Synopsis
Following the death earlier this year of Frei Otto, the celebrated German architect and Honorary Fellow of The Institution of Structural Engineers, Michael Dickson, a long-time collaborator with Otto, looks back at his inspirational career and ground-breaking projects with a host of leading structural engineers. Part 1 of this two-part article examines Otto's philosophy and early work, while Part 2 will focus on his later years and legacy.
Dickson worked on a number of projects with Otto while at Ove Arup (1968–76) and latterly at BuroHappold. He was also a member of the Wolfson Air Supported Structures Research Group (1980–86) at the University of Bath, which corresponded with Otto's research group in Stuttgart on the development of air-supported lightweight structures.