Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design

DAC’s Fall-Winter exhibition is a close-up of one of the greatest Danish pioneers of the 20th century in architecture and engineering: Ove Arup.

Many of us know the iconic Sydney Opera House and Centre Pompidou in Paris. But a few of us know one of the key figures behind. The Dane Ove Arup revolutionized architecture and the way that engineering is practiced today. He called his philosophy “Total Design” because he believed that great architecture is accomplished when technique, design and aesthetics unite.

In the exhibition you’ll get a unique portrait of Ove Arup and a glimpse into some of his most prestigious projects. You are introduced to Ove’s work on Centre Pompidou in Paris and his pool for penguins in London. And you’ll get an exclusive close look at the Sydney Opera House and the gigantic computer which in the 1960s solved the design of the characteristic shell structure. With virtual reality you’ll even be able to take a seat on the opera’s rooftop.

And there’s more. The exhibition also tells the story of the global engineering and design firm ARUP (today employing more than 14000 people across 14 countries) started by Ove in 1946, and how is visionary approach to “Total Design” still shapes the firm today. You’ll look into the future and experience the newest and wildest technologies in architecture, e.g. the world’s first algae bio-reactive façade.