Innovation and Aesthetics - Lightweight Construction Pioneer Vladimir Grigor'evic ?uchov

Russian engineer and inventor Vladimir Grigor’evič ?uchov (1853 –1939) is one of the most important pioneers of structural lightweight construction and modern building with iron and steel. A wealth of construction principles which are used in steel structure today originate from ?uchov’s work. For example, he implemented the first doubly curved gridshell, built the first suspended roofs and developed very sophisticated arch constructions. ?uchov’s design method is characterised by two leitmotifs. Structures devised by him always feature a minimal use of material – a dictate born of necessity in turn-of-the-century Russia. They are informed by high economic expediency, which manifests itself in efficient planning procedures, a high level of prefabrication and short assembly processes. The consistently pragmatic translation of these leitmotifs has resulted in radically new construction methods that have no direct predecessors in architectural history.