Over the course of a long and distinguished career, the engineer Ove Arup rose to the top of his profession, coming from his native Denmark, via Twenties Hamburg to London and onwards to international recognition. Arup played a crucial role in disseminating (and facilitating) the dreams of the more utopian-minded Modernist architects.
In 30s London he moved in the rarefied orbit of the many émigré European architects, helped shape the buildings that became icons of the movement, including Lubetkin's Highpoint flats. Of course, the company that bears his name is still very much active, and Jones's admirably in-depth book tackles all of Arup's battles and triumphs, including the Sydney Opera House saga.
INFORMATION
Ove Arup: Master Builder of the Twentieth Century, Peter Jones (Yale University Press, £25)
- Website
- www.yalebooks.co.uk
