Opening Models

Exhibition

The exhibition “Fazlur Khan: Structural Artist of Urban Building Forms” examines a number of Khan’s major realized tall building systems in concrete and steel through models, photographs, descriptions of the relationship between forces and form, some of Khan’s personal notebooks, video interviews of prominent structural engineers, and documentary videos of some buildings. Featured works include the John Hancock Center, the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears) and the Brunswick Building, all in Chicago, Illinois as well as One and Two Shell Plaza in Houston, Texas.

The scope of the exhibition covers a vast range of tall building systems, and seeks to demystify and humanize the discipline of engineering, identifying the distinction between structural art and science or architecture.

The objects on view not only reveal Khan’s understanding of structural engineering principles and how they steer urban building form, but also convey the emotional power and significance of his structures.

The exhibition is currently held at the Engineering Library, Friend Center, Princeton University, NJ 08540. The official opening of this exhibition is on September 9, 2011.