Today's Google Doodle shows the structural design innovator overseeing his life's work
From his early life in Bangladesh to the pioneering tube structure that enabled him to sculpt the modern cityscape, here are five things you need to know.
Khan invented the tube principle around which all modern skyscrapers are designed
Hired by the prestigious Chicago firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Fazlur quickly distinguished himself with an innovative new design for high-rise buildings known as the tube concept.
Khan proposed using the perimeter wall of a building to mimic a thin tube rather than designing structures around a solid central core, thus better enabling tall towers to withstand the impact of horizontal forces, such as high winds or earthquake vibrations. The innovation also drastically reduced construction costs and environmental impact as it required fewer materials to execute.
Khan’s radical rethinking of how skyscrapers were structured proved a game-changer, allowing far taller buildings to be realised. Khan’s principle meant that, in terms of architectural design, the sky was quite literally the limit - as the abundance of ever-taller towers being unveiled in the UAE today amply demonstrates.
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