Arup retrospective opens in London

"Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design" will showcase the life, work and legacy of the firm's Anglo-Danish founder.

The exhibition, curated by Zofia Trafas White and Maria Nicanor from the V&A's Design, Architecture and Digital department, will cover more than 100 years of engineering design. On display will be more than 150 objects including previously unseen prototypes, models, archival materials, drawings, film and photographs presenting how Arup redefined civil and structural engineering and pioneered a multidisciplinary approach to design, which the firm still adopts today.

"Ove Arup was the greatest engineer of the 20th century," White said. "Unconventional and playful in his approach, his collaborative working style revolutionised building design during his lifetime and influenced how buildings are made today. Ove Arup's career began at the height of the Modern Movement in the 20th century and went on to last over five decades. The exhibition will paint a picture of the man whose ideas led to the creation of one of the most innovative and influential engineering consultancies working today and will present Arup's key contributions to almost one hundred years of engineering developments in built environment design. Engineering the World will shed new light on the behind the scenes engineering stories that made possible some of the world's most iconic buildings."

The show highlights Ove Arup's approach to 'Total Architecture', the adoption and development of innovative technologies, and how cutting-edge engineering solutions have changed the built environment. Stories behind the development of famous historic buildings such the Sydney Opera House and the Centre Pompidou in Paris will be revealed alongside current projects such as Crossrail and HS2.

In addition, the recently developed SoundLab® and SolarLeaf, an experimental bio-reactive façade system that uses microalgae to generate renewable energy, will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the creative and collaborative work of engineers, architects and designers who, together, design our buildings, cities and urban systems.

"Ove Arup founded our firm with a highly original vision, combining philosophy and engineering to create a holistic approach to design that he called 'total architecture,'" said Tristram Carfrae, Arup fellow and deputy chairman of Arup Group. "Given the significant challenges the world faces, this pioneering approach to engineering design has never been more relevant than today. For his life and our on-going work to be recognised and celebrated by such a world renowned institution as the V&A is very gratifying. It demonstrates how Ove was a pioneer of his time and how the firm continues to follow his pursuit of creativity and innovation based on world class expertise. The V&A tells this story beautifully and we feel sure this exhibition will be an inspiration to the next generation of engineers, designers and all those interested in the built environment."

Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design is the headline exhibition for the V&A Engineering Season. The exhibition will run from 18 June - 6 November 2016.