the north and m to the south, linked together at the feet by a m podium housing the main lobbies, a conference center, cafeteria, and exhibition space. The volume and height of the HQ was predetermined by the urban masterplan, leaving BIG with façade design. BIG envisioned an undulating façade &#; like the structure of a palm leaf or the folded screen of a lamp.

To prove that the concept was affordable with standard techniques, BIG decided that nothing would be more convincing than building it in LEGO. It happened that on the : scale model of the building, the size of a single pixel was identical to the size of the smallest one-dot LEGO brick. The model showcased the silhouette that combines the stepped figure of the traditional spire with the rationality and rigour of a functional structure.