About Ove Arup

John Hill

29. October 2019

Sydney Opera House, designed by Jørn Utzon, engineered by Ove Arup (Photo: Screenshot)

Arup has been the most familiar name in engineering for the last half-century, the global firm involved in buildings designed by Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, and many others. But who was Ove Arup? The firm has made Ove Arup: The Philosopher Engineer, a 2015 documentary directed by Taghi Amirani, available to watch in full.

Painting of Ove Arup by Benedict Rubbra (Photo: Screenshot)

The 38-minute film follows the life of Ove Arup (1895-1988) from his schooling in Denmark and embrace of philosophy to his movement into engineering, the Sydney Opera House, which made him the go-to engineer for architects, and beyond. Featuring interviews with architects, critics, and a slew of engineers who worked with Arup from the 1940s onwards, the film delves deep into the person behind the familiar name.