Frei Otto Building with Nature, Architecture Book, Publication, German architect, Design, Photos

Frei Otto: Building with Nature

18 May 2025

Edited by Joaquín Medina Warmburg and Anna-Maria Meister
• Published by Prestel: 8th April, 2025
• Hardcover, 256 pages, 24.0 x 28.7 cm, 255 colour illustrations
• RRP £50.00, ISBN 978-3-7913-7750-6
• Marking 100 years since his birth, this visually stunning monograph
traces the groundbreaking career of one the twentieth century‘s most
important and influential architects.

Photo © Werkarchiv Frei Otto

Published to mark the architect’s centennial, this beautifully illustrated book celebrates the
pioneering work of a world-renowned innovator in architecture and engineering. Drawing
on the latest research and exclusive access to archival materials, Frei Otto‘s groundbreaking
achievements in creating lightweight architectural structures and pioneering sustainable design
practices are explored in vivid detail.

Insightful essays by leading scholars illuminate the central concepts developed by Frei Otto;
lightweight construction, natural structures, form-finding and adaptability. A thematic overview of
his most important works, such as the Munich Olympic Park (1968 – 1972), The German Pavilion
at Expo 67 (1967) and Mannheim’s Multihalle (1975) reveal Otto’s mastery of tensile structures,
his innovative application of biological principles to architecture, and his trailblazing use of
unconventional materials and construction techniques.

Photos © Werkarchiv Frei Otto

Otto’s forward-thinking approach paved the way for energy-efficient and environmentally
conscious architecture long before these ideas became mainstream. With plans and photographs
from the saai archive for architecture and civil engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, which highlight the influence of natural concepts in his work, this monograph serves as an essential introduction to a visionary architect who provided a blueprint for creating sustainable, functional, and harmonious buildings.

Photos © Werkarchiv Frei Otto

JOAQUÍN MEDINA WARMBURGN is a professor of History of Building and Architecture at
the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He was previously a research fellow at Princeton
University and visiting professor at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona and served as
director of the Walter Gropius Chair of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at the
Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires.

Photos © Werkarchiv Frei Otto

ANNA-MARIA MEISTER is an architect, historian and writer, and professor for theory of
architecture at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). She earned a PhD at Princeton
University, holds degrees in architecture from Columbia University, New York, and the TU Munich
and is a licensed architect.

Photo © Werkarchiv Frei Otto

Frei Otto: Building with Nature
Edited by Joaquín Medina Warmburg and Anna-Maria Meister
RRP £50.00, Published by Prestel: 8th April, 2025. ISBN: 978-3-7913-7750-6