Fazlur Khan

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Fazlur Khan : biography

03 April 1929 – 27 March 1982

Charity

In 1971 the Bangladesh liberation war brokeout. Khan was heavily involved with creating public opinion and garnering emergency funding for Bengali people during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He created the Chicago-based organisation known as Bangladesh Emergency Welfare Appeal.

Biography

Fazlur Rahman Khan was born on 3 April 1929 in Dhaka, Bangladesh (erstwhile British India). He was brought up in the village of Bhandarikandii, Faridpur district near Dhaka. His father, Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman Khan, BES was ADPI of Bengal and after retirement served as Principal of Jagannath College, Dhaka.

Education

Khan received his matriculation from Armanitola Government High School, in Dhaka. He received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Ahsanullah Engineering College, University of Dhaka, (now Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology). He received a Fulbright Scholarship and a Pakistan government scholarship enabled him to travel to the United States in 1952 where he pursued advanced studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In three years Khan earned two Master’s degrees – one in structural engineering and one in theoretical and applied mechanics — and a PhD in structural engineering.

Career

In a career marked by innovation in structural engineering and collaboration between engineering and architecture, Khan introduced design methods and concepts that set new standards for efficient use of material and suggested new possibilities for building architecture. In 1955, employed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, he began working in Chicago, Illinois. He was made a partner in 1966 and became a naturalised American citizen in 1967. During the 1960s and 1970s, he became noted for his designs for Chicago’s 100-story John Hancock Center and 108-story Sears Tower, the tallest building in the world in its time, topping out the Empire State Building (1931), and still the tallest in the United States since its completion in 1974. He is also responsible for designing notable buildings in Bangladesh, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

Fazlur Khan had a unique understanding of forces, materials, behaviour, as well as art, literature and architecture. Fazlur Khan was not only a creative structural engineer, he was also a philosopher, visionary, educator and humanitarian. He said, "Think logically and find the relationships which exist in every system, because it will help you understand nature itself, making living more meaningful and exciting." According to John Zils, senior engineer and associate partner with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), "It was his unique ability to bridge the gap between architectural design and structural engineering that truly set Faz apart from other structural engineers." Because of that, Khan became an icon in both architecture and structural engineering. Khan believed that engineers needed a broader perspective on life, saying, "The technical man must not be lost in his own technology; he must be able to appreciate life, and life is art, drama, music, and most importantly, people."

Fazlur Khan’s personal papers, the majority of which were found in his office at the time of his death, are held by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Fazlur Khan Collection includes manuscripts, sketches, audio cassette tapes, slides and other materials regarding his work.

Personal interests

Outside of work, Khan enjoyed spending time with his family (wife Liselotte and daughter Yasmin). He enjoyed singing, poetry – his favourite poet was Rabindranath Tagore. He also liked playing table tennis.