5-6 June 2025
FREI OTTO 100
THE SPIRIT OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION
Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Frei Otto (1925-2015) was a visionary, innovative architect and master of lightweight structures. May 31, 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.
To commemorate his exceptional spirit of experimentation, his works, methods, and international networks, the University of Stuttgart organizes a two-day convention.
Frei Otto 100 | The Spirit of Lightweight Construction will take place at the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, formerly known as IL (Institut für Leichte Flächentragwerke). Its tent structure, designed by Frei Otto as a prototype for the German Pavilion at the EXPO ‘67 in Montreal, provides an inspiring space for open reflection on past and present achievements in the field of lightweight construction.
The two-day event will include a historical reflection on Frei Otto’s work, methods, and networks, supported by the testimonies of several contemporary witnesses. It will also focus on how different generations of researchers and practitioners interpret the legacy of the Stuttgart School of Lightweight Construction.
About
Program
Organisers
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Lucio Blandini is an engineer and architect with a special interest in sustainable lightweight systems and the relationship between architecture, engineering, and digital technologies. He is head of the ILEK and deputy spokesperson of the CRC 1244 on adaptive skins and structures.
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Christiane Weber is a professor of the history of architecture at the University of Stuttgart. Her research focuses on the development of construction technology in architecture, civil engineering and urban planning. The aim of her research is to preserve the architectural heritage as an expression of European cultural history that creates identity.
Welcome greetings
Peter Middendorf
Rector of the University of Stuttgart
Markus Müller
President of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects
Opening speeches
Nicole Razavi
State Minister for Regional Development and Housing
Werner Sobek
Founder and former head of ILEK
Keynotes
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Georg Vrachliotis is the Head of the Department of Architecture at TU Delft and full professor. He also leads the Design, Data, and Society (DDS) Group, an interdisciplinary research team exploring the future of design knowledge in a data-driven world.
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Daniela Fabricius is an Assistant Professor in history and theory at the Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Kai-Uwe Bletzinger is a professor emeritus at the Technical University of Munich, former head of the Chair of Structural Analysis, and renowned expert in the development of form optimization and form-finding methods.
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Mike Schlaich is a partner at the structural engineering firm schlaich bergermann partner (sbp), as well as a Full Professor and a head of the Chair of Conceptual and Structural Design at the Technical University of Berlin.
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Achim Menges is an architect in Frankfurt and a full professor at Stuttgart University, where he is the founding director of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction and the director of the Cluster of Excellence Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture.
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Sigrid Adriaenssens is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Princeton University. There she directs the Form Finding Lab where she teaches courses on (non‐) linear mechanics of solids and slender structures, structural design, and the integration of engineering and the arts.
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Jenny E. Sabin is an architectural designer, Chair of the Department of Design Tech and the Arthur L. and Isabel B. Wiesenberger Professor in Architecture. Sabin is principal of Jenny Sabin Studio, an experimental architectural design studio based in Ithaca, and director of the Sabin Lab at Cornell AAP.
Special guests
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Carlos Lázaro is the President of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS). He is an Associate Professor of Structural Mechanics at the Civil Engineering School of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and a guest researcher at the Technical University of Munich.
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Stephan Engelsamn is the President of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Engineers. He is a professor of structural design and engineering in the architecture program at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design and a partner at Engelsmann Peters Beratende Ingenieure GmbH.
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Andreas Hofer studied architecture at the ETH Zurich. He developed large innovative neighborhood projects on former industrial sites and reflected on the transformation of the city in publications, lectures and at universities. In 2018, he was elected Artistic Director of the International Building Exhibition 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart.
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Ekkehard Ramm is a German civil engineer specializing in structural engineering with a focus on structural mechanics and an emeritus professor of structural analysis and structural dynamics at the University of Stuttgart.
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Peter Pätzold is a German architect, the Mayor for urban development, housing, and environment of Stuttgart, and a member of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects and the Association for Urban, Regional, and State Planning.
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Jos Tomlow is a Dutch architect and professor emeritus of art and art history at the Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz. From 1982 to 1995, he was an assistant at the Institute for Lightweight Structures (IL) of the University of Stuttgart, where he completed his doctoral thesis on Gaudi's hanging model in 1986.
Accompanying program
April 3, 2025 – June 29, 2025
Beyond Geometry
Frei Otto x Kengo Kuma
Exhibition
Kunstsammlungen am Theaterplatz
Theaterpl. 1, 09111 Chemnitz
Organiser: Chemnitz Art Collections
Language: German | English
May 31, 2025, 19:00
On the 100th birthday
of Frei Otto | A tribute
Talk by Christine Kanstinger
ev. Gemeindehaus Warmbronn
Hinter den Gärten 9, 71229 Leonberg
Organiser: Leonberg City
Language: German
June 2, 2025, 16:30 – 18:00
The tent roof in Munich's Olympic Park
Guided tour with guiding architects munich
Entrance: to “Sea Life”
Willi-Daume-Platz 1, 80809 Munich
Organiser: Bavarian Chamber of Architects
Language: German
Registration: Katharina Matzig, matzig@byak.de
June 3, 2025, 13:00 – 17:30
ILEK open
Doors Open Day
Pfaffenwaldring 14, 70569 Stuttgart
Organiser: University of Stuttgart
Language: German | English
June 4, 2025, 16:30-18:00
Mannheim Multihalle
Guided tour with guiding architects stuttgart
Entrance: Herzogenriedpark Max-Joseph-Straße 64, 68169 Mannheim
Organiser: Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects
Language: German
Registration: kb-karlsruhe@akbw.de
Main sponsors
Sponsors
Supported by
Partners
Media partners
Symposium location
Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK)
Pfaffenwaldring 14
70569
Stuttgart
Germany
+49 (711) 685 63 599
ilek.uni-stuttgart.de/en
Contact: freiotto100@ilek.uni-stuttgart.de
How to get there:
The Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design (ILEK) is located at the University of Stuttgart's Campus Vaihingen.
Use this map to be forwarded directly to Google Maps or follow the instructions below:
The institute is located approx. 850 m east from the Universität S-Bahn station. When leaving the S-Bahn, follow the signs on campus in the direction of: Pfaffenwaldring 14 – Leichte Flächentragwerke until you see a tent building with a glazed facade.
From the Stuttgart main station, take S1, S2 or S3 S-bahn (suburban) trains and drive until the station Universität (ca. 10 min).
From the Stuttgart airport, take S2 (suburban) trains and drive until the station Universität (ca. 15 min).
When travelling along A8 highway, at the interchange 51-Kreuz Stuttgart follow the signs for S-Zentrum/ S-Vaihingen. Then follow A831 and continue to B14. Then take the exit toward S-Vaih.-Universität/S-Dachswald and turn left onto Universitätsstraße. Then turn right to Pfaffenwaldring. There are several public parking areas available along the Pfaffenwaldring. We recommend to park in the open campus area outside the barrier gates for more flexibility.
Accommodation:
Several hotels of different price categories are located in the center of Stuttgart and Vaihingen and can be recommended for reservations. Some of them have special conditions for symposium guests.
Stylish hotel 15 minutes walk from Stuttgart Central Station.
Features include modern rooms, a rooftop bar, and a vibrant, creative atmosphere – ideal for a short, inspiring stay.
Address: Wolframstraße 41, 70191 Stuttgart
Reservation: jaz-hotel.com
Boutique hotel located in the city center, close to the S-bahn station Stadtmitte. High-end design and personal flair in walking distance to city attractions.
Address: Nadlerstraße 4, 70173 Stuttgart
Reservation: emilu-hotel.com
Modern and functional hotel located next to the Stuttgart main station.
Well suited for business or academic visitors looking for convenience, comfort, and quick campus access.
Address: Kriegsbergstraße 32, 70174 Stuttgart
Reservation: motel-one.com
Modern and functional hotel located next to the Stuttgart main station.
Well suited for business or academic visitors looking for convenience, comfort, and quick campus access.
Address: Lautenschlagerstraße 14, 70173 Stuttgart
Reservation: motel-one.com
The hotel is located in the quiet Stuttgart-Vaihingen neighborhood, with convenient bus connections to the university campus. The hotel offers traditionally furnished rooms and serviced apartments - ideal for guests looking for a quiet, comfortable environment and flexible accommodation options.
Address: Robert-Leicht-Straße 93, 70563 Stuttgart
Reservation: hotel-roemerhof.com
Special conditions: Reservations can be made under the keyword “Symposium Frei Otto 100” at a reduced price of € 80 per night including breakfast.
Modern and functional hotel located next to the Stuttgart Vaihingen S-bahn station, two stops away from the University.
Address: Ruppmannstraße 20, 70565 Stuttgart
Reservation: ibisstyles.com
Modern and functional hotel located next to the Stuttgart Vaihingen S-bahn station, two stops away from the University.
Address: Schockenriedstr. 33, 70565 Stuttgart
Reservation: B&B-Hotel.com