A recognized authority of tent structures, Frei Otto has made a huge impact in the field of architecture by successfully applying the results of his research into the natural sciences to architecture, making lightweight, high-performance constructions possible. In 1964 he was appointed professor at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Here he established the Institute for Lightweight Structures and started an interdisciplinary research movement involving engineers, biologists, physicists and philosophers. The West German Pavilion of the 1967 Montreal Exposition and the huge roofs over several sports structures for the 1972 Munich Olympics were made possible as a result of research done in this institute. Series of experiments using soap bubbles were used to calculate the ideal surface curvature necessary for the massive space to be constructed by the cable net and membrane structures. The resulting structures are highly regarded as an architectural creation beautifully in harmony with nature. His tent-like structures can also be found in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia. Today, at the age of 81, Frei Otto is involved in the design of a movable residential architecture project near Neuss in Northern Germany. He is currently writing a book charting his lifetime’s involvement with this specialized field of city planning.
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