An exhibition has opened at London's V&A museum charting the career and legacy of Ove Arup, who "forged a new role for engineers" in the 20th century (+ slideshow).
As the headline exhibition in the V&A's engineering season, Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design opened to the public last week. It is the first engineering retrospective the museum has ever staged.
It examines the work of the late engineer, who made the best-known designs of architects including Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster a reality.
Ove Arup (centre) is pictured here with colleagues Michael Lewis and Jack Zunz on the site of the Sydney Opera House in 1964. Photograph by Max Dupain
His extensive portfolio includes the Sydney Opera House, the Centre Pompidou, the Kingsgate Bridge, the London Zoo Penguin Pool and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank HQ. "Leading architects such as Richard Rogers and Norman Foster owe their exciting careers to Ove and his firm, who pushed the boundaries and stimulated new ideas," explained exhibition curator Zofia Trafas White.
The Penguin Pool at London Zoo, completed by Ove Arup in 1934, features spiralling ramps based on complex mathematical calculations
"Ove forged a new role for engineers," she told Dezeen. "We want people to see these iconic buildings with fresh eyes, and show people that they do know Ove. He's been here the whole time."

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