Born in 1925 in Siegmar, Germany Frei Otto grew up in Berlin. His parents were scuptors and stonemasons. Has made an artform of his tent like constructions. It was perhaps as a prisoner of war in France that he learn how to make shelters and eventually these amazing structures. His first tent-like structure was in Kassel in 1955. His Expo 67 Pavilion was his first large-scale project.
He died March 9, 2015, two weeks before he was to receive the Pritzer prize, the jurors announced his win earlier in order for this honour to be part of his celebration of life. In awarding him with the price the jurors stated: “ Otto embraced a definition of architect to include researcher, inventor, form-finder, engineer, builder, teacher, collaborator, environmentalist, humanist, and creator of memorable buildings and spaces” and made the award in recognition of “his visionary ideas, inquiring mind, belief in freely sharing knowledge and inventions, his collaborative spirit and concern for the careful use of resources.”
West Germany Pavilion, Expo 67
1967, Montreal
Roof for 1972, Olympic Stadium<br> Munich
Multihalle Manheim
1975, Mannheim, Germany
Umbrellas Pink Floyd Tour
1977, United States
Aviary Munich Zoo
1980, Munich
Diplmatic Club Heart Tent
1980, Riadh, Saudi Arabia
Tuwaiq Palace
1985, Saudi Arabia
Roof Structure of the Japanese Pavilion Expo 2000
2000, Hanover, Germany
