ISLER: HEINZ ISLER. BUILT EXPERIMENTS. ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKS

Thin structures of reinforced concrete are the trademark of Heinz Isler (1926-2009). The Swiss engineer's experimental approach and entrepreneurial attitude enabled his enduring success as one of the most prolific shell designers of the twentieth century. With an impressive portfolio of over one thousand reinforced concrete shells, he stands as an internationally significant designer of spatial structures. Isler's practice was based on experimental methodologies that differed vastly from conventional engineering approaches of his time. This same pioneering spirit led him to explore innovative materials and techniques in the building industry. The success of the 'Isler shells' was not only fostered by the political and economic conditions of the prosperous years after World War II. It was also based on a strong network of clients and cooperation partners. Through essays, a catalogue of selected projects, a list of all realised projects, archival materials and current photographs, this is the first book to comprehensively investigate Isler's work from both an engineering and cultural-historical perspective and to make his complete oeuvre accessible.