ENGINEERING THE WORLD: VOLKSWAGEN SUPPORTS FIRST RETROSPECTIVE OF THE WORK OF ENGINEER, DESIGNER & PHILOSOPHER OVE ARUP

June 21, 2016 by Volkswagen

◾Exhibition opening in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London within the setting of the 'Engineering Season' supported by the Volkswagen Group

◾Works revealing Ove Arup's life and legacy will be on display in London until November 6, 2016

London/Wolfsburg, June 21, 2016 – London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has just opened the exhibition 'Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design' dedicated to the influential engineer, designer and philosopher Ove Arup. The comprehensive project, which examines Arup's contributions within an artistic context, was realized with the support of the Volkswagen Group.

Basing his work on a groundbreaking integration of creative and technological aspects, Ove Arup is considered to be one of the most influential and pioneering construction engineers of the 20th Century. Up until his death in 1988 he maintained a new holistic approach fundamentally reforming the interaction of design, architecture and engineering. The iconic opera house in Sydney where Arup was personally involved in the construction wasas much a trailblazer as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, where a team of Arup engineers collaborated with architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. The engineers led the design process that put the structural framework of the buildings services on the exterior, which has since become the building's defining feature.

The exhibition invites visitors to take a look at a number of exhibits from the life of Ove Arup that have never been shown before such as architectural models, prototypes, drawings, photographs and films. This is the first time that Arup's lasting influence on shaping the built environment has been extensively commemorated within the context of a museum.

'The V&A Engineering Season illustrates the role of design and technology, and thus broadens our understanding of art in a truly fascinating way. Ove Arup's achievements are characterized by an outstanding fusion of technology, design and social values. This approach also drives our company, and therefore we are delighted to have been able to contribute to this project,' explains Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Cultural Engagement Volkswagen Group Communications.

'Engineering the World' is part of Volkswagen Group's wider support of the Engineering Season, which was inaugurated with the 'Elytra Filament Pavilion' at the V&A VW also supported the special exhibition 'A World of Fragile Parts' curated by the V&A, which is part of this year's Architecture Biennial in Venice. Support for the V&A is a key element of the Group's international commitment for the arts and culture through which Volkswagen endeavors to make art accessible to as many people as possible.