Isabel Soto Antunez: The Design Engineer and the Architect, France, 1970–2000: Practices, Networks, and Knowledge Transfer in the Engineering Landscape

The aim of this research is to study and understand a period in the history of architecture and technology that shaped the transformation of the French engineering landscape at the turn of the 21st century. The years 1970–2000 were marked by upheavals and reforms that have left a lasting impact on today’s construction industry.
On an international scale, the Meadows Report (1972) and the quest for material efficiency through the development of lightweight structures marked the beginning of a complex debate concerning lifestyles and production methods. In France, the early 1970s coincided with the end of the Trente Glorieuses (1946–1975) and the post-1968 era.

Before the end of the Trente Glorieuses, architectural construction in France was still heavily influenced by the post-war reconstruction period. It was characterised by post-war needs, during which industrialisation had had a profound impact on the art of building, as well as by the tradition of reinforced concrete in French construction. The post-1968 era marked a turning point in French society, prompting reflection on new needs and new construction policies. Georges Pompidou’s term in office (1969–1974) gave rise to research driven by architectural innovation and the emergence of major international competitions. In terms of architectural education, the post-1968 era represented a break with the tradition of the École des Beaux-Arts, according to which the architect was to deal with the art and the engineer with the technical aspects. In this context, the role of the engineer was encouraged to change.

What appears to have begun as a socio-cultural shift and a period of political upheaval led, during this time, to the completion of projects presenting major technical challenges, thereby playing a key role in elevating the status of the French consulting engineer to a leading position within the architectural design team. The Centre Pompidou, the glasshouses and stretched-fabric roofs at La Villette, the Louvre Pyramid, and Hall 2F of the Roissy terminal at Charles de Gaulle Airport all reveal the undeniable importance accorded to structure, which even became a defining feature of the architecture itself.

This period leaves a tangible mark that manifests itself through various projects: from the technical language developed in his buildings to the design and communication tools used (such as calculation software, models and drawing books), amongst other things. But this mark is also intangible, as it represents a truly unique approach to the profession that emerges through these practices. The collected body of work covers project design, the functioning of architectural practices and the careers of lead architects, in the form of archives and interviews to be conducted with a range of key figures from this period. The thesis examines how these projects and buildings were realised, and how their rationale and processes reveal and transform ways of working: networks, professions and practices.