INTERVIEW

WITH

FAZLUR R. KHAN

Compiled under the auspices of the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries The Art Institute of Chicago Copyright © 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface ii

Outline of topics iii

Interview 1

Selected bibliography 157

Biographical profile 160

Index of names and buildings 162

i

PREFACE

In 1992 Liselotte Khan, widow of Fazlur R.Khan, donated a collection of his papers to the Ryerson & Burnham Archives. Subsequently, Dr. Khan's daughter Yasmin Khan has made additional gifts to the archives that included a 156-page unedited transcript of an autobiographical interview that Dr. Khan taped in 1978. The occasion or reason for the commentary is unknown.

The Ryerson & Burnham Archives wish to express its great appreciation to Yasmin Khan for giving her permission to add this interview to the Chicago Architects Oral History Project, where it joins those of his partners at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The archives also wish to acknowledge the contribution of Karen Ambrose to the preparation of the transcript.

Mary K. Woolever Art & Architecture Archivist July 2014

ii

OUTLINE OF TOPICS

Childhood and his father’s influence 1

Early education 5

University studies in Calcutta 11

Chooses to study engineering at the University of Dacca 13

Fulbright Scholarship to attend the University of Illinois 29

First impressions of Americans and value of travel 35

Civil and structural engineering studies at University of Illinois 44

Joins Skidmore, Owings & Merrill 52

Air Force Academy 59

Return to Karachi and Dacca to work 64

Return to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill 69

United Airlines Building 73

Evergreen Plaza 82

Brunswick Building 84

Tube concept and working with Bruce Graham 91

Teaching at I.I.T. and tutoring 93

Design and construction of the John Hancock Building, Chicago 96

One Shell Plaza, Houston 112

New structural systems developed for SOM buildings 121

iii

Sears Tower, Chicago 127

Broken Hill Property, Melbourne Australia 132

King Abdul Aziz University, Mecca (Makkah) 138

Haj Terminal, Jeddah International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 149

Architects and engineers working together 152

iv

INTERVIEW PAGES (P.1-156) ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ONSITE AT THE RYERSON & BURNHAM LIBRARIES

v

SELECTED WORKS BY FAZLUR R. KHAN

Abbreviations used: ACI American Concrete Institute ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers IABSE International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering

“Load Test of 120-ft Precast, Prestressed Bridge Girder.” With Andrew J. Brown. ACI Journal, Proceedings 55 (July 1958): 139–150. “Interaction of Shear Walls and Frames.” With John A. Sbarounis. Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE 90 (June 1964): 285–335. “Optimum Design of Glass in Buildings.” Building Research 4 (May–June 1967): 45–48. “The Nature of High-Rise Buildings.” Inland Architect 10 (July 1967): 6–11. “Shock-Absorbing Soft Story Concept for Multistory Earthquake Structures.” With Mark Fintel. ACI Journal, Proceedings 66 (May 1969): 381–390. Paper presented at the ACI Annual Convention (Los Angeles, March 1968) as “A New Approach to Earthquake Design of Multistory Structures.” “Analysis and Design of the 100-Story John Hancock Center in Chicago (U.S.A.).” With Srinivasa H. Iyengar and Joseph P. Colaco. Acier-Stahl-Steel (June 1968): 271– 274. “Effects of Column Temperature, Creep and Shrinkage in Tall Structures.” With Mark Fintel. In Eighth Congress, Final Report (New York, 1968), by IABSE. Zurich: IABSE, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 1969. “Optimization of Building Structures.” University of Illinois Bulletin 66 (14 February 1969): 23–35. “The Chicago School Grows Up.” Architectural & Engineering News 11 (June 1969): 2–5. “Recent Structural Systems in Steel for High-Rise Buildings.” In Proceedings of the Conference on Steel in Architecture (London, 1969), by British Constructional Steelwork Association. London: British Constructional Steelwork Association, 1970. “Lightweight Concrete for Total Design of One Shell Plaza.” SP29-1 in Lightweight Concrete, SP29, by ACI. Detroit: ACI, 1971.

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“Caisson Construction Problems and Correction in Chicago.” With Clyde N. Baker Jr. Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE 97 (February 1971): 417– 440. “Service Criteria for Tall Buildings for Wind Loading.” With Richard A. Parmelee. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Wind Effects on Buildings and Structures (Tokyo, 1971). Tokyo: Saikon, 1971. “Influence of Design Criteria on Selection of Structural Systems for Tall Buildings.” In Proceedings of the Canadian Structural Engineering Conference (Toronto, 1972). Toronto: Canadian Steel Industries Construction Council, 1972. “The Future of Highrise Structures.” Progressive Architecture 53 (October 1972): 78–85. “Systems Engineering for Large Projects.” Paper presented at the Structural Seminar Series, ASCE, Chicago, May 1973. “The Sears Tower (Chicago): World’s Tallest Building.” With Hal S. Iyengar and John J. Zils. Acier-Stahl-Steel 38 (July–August 1973): 308–313. “Newer Structural Systems and Their Effect on the Changing Scale of Cities.” Parts 1 and 2. Schweizerische Bauzeitung (Zurich; 7 and 21 November 1974): 1013–1024, 1047–1060. “Changing Scale of the Cities.” Consulting Engineer (April 1974): 69–73. “Architecture in Developing Countries.” In Problems Associated with Design and Construction in Developing Countries: IABSE Symposium, München 1977, Final Report, by IABSE. Zurich: IABSE, 1978. “Performance of One Shell Plaza Deep Mat Foundation.” With John A. Focht Jr. and J. Peter Gemeinhardt. Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE 104 (May 1978): 593–608. “Creative Teaching and Its Influence on Innovative Concrete Structures.” SP72-16 in Significant Developments in Engineering Practice and Research, SP72, by ACI. Detroit: ACI, 1981. “Will Society Permit the Megastructure?” The 50 Year Span, supplement to New Civil Engineer (August 1980): 46–47. “Structural Aesthetics in Architecture and Its Social and Technological Relevance." In Eleventh Congress, Final Report (Vienna, 1980), by IABSE. Zurich: IABSE, 1980.

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“Five Million Square Foot Tent Roof.” With John J. Zils and Mohammed Salem. Civil Engineering, ASCE 50 (December 1980): 68–71. “Application of Traditional Muslim Planning Principles to a Contemporary Arab Environment: A Case Study of Umm al- Qura University, Makkah.” In The Arab City: Its Character and Islamic Cultural Heritage, Ismail Serageldin and Samir El-Sadek, with Richard R. Herbert (eds.). Arlington, VA: I. Serageldin, 1982. “100 Storey John Hancock Center, Chicago: A Case Study of the Design Process.” Engineering Structures 5 (January 1983): 10–14. Paper presented at the IABSE Symposium, Selection of Structural Forms (London, September 1981).

SELECTED WORKS ABOUT FAZLUR R. KHAN

Ali, Mir M. Art of the Skyscraper: the Genius of Fazlur Khan. New York: Rizzoli, 2001.

Khan, Yasmin Sabina. Engineering Architecture: the Vision of Fazlur R. Khan. New York: W.W.Norton, 2004.

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BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Born: 3 April 1929, Dacca, East Pakistan (Bangladesh)

Died: 27 March 1982, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Education: University of Dacca, B.S. Engineering 1950 University of Illinois, M.S. Structural Engineering 1953; M.S. Theoretical and Applied Mechanics 1955; Ph.D. Structural Engineering 1955

Work experience: Karachi Development Authority 1958–1960 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill,

Chicago, 1960–1982

Award-winning projects: United Air Lines, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, 1962 Business Men's Assurance Company of America, Kansas City, Missouri, 1964 Brunswick Building, Chicago, Illinois 1965 Equitable Life Assurance Society, Chicago, Illinois 1965 Connecticut Mutual Insurance Company, Chicago, Illinois 1967 Boots Pure Drug Company Headquarters, Nottingham, England, 1968 Gateway Office Buildings I and II, Chicago, Illinois 1968 John Hancock Center, Chicago, Illinois 1970

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First Wisconsin Center Bank, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1974 Fourth Financial Center, Wichita, Kansas, 1974 Sears Tower, Chicago, Illinois 1974 W.D and W.O. Wills Corporation, Bristol, England, 1974 Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Deerfield, Illinois, 1975 Banco de Occidente, Guatemala City, Guatemala, 1977 Sixty State Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 1977 Haj Terminal, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Three First National Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 1981 Madison Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 1982 One Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Illinois, 1982

Awards: Engineering News-Record, “Construction’s Man of the Year,” 1972 Northwestern University, Honorary Doctor of Science, 1972 National Academy of Engineering, 1973 American Society of Civil Engineers, Ernest E. Howard Award, 1977 Lehigh University, Honorary Doctor of Engineering, 1980 International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering, International Award of Merit in Structural Engineering, 1982

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INDEX OF NAMES AND BUILDINGS

Ahmed, Munir 65, 140, 142, 144, 146 Allen, Roy 141-142 Ashid, Kasin 65

Beck, Henry 118 Behr, Rick 147, 148 Broken Hill Proprietary Headquaters Building (Melbourne, Australia) 132-133, 134-136 Brown, Andy 52-53, 54, 56-57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 70, 77, 80 Brunswick Building (Chicago, IL) 84, 85-86, 87, 88, 90, 101, 114 Bunshaft, Gordon 149-153, 155

Candelas, George 143 Cook County Administration Building (Chicago, IL) see Brunswick Building

DeWitt-Chestnut Apartments (Chicago, IL) 91-92

Elligator, Mark Mort 102 Evergreen Plaza (Evergreen Park, IL) 81, 82, 84, 87

Fink, John 106, 107 First National Bank (Columbus, OH) 131 First Wisconsin Bank Building (Milwaukee, WI) 136-137

Gateway Building 3 (Chicago, IL) 123 Goldsmith, Myron 73, 85, 86, 93-94, 95, 99, 100-101 Graham, Bruce 73, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83,84-85, 86, 87, 90-91, 96-97, 98-99, 101, 102-103, 105, 109, 110,112, 113, 114-115, 121, 123, 124, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 154 Great Lakes (IL) Naval Training Center 56 Griffith, Jim 89, 90 Gupta, Hem 51-52

Haj [Hajj] Terminal (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) 149-152 see also King Abdul Aziz International Airport Hancock (John) Center (Chicago, IL) 96-112, 119, 127, 128 Hartford Insurance Building (Houston, TX) 121 Hartmann, William 77, 99, 102, 103, 136, 141 Hines, Gerald 112, 113-114, 116, 117-118, 119, 121, 122, 123, 125 Holly, Miles 108-109 Holmes, Allen 55

Iyengar, Hal 85, 100, 128, 137, 138

Jahn, Helmut 134

King Abdul Aziz International Airport (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) 138-139, 143, 147-148 see also Haj Terminal Kraft, Fred 81

162

Lambert, Phyllis 93, 94-95 Lin, T. Y. 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 Lockett, Al 59, 99, 148

Marine Midland Building (Rochester, NY) 126 Maskeliumas 82 Mecca University (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) 140, 141, 147-148, 153 Moini 140, 142 Morse, Carl 105, 127, 129

Nassief, Colonel 140-141, 142, 143, 144, 145 Nassief, Dr. 142, 146 Netsch, Walter 57, 84

One Main Place (Dallas, TX) 118, 152 One Shell Plaza (Houston, TX) 112, 121 One Shell Square (New Orleans, LA) 122, 123 Oppenheim, Mike 106, 107-108, 110, 123-124

Patton, Barry 132-133, 134-135 Peck, Ralph 46, 48-49 Picardi, Al 70, 73, 77, 80, 81, 84, 87, 89, 97, 98, 99, 100, 109, 110, 111 Plaza on DeWitt, see DeWitt-Chestnut Apartments Purcell, Phil 124

Rothman, Herbert 101, 103

Sasaki, Mike 96, 97 Sears Tower (Chicago, IL) 127, 128, 129, 130-131, 137-138 Seiss, Chester 109 Seltz, Mike 141 Serwatkiewicz, Bob 98, 100 Severinghaus, Walter 92 Shchickleer, Adrian 41-44 Shedd, Thomas 45-46, 48, 50 Sheik Hassan Ali Sheikh, 147 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill 52, 69, 73, 76, 79, 83, 84, 88, 111, 124-125, 133, 135, 136, 141, 142, 154, 156 Smith, Don 139 Smith, J. O. 48, 50

Tanaka 149 Teng, Steve 54-55, 73 Tishman, John 105, 107, 121, 123-124, 126 Train, Jack 57, 77 Two Shell Plaza (Houston, TX) 125-126

United Airlines Headquarters Complex (Elk Grove Village, IL) 73-80, 81, 82, 83, 108 United States Air Force Academy, Chapel (Colorado Springs, CO) 52, 53, 54, 57-62

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Weidlinger, Paul 87-88, 101, 102-103, 105, 152-153 Wildermuth, Gordon 138, 139, 141, 142, 143, 144-145, 147, 148 Wolman, Jerry 92, 96 World Trade Center (New York, NY) 102

Zabban, Zeno 144, 146, 147

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