Engineering Not Enough

Life is more than engineering. A man lays the foundation for great things in this world but does not stay here to witness them.

Dr Fazlur Rahman Khan was a world-famous architectural engineer. Born in Dhaka, he obtained his degree in architectural engineering from Calcutta and went to the United States to pursue his doctorate in the same subject. He started his practice by taking on a contract to design a 43-storey building in Chicago. His extraordinary brilliance enabled him to make significant innovations in his field. For example, the 110-storey Sears Tower in Chicago earned him worldwide fame as a master of modern construction. This highest building in the world at the time resulted from his unconventional concept, now known as tubular design.

Despite his extraordinary success, Dr Fazlur Rahman was never inwardly satisfied. Mr K.M. Amladi met him in 1982 in his Chicago office. As Mr Amladi felicitated him on his success, Dr Fazlur Rehman listened with an expressionless face. He said to Mr Amladi: “Life is more than engineering.”

Dr Fazlur Rahman died on 27 March 1982 at the age of 52. He left behind him a new concept in the field of architectural engineering. By developing this concept, the German engineer, Robert Gabriel, planned a 365-storey building that would stand one mile above the ground. During their conversation, Mr Amladi asked Dr Fazlur Rahman whether such a building could be constructed. Dr Fazlur Rahman replied in the affirmative. Citing this incident, Mr Amladi concludes his article by writing that Europe and America will have such buildings in future, but “the man who laid the foundation for making them possible, alas, will no longer be there to witness them.” (Hindustan Times, May 9, 1982)