Povl Ahm
Encyclopedia
Povl Ahm CBE
FICE
FREng
(26 September 1926 – 15 May 2005) was an eminent structural engineer
and former chairman of Ove Arup & Partners
.
, Denmark
, Povl Ahm attended the Polyteknisk Læreanstalt
in Copenhagen
, from where he graduated in 1949.
Ahm married Birgit Moller in 1953, with whom he had two sons, Carsten Ahm and Peter Ahm.
He was a keen sportsman, and a good footballer. He played for the London amateur team Corinthian Casuals and played in the 1956 Amateur Cup Final at Wembley Stadium
.
He died of cancer on 15 May 2005.
He joined the firm Ove Arup and Partners in London
in 1952, where he worked on Coventry Cathedral
with Basil Spence
. In his own words:
Ahm was given great responsibility on this project, working directly with Ove Arup
.
He also worked on early conceptual design schemes for the Sydney Opera House
, and worked on other projects, including Smithfield Market, London
and Centre Pompidou, Paris
– some of Ove Arup & Partners' most prestigious projects.
The architect of Sydney Opera House
, Jørn Utzon
, later went on to design a house for Ahm in Hertfordshire
- a project which avoided the many problems of Sydney Opera House.
In 1957 Ahm was made an associate partner of Ove Arup & Partners, and in 1965 he was made a full partner, becoming a director of the firm after its ownership was rearranged in 1977 (the firm was now owned in trust for the staff).
By winning the competition to design the Gateshead Viaduct in 1965, Ahm started the firm's new transport group, specialising in bridges.
From 1989 to 1992 he was chairman of the firm.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
in 1981.
Ahm was an active member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
, acting as a Council Member twice, and becoming Vice Chairman of Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief from 1989 to 1993.
From 1992 to 1996 he was chairman of the Association of Consulting Engineers.
first Gold Medal in 1993; the same year he received a CBE
for services to engineering.
He received an honorary doctorate from University of Warwick
in 1994.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
FICE
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
FREng
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
(26 September 1926 – 15 May 2005) was an eminent structural engineer
Structural engineer
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants...
and former chairman of Ove Arup & Partners
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
.
Life
Born in AarhusAarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Povl Ahm attended the Polyteknisk Læreanstalt
Technical University of Denmark
The Technical University of Denmark , often simply referred to as DTU, is a university just north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's first polytechnic, and is today ranked among Europe's leading engineering institutions, and the...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, from where he graduated in 1949.
Ahm married Birgit Moller in 1953, with whom he had two sons, Carsten Ahm and Peter Ahm.
He was a keen sportsman, and a good footballer. He played for the London amateur team Corinthian Casuals and played in the 1956 Amateur Cup Final at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
He died of cancer on 15 May 2005.
Career
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1952, where he worked on Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
with Basil Spence
Basil Spence
Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modernist/Brutalist style.-Training:Spence was born in Bombay, India, the son of Urwin...
. In his own words:
- "It was an architectural concept showing clearly the ecclesiastical functions but without any clear definition of structural concept, for so far no engineer had been involved in the design."
Ahm was given great responsibility on this project, working directly with Ove Arup
Ove Arup
Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, CBE, MICE, MIStructE known as Ove Arup, was a leading Anglo-Danish engineer and generally considered to be one of the foremost architectural structural engineers of his time...
.
He also worked on early conceptual design schemes for the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, and worked on other projects, including Smithfield Market, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Centre Pompidou, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
– some of Ove Arup & Partners' most prestigious projects.
The architect of Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon
Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
, later went on to design a house for Ahm in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
- a project which avoided the many problems of Sydney Opera House.
In 1957 Ahm was made an associate partner of Ove Arup & Partners, and in 1965 he was made a full partner, becoming a director of the firm after its ownership was rearranged in 1977 (the firm was now owned in trust for the staff).
By winning the competition to design the Gateshead Viaduct in 1965, Ahm started the firm's new transport group, specialising in bridges.
From 1989 to 1992 he was chairman of the firm.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
in 1981.
Ahm was an active member of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
, acting as a Council Member twice, and becoming Vice Chairman of Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief from 1989 to 1993.
From 1992 to 1996 he was chairman of the Association of Consulting Engineers.
Notable Projects
- Coventry CathedralCoventry CathedralCoventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
, - St Catherine's College, OxfordSt Catherine's College, OxfordSt Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
, 1960 - University of SussexUniversity of SussexThe University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, 1962 - Gateshead Viaduct, 1965
- Centre Pompidou, 1974
- British Embassy in Rome, 1975
- Danish Embassy in London, 1978
Awards
Ahm was awarded the ICE'sIce
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
first Gold Medal in 1993; the same year he received a CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
for services to engineering.
He received an honorary doctorate from University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
in 1994.