Honor for Frei Otto: Stuttgart celebrates an architectural masterpiece!

Honor for Frei Otto: Stuttgart celebrates an architectural masterpiece!

The event “Frei Otto 100 – The Spirit of Lightweight Construction” took place at the University of Stuttgart on June 5th and 6th, 2025. This event honored the legacy of Frei Otto, one of the most important architects of the 20th century and posthumously awarded the Pritzker Prize. International guests from the fields of science, architecture and society were present to celebrate Otto's influence on ecologically and experimentally oriented building. The opening was organized by Nicole Razavi, the Minister for Regional Development and Housing of Baden-Württemberg. She emphasized the responsible and interdisciplinary approach that Otto incorporated into his projects.

The event focused on the relevance of Frei Otto's legacy today, which is of great importance for climate-friendly and affordable construction. Stuttgart, as the place of his work and his intellectual home for more than two decades, provided the ideal setting for this tribute. In his speech, Professor Peter Middendorf, Rector of the University of Stuttgart, highlighted the extensive contribution that Otto has made to architecture and sustainable construction methods. Professor Lucio Blandini, who has headed the Institute for Lightweight Structures (ILEK) since 2020, also commented on the continuation of Otto's founding ideas and research into resource-saving construction.

A life for architecture

Frei Otto was born on May 31, 1925 in Siegmar/Saxony. Growing up in a creative environment - his father was a sculptor - he developed a passion for gliding and model building, especially for membrane constructions, as a child. After studying architecture at the Technical University of Berlin and a short period as a prisoner of war, during which he worked as a camp architect, he decided on a career in architecture.

His professional career began in 1952 with his degree in engineering, followed by his doctorate in 1955 on the subject of “The Hanging Roof”. In the following years he worked as a freelance architect and specialist writer and headed the Institute for Lightweight Structures in Stuttgart between 1964 and 1990. Particularly notable projects such as the German Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Montreal in 1967 and the Olympic Stadium roof in Munich cemented his reputation as an innovator in the field of lightweight construction.

Pioneer of lightweight construction

Frei Otto's work stood out for its natural forms and economic efficiency. He established innovative solutions such as the rope net construction of the pavilion in Montreal, which inspired many architects, including the Stuttgart office Behnisch und Partner. These inventions found widespread use in new roof constructions and had a lasting influence on modern architecture.

His creative determination led him to experiment with small models to find form, even in the high-tech and computer age. One of his last projects included a spectacular underground roof for the new Stuttgart Central Station. Tragically, Frei Otto died on March 9, 2015 at the age of 89 in Baden-Württemberg. His posthumous receipt of the Pritzker Prize that same year demonstrates the lasting influence his work continues to have on architecture.

The celebrations at the University of Stuttgart are not only a tribute to his life's work, but also a call to integrate his principles of sustainable and responsible building into future architecture. The University of Stuttgart reports that these values ​​are crucial for future generations. Further information about Frei Otto's life's work can be found on the website Institute for Lightweight Structures and Planet knowledge available.