Richard Rogers and engineers’ key role in the Pompidou Centre | Letters

Kate Macintosh on the innovative engineering of the building in Paris, and David Cockayne on the architect’s contributions to domestic housing design Oliver Wainwright’s otherwise well-balanced obituary for Richard Rogers (19 December) omits the key role that engineers played in his early success in realising the Pompidou Centre. In particular Peter Rice (of Arups) was responsible for researching the great strength of cast steel, used for the huge gerberette connections between columns and trusses. It was also he who devised one of the most innovative elements of the Pompidou Centre – using water-filled structural steel columns to provide fire protection. Kate Macintosh Winchester • A thread runs through Oliver Wainwright’s excellent obituary of Richard Rogers – his numerous attempts to create a better means of making domestic housing using the materials and techniques of today and the future. The best memorial to his work would be an even greater move to factory-built houses of high environmental standards, good space and potential change as their occupiers’ needs alter. David Cockayne Cheshire Continue reading...
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