Dean’s Lecture Series 2015
Professor Manfred Grohmann
Professor for Structural Design, Kassel University / Director Bollinger + Grohmann Ingenieure
Architecture and Structure – just a simple love affair
12 May 2015
Melbourne School of Design
The University of Melbourne
Contemporary conditions of building design require the integration of ideas, the logic of space, the structure and its skin. Structural design engineers are essential collaborators for developing an innovative and sustainable building design.
The scope of work of the Bollinger + Grohmann is characterised by its diversity: the extent of the services they offer, and the range of design approaches of the architects with whom they collaborate.
This ranges from the highly complex geometries and deconstructivistic architecture of Zaha Hadid Architects or Coop Himmelb(l)au, to the minimalist approach of SANAA. The results of these collaborations are buildings which, at the time of their construction, pushed at the limits of technical feasibility.
Given this diversity of design, it is of central importance for the engineers that design and construction are understood in unison. Qualitative architecture and innovative construction in their opinion can only be ensured with an interdisciplinary and integral planning approach. The dialogue with architects and other specialist planners has to be established from the very beginning. Architecture and construction is based on structural, mechanical principles and on a depth of experience with materials, construction methods and technologies.
In the lecture Prof. Grohmann will present a number of projects recently developed by the team of Bollinger + Grohmann Ingenieure.
Manfred Grohmann is a founding principal with Klaus Bollinger of the international engineering company Bollinger Grohmann Engineers. Based in Frankfurt am Main, they are also present in Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Paris, Oslo and Melbourne. With these teams they are active in 20 countries outside Germany. Over thirty years Manfred Grohmann and his team have been working with a large number of internationally recognized architects on structurally challenging projects including Peter Cook, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Frank Gehry, LAVA, Dominique Perrault, SANAA, Snøhetta, Zaha Hadid and scores of others. Manfred Grohmann has been a Professor for Structural Design at Kassel University since 1996, Guest Professor at the Städelschule, Frankfurt since 2000 and at the ESA – École d´Architecture, Paris since 2007 and has taught at Darmstadt Technical University. He is involved in research partnerships with several international Universities.
www.bollinger-grohmann.com
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