Michael Balz

This book presents a review of the work of the architect Michael Balz, pioneer of concrete-shell architecture. It discusses his projects, both realized and unbuilt, many being designed in collaboration with the renowned Swiss engineer Heinz Isler.

Profusely illustrated with original drawings and photographs, Michael Balz: Shells and Visions caters to the increasing interest in the design and construction of free-form reinforced concrete shells consequent on the advent of 3D modelling and form-finding software. The book describes architectural designs and practical construction issues to motivate contemporary shell designers.

Balz’s experience of dealing with such difficulties as incompatibility with non-structural features and the insertion of windows into shells, and the assessment of buildings’ long-term performance allow readers to learn more easily how to cope with such issues in their own work.

The book introduces Michael Balz, his early workwith other architects, including his work on pneumatic forms with Frei Otto, and his evolution into an exponent of organic architecture. It then discusses completed projects, including the outdoor Theater unter den Kuppeln (1976), Ballettsaal (1979) and Balz House (1981). Competitions Balz entered and unrealized shell projects also receive attention, as does his work on the urban scale, highlighting conceptual designs of mega-cities. His visionary megastructures encourage the exploration of innovative solutions for city spaces by architects faced with today’s increased urbanization.

Michael Balz: Shells and Visions will be of interest to students and professionals in the fields of architecture, structural engineering, building and urban design. It’s reflections on the cultural and contextual aspects of Balz’s work will help the architectural historian to appreciate its long-term significance.

John Chilton is a chartered civil engineer and Emeritus Professor of Architecture & Tectonics, in the Department of Architecture & Built Environment, at The University of Nottingham. His research interests span lightweight and non-conventional structures, sustainable construction and history of engineering construction.

He is a long-standing member of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS), which is based in Madrid. Serving as a member of their Executive Council from 1998 to 2020, he is now a member of their Advisory Board and was recently made an Honorary Distinguished Member.  Reflecting his research interests, he is a member of IASS Working Groups 5: Concrete Shell Structures, 15: Structural Morphology and 17 Historical Spatial Structures. He chaired WG 12: Timber and Bio-based Spatial Structures from 1998 to 2015.

From 2001 to 2004 he acted as one of the Scientific Coordinators for TensiNet, an EU-funded Thematic Network for‘Upgrading the Built Environment in Europe through Tensile Structures’, contributing to the European Design Guide for Tensile Surface Structures (2004). Subsequently, he was Vice-Chair (2006-2017) of the TensiNet Association, based in Brussels, which emerged from EU-funded Thematic Network, contributing to the Design Recommendations for ETFE Foil Structures (2013). 

He has previously published books on Space Grid Structures (1999), which was inspired by his PhD study on the Cubic Space Frame; and the work of Swiss reinforced concrete shell-builder and fellow IASS member Heinz Isler: The Engineer’s Contribution to Contemporary Architecture (2000). Most recently, with co-author Gabriel Tang, he has written on Timber Gridshells: Architecture, Structure and Craft (2016), reflecting their research into the architecture of timber spatial structures.