INSPIRATION Frei Otto 1915-1925 When I see an image attributed to Frei Otto or even a reference to him, it reminds me of what the potential of design is all about! Creative, inventive, pleasurable. A sense of wonder, curiosity and a consciousness of touching the earth lightly. I was incredibly lucky to meet him on the occasion of him winning the RIBA gold medal in 2006. I adore his work and what he stood for! "Frei Otto specialised in lightweight tensile and membrane structures, and pioneered advances in structural mathematics and civil engineering. He founded the Institute for Lightweight Structures at the University of Stuttgartin 1964 and headed the institute until his retirement as university professor. Major works include the West German Pavilion at the Montreal Expo in 1967 and the roof of the 1972 Munich Olympic Arena. He had lectured worldwide and taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, where he also designed some of the research facilities buildings of the school's forest campus in Hooke Park. Until his death, Otto remained active as an architect and engineer, and as consultant to his protégé Mahmoud Bodo Rasch for a number of projects in the Middle East. In an effort to memorialise the September 11 attacks and its victims as early as 2002, Otto envisioned the two footprints of the World Trade Center buildings covered with water and surrounded by trees; his plan includes a world map embedded in the park with countries at war marked with lights and a continuously updated board announcing the number of people killed in war from 11 September 2001, onward. Otto died on 9 March 2015; he was to be publicly announced as the winner of the 2015 Pritzker Prize on 23 March but his death meant the committee announced his award on 10 March. He was reported to have said, 'I’ve never done anything to gain this prize. Prize winning is not the goal of my life. I try to help poor people, but what shall I say here — I'm very happy.' " (borrowed from Wikipedia) #freiotto #stuttgart #instituteoflightweightstructures #engineer #architect #standingontheshoulderofgiants #azharazhar #azhararchitecture https://www.instagram.com/p/BtiTSbMhOG2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=5rrxjsrrjrqp