In memoriam | 1934 – 2021

Jörg Schlaich

Professor Jörg Schlaich founded our office in 1980 together with Rudolf Bergermann and led it until the end of 2002. For many years afterwards, he continued to be an important and highly valued source of ideas and advice to our staff.

His life and work will continue to shape our work and identity, as well as the future of engineering.

Founder & Visionary

Jörg Schlaich was born on October 17, 1934 in Stetten im Remstal and studied civil engineering and architecture at the University of Stuttgart and the Technical University of Berlin from 1953 to 1959. After working as a teaching assistant at the Case Institute for Technology in Cleveland, and at the construction company Ludwig Bauer in Stuttgart, he received his doctoral degree at the University of Stuttgart in 1963. Starting as an engineer and from 1970 as partner, Jörg Schlaich worked for Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner. There, together with Günter Behnisch and Frei Otto, he facilitated the roof of the Munich Olympic Park (1972). As successor to Fritz Leonhardt, Jörg Schlaich headed the Chair of Solid Construction at the University of Stuttgart (1974). In 1980 he founded together with Rudolf Bergermann the joint engineering office schlaich bergermann partner (sbp) in Stuttgart. Internationally, Jörg Schlaich set standards in the structural design of load-bearing structures from a holistic, cross-material perspective and developed lightweight construction into a global engineering benchmark. His ongoing commitment to alternative technologies in the energy sector, such as solar updraft power plants and concentrating solar power systems, is exemplary and today more relevant than ever. A look through the kaleidoscope of his professional life illustrates his incredible innovative and creative power. On September 4, 2021, Jörg Schlaich passed away in Berlin surrounded by his family.

Life

1934 Jörg Schlaich is born in Stetten in Remstal near Stuttgart

1953 Completion of apprenticeship as a carpenter in Stetten im Remstal and graduation from high school in Waiblingen

1953 – 1960 Studies of civil engineering and architecture at the University of Stuttgart, at the Technical University of Berlin and at the Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland, Ohio

1961 Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.Sc.) at the Case Institute of Technology

1959 – 1963 Doctoral degree at the Computer Center and the Institute for Solid Construction at the University of Stuttgart supervised by Prof. Dr.-Ing. F. Leonhardt and Prof. Dr.-Ing. F.F. Bornscheuer

1961 – 1963 Employee at the construction company Ludwig Bauer

1963 – 1979 Employee and later partner at Leonhardt und Andrä, Stuttgart

1970 – 1993 Project: Second Hooghly River Bridge, Kolkata, India

1968 – 1972 Project: Roof for Olympic Stadium Munich together with Leonhardt und Andrä

1974 – 2000 Professor and Director of the Institute for Solid Construction (later renamed Institute of Lightweight Structures, Design and Construction) at the University of Stuttgart; research, among other things, on the load-bearing behavior of buildings and bridges, concrete shells, cable and membrane structures

1980 Founding of the office Schlaich + Partner (today: schlaich bergermann partner, Structural Consulting Engineers)

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1980 – 1982 Solar Updraft Tower Manzanares, Spain

1986 Awarding of the first Honorary Doctorate of the University of Hanover

1990 – 1993 Project: Gottlieb Daimler Stadium (today: Mercedes Benz Arena), Stuttgart

1990 – 2001 Project: Panoramic Tower Killesberg, Stuttgart

1992 Jörg Schlaich and Rudolf Bergermann receive the Fritz Schumacher Prize

1995 Jörg Schlaich receives the Emil Mörsch memorial medal

1999 Jörg Schlaich becomes member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin (architecture)

2000 Emeritus Professor

2002 Jörg Schlaich hands over his position as managing director and his office to his partners

2002 Jörg Schlaich receives the Fritz Leonhard Award

2003 Consulting Partner at schlaich bergermann partner

2003 Jörg Schlaich receives the Werner von Siemens Ring

2003 Exhibiton leicht_weit, German Architecture Museum Frankfurt

2007 Exhibiton leicht_weit, INGENIEUR KUNST Galerie, Berlin

2010 Exhibiton High Energy, Akademie der Künste, Berlin

2019 Revision Ingenieurbauführer Baden-Württemberg

2020 Exhibition urbainable – stadthaltig. Positions on the European City for the 21st Century, Akademie der Künste, Berlin

2021 Jörg Schlaich passes away at the age of 86 in Berlin

Comments from companions

In 2022, on the day that Jörg Schlaich would have turned 88, the memorial service “Memories of Jörg Schlaich – Celebration of Life” was held in his honor at the Phoenixhalle in Stuttgart. In addition to the more than 200 employees present from all sbp locations, many family members and numerous friends and companions from all over the world came to remember Jörg Schlaich.

Mike Schlaich

Mike Schlaich

gave in his speech a lot of emotional, unheard and touching insights of his father's life outside the office. He spoke about his Swabian origins, the Christian family that Jörg Schlaich was born into and also his war experiences. Many personal pictures visualized his father’s passions, such as traveling, classical music and the world of engineering. Mike ran the audience through Jörg Schlaich’s career, starting with his apprenticeship as carpenter, continuing with his studies of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the Technische Universität in Berlin. After completing his master´s degree at Case University in the USA, he first started working at Leonhardt and Andrä and founded his own office in 1980, which is today known as schlaich bergermann partner.
Mike Schlaich commemorated his father as a hardworking man. As a striking example for that, he mentioned that while he was working for the Munich Olympic Stadium Project, he prepared at the same time all the drawings of the timber structure for his own house, made all the furniture and even poured concrete for the foundation.
Mike Schlaich recalled his father as an always supportive person: “My father opened many doors for those around him. And he was always generous with his time: He gave lectures at schools to advertise “Baukultur” to the kids. He went to less known or prominent events and built for fun even though he could have sent his assistants and even though his name did not appear in the picture.“

Rudolf Bergermann

Rudolf Bergermann

took the audience back to the very beginning of schlaich bergermann partner. Rudolf Bergermann was, together with Jörg Schlaich, responsible for the design of the Olympic roof in Munich in 1972, both working for Leonhardt and Andrä. Jörg Schlaich, only 33 years old, became team leader of this extraordinary project. Already then Jörg Schlaich demonstrated his special talents: he was an ingenious engineer who could quickly develop a solution for all technical problems. There, during long working days and nights, Rudolf and Jörg created the nucleus for what now, 50 years later, is called schlaich bergermann partner.
He remembered his partner’s way of questioning everything, always with the aim of improving the design and developing new solutions. In doing so, he showed an extreme endurance: a 14-hours- working-day was common for him, and Saturdays were considered normal workdays. Furthermore, Rudolf Bergermann spoke about Jörg Schlaich’s desire to contribute to one of mankind’s most urgent problems: the sustainable supply of energy from the sun. Already in the eighties, they were concerned about this issue and designed several solar powerplants.
His speech ended with a note on the enormous impact that Jörg Schlaich had on him and the office: “We owe a lot to Jörg. With the numerous structures designed in our company, which unmistakably show his hand and influence, he will always be well kept in our memories and hearts.”

Volkwin Marg

Volkwin Marg

shared his experiences as an architect working with Jörg Schlaich. After meeting each other at a birthday party they both agreed on working together in the future: Some time had already passed when Volkwin Marg was asked to do a glass roof covering the L-shaped Inner courtyard for the museum of history in the city of Hamburg. He drew his iconic sketch, without giving it too much thought and promised to finish the roof in six and a half months. He explained to the audience, he didn’t think there would have been enough money for the roof. But when the client came back to him, he did not know how to realize it, especially in such a short time. That’s when he remembered Jörg Schlaich who showed interest, and only 6 months later Hamburg got his iconic roof.
The glass roof marked the beginning of a very fruitful working relationship. He highlighted one more building in Hamburg, the Alsterschwimmhalle. gmp took part in the competition, but they lost. Nevertheless, they admired the thin concrete shell which was realized – and only found out later that it was one of Jörg Schlaich's very first projects in the Leonhardt und Andrä office! So, when being asked to do the renovation, they were very happy to collaborate on this roof with sbp.
Marg ended his talk with heartfelt words about how fascinated he was working with this brilliant engineer. He referred to him as “Baumeister” – a specific term to describe profound knowledge of both disciplines, the architecture, and the engineering.

Werner Sobek

Werner Sobek

focused on the time when he was working at the University of Stuttgart. Werner Sobek became a doctoral student at Jörg´s institute and was also responsible for the slide collection, which didn’t exist at that time. One morning, Jörg Schlaich came into his room and took twenty slides with fingerprints out of his pocket. The next day, he came back with a shoebox of slides. The day after, already with two shoeboxes. The collection grew, and Werner Sobek was busy sorting the slides in the evening hours. With Jörg Schlaich’s explanations for some indistinct pictures, Werner Sobek learned about the details, directly from the master himself. He explained to the audience that there was no better education than these sessions.
Equally formative not only for Werner Sobek was Jörg Schlaich’s influence and work at the Institute, at that time called “Institut für Massivbau - Heavy weight structures”. Together with Professor Kurt Schäfer he created the strut-and-tie model. They widened the theory and put it onto a scientific basis so that it became the worldwide standard.
Werner Sobek went on to explain that while Jörg Schlaich was working on pedestrian bridges that people could touch, his interpretation of engineering changed. In his opinion, engineers are not only responsible for building structures, but had to think in a more holistic way too. The ability of engineering students to design and take responsibility for their work became an important part of his lectures.

Annette Bögle

Annette Bögle

professor at the HCU Hamburg, gave insights about herself working and learning at Jörg Schlaich’s institute. For this purpose, she highlighted various quotes from Jörg Schlaich. Following this, she used Jörg Schlaich’s quote ‘Know just enough!’ to explain his way of teaching: He believed his students needed to know the theoretical knowledge to produce a creative design. Therefore, his idea was that they need to know the principles, but not all of them. And he asked his students to find out what their personal ‘know enough’ is. Another important quote she used to describe him was ‘Use simple principles’ – that was Jörg Schlaich’s manner of breaking down everything to the basic questions. He always opened his lectures with an actual engineering problem and broke it down to the principal questions which made it understandable for his students.

As important for Annette Bögle is the quote in which he pleaded ‘to take responsibility’. By saying this, he was referring not only to the technical engineering, but also to the philosophical ideas behind the buildings. She described his way of teaching like a material comprehensive teaching. His intention was not to build a good concrete, steel, or timber bridge, but to build a good bridge: ‘Just do good structures’. Annette Bögle ended her speech with the picture of the Second Hooghly Bridge and emphasized that all of Jörg Schlaich's thoughts continue to be relevant and that his ideas will be pursued further.

Bill Baker

William F. Baker

a former partner at the US architecture and engineering firm SOM, spoke about the global impact Jörg Schlaich had. He started at the very beginning of the legacy: a meeting between Jörg Schlaich’s sister, Brigitte Schlaich Peterhans, and Myron Goldsmith. Myron Goldsmith had come to Europe and met Brigitte Peterhans in Zürich by accident. After visiting Switzerland, Myron Goldsmith went to Stuttgart to meet Fritz Leonhardt and Brigitte organized his stay at her parents’ home in Stetten. He took fifteen-year-old Jörg Schlaich with him to this meeting. It was there that Schlaich first met Fritz Leonhardt, who later became his teacher, mentor, and employer, and whose chair he eventually took over.
From those days on, Myron Goldsmith and Jörg Schlaich spent a lot of time together discussing their work. Myron supported Jörg Schlaich by being a helpful critic. As for Bill Baker himself, he was introduced to Jörg Schlaich by Brigitte Peterhans in the early 1980s. Although he had never been a student of his or worked for him, he was nevertheless a mentor to Bill Baker, and in his opinion, definitely reached beyond his profession.
Bill Baker remembered Jörg Schlaich’s work being amazingly consistent, and elegant in every detail. For him, the holistic approach is clearly evident in his designs. They go hand in hand with his value system, his design philosophy and his ethical position. He ended by encouraging the audience to study Jörg Schlaich's lectures and designs.

Guy Nordenson

Guy Nordenson

is a leading Princeton professor in engineering and founder and partner of the New York based office Guy Nordenson and Associates. In 1998, he met Jörg Schlaich for the first time during the preparation for the Second Felix Candela Lecture: "Light Structures", that Jörg Schlaich held at the MIT. Jörg Schlaich was invited to give the second lecture, after the first contribution by David Billington, honoring Felix Candela's outstanding achievements as a civil engineer and public intellectual.
After quoting the American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson about the role of public intellectuals for society, Guy Nordenson spoke about Jörg Schlaich being one of them: “It is not often the case that engineers are public intellectuals but that is unfortunate. […] As we face the climate crisis and its consequences in war, migration and in justice and in injustice. There is I believe a need for engineers to step forward and offer their prospective on the transformations that will be necessary. And obviously I think that Jörg set that example.” Guy Nordenson believes that engineers, both in their practice and as public intellectuals, who can provide an alternative way forward.
Guy Nordenson pointed out the jewels of Jörg Schlaich's work and his meaningful designs, that can be found all over the world, giving pleasure and joy, but at the same time transmitting a clear message of what role engineers need to fulfill in the public space.

Enzo Siviero

Enzo Siviero

an Italian engineer, has taught for more than 44 years at the university of Venice and serves as rector of an online Campus. The legacy of Jörg Schlaich will always remain alive for him, since he not only learned engineering and architecture skills from him, but also how to deal with life in a social way. In an emotional and entertaining session, Enzo Siviero quoted Marco Menegoto, the President of AICAP. In this quote, Marco Menegoto describes Jörg Schlaich as someone who was always ready to help others, both technically and scientifically on a highly human level. Moreover, he refers to him as a person of great value with a generous mind who loved Italy a lot. Jörg Schlaich had told Marco Menegoto that he was seventeen when he came by bike from Stuttgart to Rome for the first time. When being in Rome, he was so impressed by the new atrium of the Termini railway station that it was then, he decided to become a structural engineer.
In his own words, Enzo Siviero concluded what a great man Jörg Schlaich was who followed a mission in life that should serve as an example for everyone. His constant thoughts of being cultural – every great engineer in the past had a humanistic approach, and for him, Jörg Schlaich represents one of them, if not the most important. Enzo Siviero expressed his condolences to Mike Schlaich and his family. “He had a full timetable, but this is what kept him young throughout his whole life”.

Michel Virlogeux

Michel Virlogeux

is one of Europe's most renown bridge engineers. To him, Jörg Schlaich has certainly been one of the most imaginative and creative engineers of the last decades.
Michel Virlogeux met Jörg Schlaich in 1985 for the first time. Together with a Greek contractor, Jörg Schlaich had won the competition for the erection of the Evripos Bridge and Michel Virlogeux was appointed as an independent checker. The design proposal was very unusual. He proposed a cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 250 m and a structural depth of only 55 cm on 90 percent of the bridge length – it’s still the world record of slenderness. Michael Virlogeux remembered that a famous engineer had predicted its collapse – but with a wink he guaranteed that the bridge is still stable.
After this project, Michel Virlogeux was invited by Jörg Schlaich several times to Stuttgart to give lectures, where they had some fruitful discussions and Jörg Schlaich took him to all the bridges he did in Stuttgart. Back then, he used to wear nice Italian shoes what often resulted in problems after these long days of walking. In contrast, Jörg Schlaich was inexhaustible walking in his big comfortable shoes. After seeing this, he abandoned Italian shoes from his wardrobe and replaced them by comfortable shoes like the ones Jörg Schlaich had.
To conclude, Michel Virlogeux emphasized Jörg Schlaich's influence on engineering, saying that he left behind hundreds of his students who are now working all over the world.

Matthias Schuler

Matthias Schuler

managing partner and founder of Transsolar, started with his thesis about Jörg Schlaich’s humanistic approach. Already in 1989, he was thinking about nowadays problems and was ahead of his time. To him, it was obvious that energy for mankind had to come from the sun to get prosperity for all. Matthias Schuler mainly referred to statements from a speech given by Jörg Schlaich ten years ago on Transsolar’s 20th birthday. These words for him are still actual, and he couldn’t do better: “By far, the most serious challenge of our time is poverty and hunger in the poor countries of our earth” and the only hope these people have are their children. He continued citing Jörg Schlaich “There is only one source which can satisfy worldwide prosperity by energy and that is the sun.” In this technology, Jörg Schlaich saw a chance for the poor countries: “Develop solar power plants – and this is the key – so the poor but sun rich countries can build and do pay themselves, with own resources and labor.”
He continued with Jörg Schlaich’s idea behind the Second Hooghly Bridge in Kolkata. For this project, Jörg Schlaich and his team relied on a local solution to deal with the poor electrical supply that made welding impossible. “Nevertheless, if we would name a project today, which was worth all the work and fights over years, because it did not miss any technical and human theme, and brought labor to the society, we all would name the Second Hooghly Bridge.”

Steffen Marx

Steffen Marx

from the University of Dresden – and founder of the engineering firm Marx Krontal, referred to the time, he was representing the Deutsche Bahn. Steffen Marx provided some insights into Jörg Schlaich's "cabinet of horrors", which included some standard and very massive railroad bridges. He remembered that when he met Jörg Schlaich for the first time, he was about to give up working with the Deutsche Bahn because he tried several times and failed – he told him about a fully packed cabinet in his office with unbuilt projects. Steffen Marx could feel his frustration but asked him to try once more. That was the moment when together, they founded the first German Bridge Advisory Board of the Deutsche Bahn. The guideline for this Board was to build bridges with a high aesthetic standard at reasonable costs while maintaining functionality. Head of the board was the CEO of the Deutsche Bahn – at that time, Hartmut Mehdorn. For the next five years, the board met every three months. During that time, they influenced a lot of designs, and wrote a guideline for good bridge design. Steffen Marx showed some impressive examples.
Unfortunately, in 2011 the last meeting took place. As one visible result of this decision, there were protests in Hamburg concerning the plans for a replacement of the characteristic structure of the Sternbrücke. Steffen Marx ended by announcing the re-establishment of a new advisory board, of which he is again a member.

Andreas Keil

Andreas Keil

partner at sbp, shared his experiences about his close working relationship for more than 30 years with Jörg Schlaich. His enthusiasm for engineering was initiated during those famous "Schlaich's Fairy Tale Lessons" at Stuttgart University. Although these lectures took place at an ungodly time on Friday mornings at 8 o'clock, they were incredibly motivating, he remembered.
He also shared the story about his first personal meeting: “It was December 1984 when I met Jörg Schlaich and Rudolf Bergermann in their office to talk about my diploma thesis about a cable-stayed bridge. I was impressed in two aspects: Firstly, how much time they both took to understand the issue and secondly, how natural it was for Jörg Schlaich to call in his partner to help me, a small diploma student.”
It was in the following spring when Andreas Keil started his career in their office. Right from the beginning, he was entrusted with his very own projects. Andreas Keil described the “big challenge” realizing projects in Stuttgart because of Jörg Schlaich's Sunday walks which he used for visiting the construction sites. With these inspection walks, he explained though, Jörg Schlaich never intended to criticize but instead wanted to make the good even better or to say, "You can make mistakes, but never twice". Andreas Keil did express his gratitude for having had the opportunity to learn a lot from Jörg Schlaich. He himself tries his best to pass on his spirit and way of thinking.

Selected early projects
by Jörg Schlaich

Shell Roof for Swimming Center Hamburg-Sechslingspforte

Roof for Munich Olympic Stadium 1972

Solar Updraft Tower Pilot Plant Manzanares

Second Hooghly River Bridge

Bull ring roof Zaragoza (Plaza de Toros)

Facade Hilton Munich Airport (former Hotel Kempinski)

Cooling Tower Schmehausen

Museum for Hamburg History, courtyard roof

Panoramic Tower Killesberg

The teaching and research of Jörg Schlaich

As a lecturer at the University of Stuttgart, Jörg Schlaich was particularly concerned to overcome “the image of the technocrat attached to civil engineers”. Thus he clarified complex, technically complicated issues in simple terms and also liked to use quick sketches. He often used his slide collection in lectures to vividly explain many built details. In this way, he managed to inspire his students and bring the necessary theoretical knowledge closer to them. His simple diagrams, such as the kitchen sieve or the tennis racket, also brought the theory closer to the audience. In his research, Jörg Schlaich has worked on structures for solar power plants, integral bridges and climate shells, among other things. Above all, however, he has systematically researched the strut and tie model for the design of reinforced concrete, made it applicable and helped it achieve an international breakthrough. Jörg Schlaich thus influenced several generations of civil engineers who today live and build his teachings all over the world.

Grid Shell

The Grid Shell

The conventional kitchen sieve was the inspiration for the innovative design method of grid shells – by fashioning the mesh into a rhomboid shape, a net with quadrangular mesh can be formed so as to adapt to any surface geometry. When combined with a diagonal cable net, the net becomes an ideal membrane shell, and when covered with glass panes becomes a light and transparent roof. This is an alternative to a triangular mesh surface structure. In both cases the load-bearing and glass layers are merged with one another, as the glass planes lie directly on the net's slats, making the usual secondary structure unnecessary.

Spoked wheel

The spoked wheel

A bicycle's spoked wheel consists of a thin rim, spokes, and a central hub. By itself, the rim would turn into an oval if subjected to the slightest of loads, but due to the addition of thin spokes it becomes surprisingly stiff both along its plane as well as transverse to it. Spokes are prestressed in order to keep them under tension, and this allows for the transfer of the load between the rim and the hub through the sole use of highly efficient tensile members. The positive side effect of this is that the rim becomes a compression ring, which leads to an overall increase in stability.

Cable roof

The cable roof

A looped cable roof is the transformation of the spoked wheel, which is primarily loaded along its plane into a structure with vertical load dispersal. It combines the characteristics of both cable and membrane structures: A wide-meshed, primary load-bearing structure of cables stretches between the roof's closed, self-anchoring tension and compression rings, while a prestressed membrane, the secondary load-bearing structure, is stretched between the cables.

Cable nets

Cable nets

Cable nets are both space-forming and load-bearing structures, whose diverse forms are not primarily the result of pure creative will, but rather the product of strict physical principles. A vertical cable net with quadrangular meshes, stretched in a frame like a tennis racket, can bear horizontal wind loads of almost any magnitude. The higher the prestressing of the net is, the smaller the deformation and the greater the cable forces are. This structural type is ideally suited to the creation of seamlessly transparent glass facades.

Membrane roofs

Membrane roofs

Textile membrane roofs span great distances, are light-weight and translucent and adaptable, and are also used as retractable roofs. They combine load-bearing and protective functions in one. Masts and anchoring cables define the high and low points, thus producing the required surface curvature. Because of the interdependence of external shape and inner forces, membrane structures cannot be designed at will. Instead, their form is the result of a search for, and determination of, an equilibrium.

Air-inflated roofs

Air-inflated roofs

Nothing could be lighter – the allure of air-inflated roofs, which are airy and light, and yet protective, lies in the elegant appearance of air-inflated cushions and their economic use due to a low overall weight. This last aspect also means they are easy to dismantle and re-erect and can be used on a seasonal basis or according to weather conditions.

An Elegant Sweep

An Elegant Sweep

Slender, filigree footbridges and bicycle bridges nestle elegant into their surroundings. Their aesthetic quality can best be understood and experienced while walking across them. They vibrate slightly under a load or begin to move dramatically in order to open or close. They are delicate in detail, while remaining appropriate to human scale, and are both robust and easy to maintain. They also convey the full pleasure of design. Designing a pedestrian bridge is always more than merely rendering a service and every poorly-designed ‘eyesore' is a missed opportunity.

Circular ring girder

Circular ring girder

A girder that is curved in plan view – a circular ring girder – only needs to have a hinged support along a single line to keep it from flipping downward. If it has bearings on the inside edge, the line load causes ring tension on the upper side and ring compression on the lower side of the slab, whereas it is the other way round for a line support on the outer edge. The efficient form of a curved arch in plan view is manifested in the principle of inversion: The arch is shaped the same as a hanging cable.

Cast Steel

Cast Steel

Sweeping, rounded forms, similar to the rounded shape of a fork in a tree's branches, are characteristic of cast steel components. The flowing forms avoid damaging concentrations of stress and notch effects. Cast steel enables the production of complex, individual, steel tube joints and allows for an optimal adjustment to the flow of forces.

Publication

Selected Books

leicht weit – Light Structures: Jörg Schlaich – Rudolf Bergermann, Prestel 2004

Türme sind Träume: Der Killesbergturm, avedition 2011

Ingenieurbauführer – Baden-Württemberg, Bauwerk Verlag 1999

The Art of Structural Engineering, Edition Axel Menges 1997

Selected scientific journals

More than 400 publications in national and international journals on scientific and practical aspects of civil engineering.

Among them:

How much desert does a car need

Die Baukunst ist unteilbar

Honorary Memberships and Awards

Honorary Memberships

International Association for Shells and Spatial Structures (IASS), Honorary Member since 2011

Academía de Ingeniería, Madrid, Corresponding Member since 2003

Tongji University Shanghai, Honorary Professor since 2001

Indian National Academy of Engineering, New Dehli, Foreign Fellow since 2000

Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Section Architecture, since 1999

National Academy of Engineering, Washington D.C., Foreign Associate Member since 1994

The Royal Academy of Engineering, London, Foreign Member since 1993

Freie Akademie der Künste, Hamburg, since 1991

American Concrete Institute (ACI), Honorary Member since 1988

HUST, Wuhan, China, Honorary Professor

RIBA London, Honorary Fellowship

Honorary doctorates from the Universities of Hanover, Stockholm, Bratislava, Zurich, Venice, Lausanne

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Personal Awards
Großer DAI Preis für Baukultur 2012

Premio José Entrecanales Ibarra a la Ingeniería Civil 2008

The Japan Structural Design Award 2006, Japan Structural Designers Club, Tokyo

Eduardo Torroja Medal, IASS, 2004

Werner von Siemens Ring, 2002

Fritz Leonhardt Award, 2002

Emil Mörsch memorial medal, German Concrete and Construction Technology Association, 1995

Prix Albert Caquot, French Association of Civil Engineering, 1999

Swedish Concrete Award 1995

Fritz Schumacher Prize 1992

IABSE Award of Merit in Structural Engineering 1991

Gold Medal of the Institution of Structural Engineers, London, 1990

FIP Freyssinet Medal (Fédération Internationale de la Précontraite) 1990

Project Awards

„German Steel Construction Award“ 2017, category bridge construction for EÜ Allerbrücke Verden

German Bridge Construction Award 2008, category road and railroad bridges for Humboldthafen Bridge at Berlin Central Station

Zumtobel Group Award 2007, category Research & Initiative for the Solar Updraft Tower in Mildura, Australia

Outstanding Structure Award 2006 and AIV Hamburg, Building of the Year 2003 for ZOB Hamburg

Footbridge Award 2005, Aesthetics – Medium Span for Liberty Bridge Greenville, USA

Footbridge Award 2005, Technology – Long Span and Engineering Award 2004, Recognition for Footbridge Gahlensche Straße, Bochum

Golden Medal Gustave Magnel by Association of Engineers of Ghent University 2004 for Bridge Auerbachstraße, Stuttgart

Engineers‘ Society of Western Pennsylvania – Arthur G. Hayden Medal 2003 and Footbridge Award 2002, Technology – Medium Span for Footbridge over the Inner Harbour Duisburg

Hugo Häring Award 2003, Engineering Award 2003 recognition, BDA (Association of German Architects) – Award for Good Buildings 2002 and Award for Exemplary Construction for Panoramic Tower Killesberg, Stuttgart

RENAULT traffic design award 2002 for Werrekuss Bridge, Bad Oyenhausen

BDA (Association of German Architects) – Award for Good Buildings 2002 for Protection Roof for Roman Bath Ruins in Badenweiler

Prize Attestato Acai 2001 for Roman thermal baths in Baden, Wien, Austria

Balthasar-Neumann-Prize 2000 for Trade Fair Hall 8/9 and Hall 13, Hanover

German Steel Construction Prize 2000 for Pedestrian Bridges EXPO 2000, Hanover

traffic design award 2000, Road Bridges over Nesenbach Valley, Stuttgart

traffic design award 2000, Footbridges, recognition for Glacis Bridge Minden

Architecture Prize Concrete 1999, Special Mention and Engineering Prize 1998, Award for Glacis Bridge Ingolstadt

BDA (Association of German Architects) – Award for Good Buildings 1999 for Lookout tower wth footbridge in Weil am Rhein

Special award of the European Prize for Industrial Architecture for Production Hall Škoda, Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic

Engineering Award 1996, recognition for Trade Fair Hanover Hall 26

Hugo Häring Award 1994 for membrane roof structure Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart

Hamburg Association of Architects and Engineers: Building of the Year 1994 for Wolfgang Meyer Sport Centre, Hamburg-Stellingen

BDA (Association of German Architects) Award 1990 and Hugo Häring Prize 1991 for Footbridge Lake Max Eyth across Neckar River, Stuttgart

Engineering Award 1991 for Museum for Hamburg History, Courtyard Roof

Steel Innovation Award 1991, 2nd prize for Grid Shell Structures

FIP Award for Outstanding Concrete Structures 1990 and Engineering Award 1988 for Footbridge over Rhine-Main-Danube Channel at Keilheim

Mies-van-der-Rohe-Award 1990 for Museum for Hamburg History, Courtyard Roof

Steel Innovation Award 1989, 1st prize for Parabolic Concentrator

Design Concept Award 1988, 1st prize for competition Williamsburg Bridge New York, USA

„German Steel Construction Award“ for the Manzanares Solar Updraft Tower, Spain

German Architecture Prize 1983 and BDA (Association of German Architects) – Award Bavaria 1983 for Ice Rink Roof Munich, Olympic Park, Munich

BDA (Association of German Architects) – Award Baden-Württemberg 1983 for Europahalle Karlsruhe