Fazlur Khan (1929-1982) was a Bangladeshi-American civil engineer celebrated for his groundbreaking work in high-rise construction and is known as the "father of tubular designs". His innovative "bundled tube" system, which used clustered steel cylinders to form a strong column, revolutionized skyscraper construction. Khan's notable projects include Chicago's John Hancock Center and Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), among the world's tallest buildings. His designs minimized steel usage, eliminated internal wind braces, and allowed flexible interior spaces. Later in his career, Khan also designed the Hajj Terminal at the King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdulaziz University, both in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

What kind of engineering did Fazlur Khan work in?

Fazlur Khan was a structural engineer, a branch of civil engineering that focuses on designing and constructing structures such as buildings. He is known for his innovative work with high-rise buildings, including Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and the John Hancock Center . Khan's "tubular structure system" revolutionized skyscraper construction.

What are some famous buildings designed by Fazlur Khan?

Fazlur Khan, known as the "father of tubular designs," was a structural engineer who innovated high-rise building construction. Some of his famous projects include: * John Hancock Center : A 100-story mixed-use skyscraper in Chicago. Khan served as structural engineer, along with architect Bruce Graham. * Sears Tower (now Willis Tower): Khan's first skyscraper to employ the "bundled tube" structural system, which consists of clustered steel cylinders that form a thicker column. This minimized the amount of steel needed, eliminated internal wind braces, and allowed more flexible interior space. * Haj Terminal of the King Abdulaziz International Airport: Located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

What engineering innovations is Fazlur Khan known for?

Fazlur Khan was a Bangladeshi-American civil engineer celebrated for his innovative approach to high-rise building construction. He is known as the "father of tubular designs". Khan's notable projects include Chicago's John Hancock Center and Sears (now Willis) Tower , among the world's tallest buildings. The Sears Tower was the first to use his "bundled tube" structural system, which groups narrow steel cylinders to form a thicker column. This system reduced the amount of steel needed, eliminated internal wind braces, and allowed more flexible interior spaces.

How did Fazlur Khan’s methods change the way skyscrapers are built?

Fazlur Khan , known as the "father of tubular designs," revolutionized skyscraper construction with innovative structural systems. His tubular structure system, acting as an exterior skeleton, allowed skyscrapers to reach unprecedented heights. Khan's "bundled tube" design, first used in the Sears (now Willis) Tower, groups narrow steel cylinders to form thicker columns. This minimized steel usage, eliminated internal wind braces, and enabled flexible interior layouts. His innovations also include perimeter-framed tubes in concrete high-rises, like the DeWitt–Chestnut Apartments, using closely spaced columns for lateral stability. These methods have greatly influenced modern skyscraper design.

Why is Fazlur Khan considered important in the history of architecture and engineering?

Fazlur Khan was a Bangladeshi-American civil engineer and architect, and is known as the "father of tubular designs" because of his innovations in high-rise building construction. Khan's tubular structure system, which acts as an exterior skeleton, allowed skyscrapers to reach new heights. His many skyscraper projects include Chicago’s John Hancock Center and Sears (now Willis) Tower , which are among the world’s tallest buildings. The Willis Tower was the first to employ the "bundled tube" structural system, which consists of a group of narrow steel cylinders that are clustered together to form a thicker column. This minimized the amount of steel needed for high towers and eliminated internal wind braces.

Fazlur Khan

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The Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, rises above the Chicago skyline with its distinctive black, tiered structure and twin antennae, surrounded by other downtown buildings.

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In full:: Fazlur Rahman Khan

Born:: April 3, 1929, Dacca, India [now Dhaka, Bangladesh]

Died:: March 27, 1982, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (aged 52)

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Fazlur Khan

American engineer

Also known as: Fazlur Rahman Khan

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Top Questions

Who was Fazlur Khan?
Fazlur Khan (1929-1982) was a Bangladeshi-American civil engineer celebrated for his groundbreaking work in high-rise construction and is known as the "father of tubular designs". His innovative "bundled tube" system, which used clustered steel cylinders to form a strong column, revolutionized skyscraper construction.

Khan's notable projects include Chicago's John Hancock Center and Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), among the world's tallest buildings. His designs minimized steel usage, eliminated internal wind braces, and allowed flexible interior spaces. Later in his career, Khan also designed the Hajj Terminal at the King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdulaziz University, both in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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What kind of engineering did Fazlur Khan work in?
Fazlur Khan was a structural engineer, a branch of civil engineering that focuses on designing and constructing structures such as buildings. He is known for his innovative work with high-rise buildings, including Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and the John Hancock Center. Khan's "tubular structure system" revolutionized skyscraper construction.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some famous buildings designed by Fazlur Khan?
Fazlur Khan, known as the "father of tubular designs," was a structural engineer who innovated high-rise building construction.

Some of his famous projects include:
* John Hancock Center: A 100-story mixed-use skyscraper in Chicago. Khan served as structural engineer, along with architect Bruce Graham.
* Sears Tower (now Willis Tower): Khan's first skyscraper to employ the "bundled tube" structural system, which consists of clustered steel cylinders that form a thicker column. This minimized the amount of steel needed, eliminated internal wind braces, and allowed more flexible interior space.
* Haj Terminal of the King Abdulaziz International Airport: Located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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1. Fazlur Khan
2. John Hancock Center
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What engineering innovations is Fazlur Khan known for?
Fazlur Khan was a Bangladeshi-American civil engineer celebrated for his innovative approach to high-rise building construction. He is known as the "father of tubular designs".

Khan's notable projects include Chicago's John Hancock Center and Sears (now Willis) Tower, among the world's tallest buildings. The Sears Tower was the first to use his "bundled tube" structural system, which groups narrow steel cylinders to form a thicker column. This system reduced the amount of steel needed, eliminated internal wind braces, and allowed more flexible interior spaces.
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2. Fazlur Khan
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How did Fazlur Khan’s methods change the way skyscrapers are built?
Fazlur Khan, known as the "father of tubular designs," revolutionized skyscraper construction with innovative structural systems. His tubular structure system, acting as an exterior skeleton, allowed skyscrapers to reach unprecedented heights.

Khan's "bundled tube" design, first used in the Sears (now Willis) Tower, groups narrow steel cylinders to form thicker columns. This minimized steel usage, eliminated internal wind braces, and enabled flexible interior layouts. His innovations also include perimeter-framed tubes in concrete high-rises, like the DeWitt–Chestnut Apartments, using closely spaced columns for lateral stability. These methods have greatly influenced modern skyscraper design.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is Fazlur Khan considered important in the history of architecture and engineering?
Fazlur Khan was a Bangladeshi-American civil engineer and architect, and is known as the "father of tubular designs" because of his innovations in high-rise building construction.

Khan's tubular structure system, which acts as an exterior skeleton, allowed skyscrapers to reach new heights. His many skyscraper projects include Chicago’s John Hancock Center and Sears (now Willis) Tower, which are among the world’s tallest buildings. The Willis Tower was the first to employ the "bundled tube" structural system, which consists of a group of narrow steel cylinders that are clustered together to form a thicker column. This minimized the amount of steel needed for high towers and eliminated internal wind braces.
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Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Fazlur Khan (born April 3, 1929, Dacca, India [now Dhaka, Bangladesh]—died March 27, 1982, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) was a Bangladeshi American civil engineer known for his innovations in high-rise building construction. He is regarded as the “father of tubular designs” for his contributions.

Khan initially attended the Bengal Engineering College at the University of Calcutta in what is now Kolkata, India, but he was forced to leave during his final year due to the violent upheaval caused by India’s partition. He went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Ahsanullah Engineering College (now Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology) in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1950 Khan worked as assistant engineer for the local highway department and taught at the University of Dacca (now University of Dhaka). After qualifying for a scholarship in 1952, he enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received master’s degrees in both applied mechanics and structural engineering and a Ph.D. in structural engineering.

“When thinking design, I put myself in the place of a whole building, feeling every part. In my mind I visualize the stresses and twisting a building undergoes.”

—Khan in Engineering News-Record, 1972

Khan then returned briefly to Pakistan and won an important position as executive engineer of the Karachi Development Authority. Frustrated by administrative demands that kept him from design work, however, he returned to the United States and joined the prestigious architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago in 1955, eventually becoming a partner in 1966. In 1967 Khan became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

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Willis TowerBefore the Sears (now Willis) Tower (right) was built in the early 1970s, many people at the time thought that skyscrapers were too expensive to continue making. However, Fazlur Khan, the tower's structural engineer, had the idea to use a tubular frame to save on material costs.

When Bruce Graham of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill asked Khan in 1962 how to build a structure that was within their budget, Khan bought a bamboo stick from a flower shop. He showed it to Graham and reportedly stated, “This is the most economical and most efficient structure for building a skyscraper.”

Khan’s many skyscraper projects include Chicago’s John Hancock Center (1970) and Sears (now Willis) Tower (1973), which are among the world’s tallest buildings. The Sears Tower was his first skyscraper to employ the “bundled tube” structural system, which consists of a group of narrow steel cylinders that are clustered together to form a thicker column. This innovative system minimized the amount of steel needed for high towers, eliminated internal wind braces (since the perimeter columns bear the weight of the wind force), and permitted freer organization of the interior space.

Khan’s later projects include the strikingly original Haj Terminal of the King Abdulaziz International Airport (1976–81) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and King Abdulaziz University (1977–78), also in Jeddah. He died of a heart attack at age 52 while in Jeddah and is buried in Chicago.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Tara Ramanathan.

Fazlur Khan

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