Frei Otto

Frei Otto, born almost 90 years ago in Germany, has spent his long career researching, experimenting and developing a sensitive architecture that has influenced countless people around the world. The lessons from this pioneering work in the field of adaptable, changeable and resource-constrained lightweight structures are as relevant today as when they were first proposed more than 60 years ago. He has adopted a definition of architect that includes researcher, inventor, form-seeker, engineer, builder, teacher, collaborator, environmentalist, humanist and creator of memorable buildings and spaces.

He first became known for his tent structures used as temporary exhibition pavilions. The constructions at the German Federal Garden Exhibitions and other festivals in the 1950s were functional, beautiful, "floating" canopies that seemed to provide effortless shelter and were easily dismantled after the events.

The cable net structure used for the German Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, prefabricated in Germany and assembled on site at short notice, was one of the highlights of the exhibition for its grace and originality. The impressive large-scale roofs designed for the 1972 Munich Olympics, which combined lightness and strength, were a construction challenge that many said could not be achieved. The architectural landscape of the stadium, the swimming pool and the public spaces, the result of a great team effort, is still impressive today.

Inspired by nature and its processes, he sought ways to use the least amount of materials and energy to enclose spaces. He practised and advanced ideas of sustainability even before the word was coined. He was inspired by natural phenomena, from bird skulls to soap bubbles and spider webs. He spoke of the need to understand the "physical, biological and technical processes that give rise to objects". Concepts derived from the 1960s optimised structures to support large flat roofs. A grid frame, like the one in Mannheim's Multihalle in 1974, shows how a simple, easy-to-assemble structural solution can create a striking and flexible space. Mechtenberg walkways, with the use of simple thin rods and connecting nodes, but with advanced know-how, produce an attractive filigree pattern and distances of up to 30 metres. Otto's constructions are in harmony with nature and always aim to do more with less.

Virtually all the works associated with Frei Otto have been designed in collaboration with other professionals. He was often approached to be part of a team tackling complex architectural and structural challenges. The inventive results testify to the extraordinary collective efforts of multidisciplinary teams.

Throughout his life, Frei Otto has produced imaginative, fresh and unprecedented spaces and constructions. He has also created knowledge. Herein lies his profound influence: not in ways to copy, but through the paths that his research and discoveries have opened up.

His contributions to the field of architecture are not only skilful and talented, but also generous. In recognition of his visionary ideas, his inquisitive mind, his belief in the free exchange of knowledge and inventions, his spirit of collaboration and his concern for the careful use of resources, the 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded to Frei Otto.