Engineers, the unsung experts that bring some of the most famous buildings in the world to life

London has some iconic architectural landmarks such as the Gherkin, Millennium Bridge, Bloomberg HQ and the London Aquatics Centre. We often recognise the visionary architects behind them – Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid – yet the engineers whose expertise turns these designs into reality, often go unappreciated.

One of these engineers is Ugandan-born Hanif Kara, whose fascinating life story involved escaping from Idi Amin’s oppressive regime in the 1970s and later becoming an engineer in the UK. He has worked with the likes of Foster and Hadid on the Bloomberg HQ project in London and the fascinating Phaeno science centre in Wolfsburg, Germany. His skill, dedication to his work (he spent 2 years just on computational modelling for the Phaeno science centre) and his ability to change architects’ minds have produced some truly jaw dropping buildings.

If you take a walk around London, many of the iconic buildings you will see will likely have been engineered by Aru, see our previous article Ratcliffe-On-Soar power station, the last link to Britain’s coal-fired past. They are a titan in global engineering that has made iconic buildings like the Sydney Opera House possible. They engineered the famous Gherkin building in London, which posed quite a challenge because of its odd shape. Each of its 41 floors had to be designed separately, and the curved shape of the building was engineered to create a natural ventilation system by deflecting wind inwards.

Another of London’s famous buildings, also engineered by Arup, is the London Aquatics Centre. Built to host the 2012 Olympic water sports, this structure certainly stands out with its 3200-tonne curved steel roof and extensive use of exposed concrete.

Whilst architects are undoubtedly responsible for designing the swoops and curves that make these buildings so iconic, the engineering that goes into making them stand up is often just as impressive. When you have the opportunity to view one of these masterpieces up close, take a moment to acknowledge the engineers who brought them to life.