Peter Rice has been described as both one of the best engineers and architects of the twentieth century. Unhappy with the role that engineers play in designing buildings, Rice dedicated his life to championing brave innovation and poetry through structure in a way that helped bridge the gap between engineering and architecture. His desire to work in tandem with architects, towards a shared vision, made him one of the most in-demand engineers of the twentieth century.
Read more about this amazing man and check out the video after the break...
This new thirty-minute documentary made by ARUP explores the influence this modest Irishman had on the minds of engineers and architects alike. Told through the lens of his renowned peers, such as Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano as well as engineers, designers and members of his family, the film reveals the radical way in which Rice thought about engineering. It follows his life from being appointed on-site engineer for the Sydney Opera House at the age of twenty-eight, through his work on La Villette, right up to the Full Moon Theatre, a performance space built on a shoestring budget and lit entirely by moonlight.
One of the most groundbreaking, and also one of the first, projects Rice was deeply involved in was the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Working closely with Piano and Rogers, the three created a building that was turned inside out; its structure, services and general innards brandished on its façade, marking the birth of a new, more honest type of architecture.
