Bjarke Ingels is the go-to golden boy for Big Tech – and now Brazil’s Bolsonaro wants a bit of his magic. “They’ve pioneered this incredible barefoot light-impact environment,” says Ingels, speaking by phone from Santiago in Chile. “It’s a model of tourism development that doesn’t replace the forest or the sand, but strengthens and preserves it. Since he came to power last January, Brazil’s president has confirmed every fear that he would be a “Trump of the tropics”. Whenever the topic of ethics comes up, most architects who work in repressive climates believe their projects can transcend the abuses of the host regimes and make everyday life a bit better for the people who live there.

Source: The Guardian January 27, 2020 06:00 UTC