Arup (officially Arup Group Limited) is a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm has over 14,000 staff based in 92 offices across 42 countries, and is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Arup has participated in projects in over 160 countries.
Arup is owned by trusts, the beneficiaries of which are Arup's past and present employees, who receive a share of the firm's operating profit each year.
The firm was founded in London in 1946, as the Ove N. Arup Consulting Engineers by Sir Ove Nyquist Arup. Sir Ove set out to build a firm where professionals of diverse disciplines could work together to produce projects of greater quality than was achievable by them working in isolation. In 1963, together with the architect Philip Dowson, Arup Associates was formed. In 1970, the firm reformed as "Ove Arup & Partners".
It is best known for its design work for the built environment. Projects to which it has contributed include the Sydney Opera House, which is largely credited with launching Arup into the premier league of engineering consultancies. The BBC and RIBA documentary The Brits who Built the Modern World highlighted Arup’s collaboration with architects and described Arup as "the engineering firm which Lord Norman Foster and his peers Lord Richard Rogers, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Sir Michael Hopkins and Sir Terry Farrell most frequently relied upon."
Letsibogo Dam, Botswana (design and geotechnics, 1997)
Constitutional Court, Johannesburg, South Africa (multidisciplinary engineers and project manager, 2004, architect: OMM)
Scottish Livingstone Hospital, Molepolole, Botswana (design and construction supervision, 2007)
Central Terminal at OR Tambo International Airport (conceptual design, masterplanning and project management, 2009, architect: Bentel Abramson & Partners)
Green Star (South Africa), a green building rating system based on the Australian Green Star Offices Tool
Dwabor Kindergarten, Ghana (design and engineering, 2010)
Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Johannesburg to Pretoria, Sandton to OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa (concept studies and independent certification, 2010)
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, USA (mechanical and electrical engineers, 2002, architect: Rafael Moneo)
De Young Museum, San Francisco, USA (mechanical and electrical engineers, 2005, architects: Herzog & de Meuron)
Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada (structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, 2007, architect: Daniel Libeskind)
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA (structural and services engineers, 2008, architect: Renzo Piano)
Y2E2 Building, Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA (mechanical and electrical engineers, 2008, architect: Boora Architects)
New Tappan Zee Bridge (Hudson River), New York City (concept studies, 2009)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters, Seattle, WA, USA (structural and services engineers, 2011, architects: NBBJ)
Fulton Center, New York City, USA (structural engineers, 2014, HDR Daniel Frankfurt/Page Ayres Cowley Architects/Grimshaw Architects/Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects)
High Roller, Las Vegas, NV, USA (structural and electrical engineering, 2014, architects: The Hettema Group and Klai Juba Architects)
Gerald Desmond Bridge Design-Build Project, Long Beach, California (civil, structural, geotechnical design services, ongoing)
Second Avenue Subway, New York City, USA (tunnel engineering, ongoing)
Lake Mead Intake No. 3, Nevada, USA (tunnel engineering)
Druk White Lotus School was built to survive the Ladakhi weather.
Kingdom Centre, The third tallest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia, and the second tallest in Riyadh and an icon of it.
HSBC Main Building, Hong Kong (civil and structural engineers, 1985, architects: Norman Foster)
Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan (structural and services engineers, 1994, architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop)
Petron Megaplaza, Makati, Philippines (structural engineers, 1998, architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)
International Finance Centre, Hong Kong (structural and geotechnical engineers, 2003, Rocco Design Architects)
National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube), Beijing, China (design and structural engineers, 2008, architects: PTW Architects/CSCEC/CCDI)
Beijing National Stadium (the "Bird's Nest"), Beijing, China (structural engineers, 2008, architects: Herzog & de Meuron/China Architectural Design & Research Group/Ai Weiwei)
CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China (structural engineers, 2008, architects: Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren/OMA)
Fusionopolis, Singapore (structural and specialist engineers, 2008, architects: Kisho Kurokawa)
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, Telangana, India (full engineering services, 2008, architect: Integrated Design Associates)
Singapore Flyer, Singapore (structural engineers, 2008, architects: Kisho Kurokawa/DP)
Stonecutters Bridge, Hong Kong (bridge engineers, 2009, architect: Dissing+Weitling)
Dongtan Ecocity, Shanghai, China (design and masterplan, 2010, main designer: Thomas V. Harwood III)
Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China (structural engineers, 2010, architects: Mark Hemel/Barbara Kuit/IBA)
Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, Singapore (structural and specialist engineers, 2010, architects: Moshe Safdie/Aedas)
The Helix, Singapore (structural, civil, maritime, mechanical, electrical engineers, lighting designers 2010, architects: Cox Architects/a61)
Downtown Line 1 Bugis, Singapore (structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, fire, tunnel design engineers, acoustic consultants 2013, architects: Aedas)
Singapore Sports Hub, Singapore (structural and specialist engineers, 2010, architects: Arup Associates (Arup Sport)/DP Architects)
South Beach, Singapore (structural and facade engineers, sustainability consultants 2015, architects: Foster + Partners)
Capitol Development, Singapore (structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, facade, fire engineers, sustainability and vertical transportation consultants 2015, architects: Richard Meier & Partners/a61)
Tanjong Pagar Center, Singapore (structural and facade engineers, sustainability consultants 2016, architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP)
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia (structural engineers, 1973, architect: Jørn Utzon)
Melbourne Museum, Melbourne, Australia (civil and structural engineers, 2000, architects: Denton Corker Marshall)
Swan Bells, Perth, Australia (structural engineers, 2000, architects: Hames Sharley)
Goodwill Bridge, Brisbane, Australia (bridge design, 2001, architects: Cox Rayner)
National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia (structural engineers, 2001, architects: Howard Raggatt)
Lang Park redevelopment, Brisbane, Australia (masterplanning, civil and structural engineers, 2003, architects: Populous/PDT)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (structural engineers, 2003, architects: Mario Bellini)
State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (structural engineers, 2004, architects: Ancher Mortlock & Woolley)
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia (civil and structural engineers, 2005, architects: MCG5)
Australian Synchrotron, Melbourne, Victoria (specialist engineering, 2007)
Kurilpa Bridge, Brisbane, Australia (bridge design, 2009, architects: Cox Rayner)
Melbourne Recital Centre & Melbourne Theatre Company Theatre, Melbourne, Australia (acoustic and theatre engineers, 2009, architects: Ashton Raggat McDougall)
Andrew "Boy" Charlton Pool, Sydney, Australia (structural and services engineering, 2011, architects: Lippmann Associates)
Brisbane Airport Link, Brisbane, Australia (designers, 2012)
Melbourne Star, Melbourne, Australia (structural engineering, 2013)
Coventry Cathedral, UK (structural engineers, 1962, architect: Sir Basil Spence)
Kingsgate Bridge, Durham, UK (engineering design, 1966)
Greyfriars Bus Station, Northampton, UK (engineering design, 1976)
Pompidou Centre, Paris, France (structural and service engineers, 1977, architects: Renzo Piano & Richard Rogers)
The Barbican Centre, London, UK (civil and structural engineers, 1982, architects: Chamberlin, Powell and Bon)
Lloyds Building, London, UK (building engineers and project planners, 1986, architect: Richard Rogers)
Angel of the North, Gateshead, UK (advanced structural research, 1998, designer: Antony Gormley)
London Eye, London, UK (structural engineers, 2000, architect: Marks Barfield)
Millennium Bridge, London, UK (bridge engineering, 2000, architects: Foster + Partners and Sir Anthony Caro)
Øresund Bridge, Denmark / Sweden (planning and bridge engineering, 2000, architects: Dissing+Weitling)
Sony Center, Berlin, Germany (structural and environmental engineers, 2000, architect: Helmut Jahn)
HSBC Tower, London, London, UK (structural engineers, 2002, architects: Foster + Partners)
City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England, UK (Arup Associates architects, 2002)
Selfridges, Birmingham, UK (structural engineers, 2003, architect: Future Systems)
30 St Mary Axe ("The Gherkin"), London, UK (structural engineers, 2004, architect: Norman Foster)
Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (structural, civil, façade, geotechnical, blast and landscaping engineers, 2004, architect: Enric Miralles)
Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany (structural engineers, 2005, architects: Herzog & de Meuron)
Arnolfini refurbishment, Bristol, England, UK (structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, 2005, architects: Snell Associates)
Casa da Música, Porto, Portugal (building engineers, 2005: architects: Rem Koolhaas/OMA)
Restoration program of Brunel's SS Great Britain, Bristol, England, UK (civil and structural engineers, 2005, architect: Alex French Partnership)
Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul, Turkey (structural engineers, 2006, architect: Tabanlıoğlu Architects)
Nescio Bridge, Amsterdam, Netherlands (structural engineers, 2006, architect: Wilkinson Eyre)
High Speed 1, UK (rail engineering, 2007)
Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, England, UK (civil engineers, 2008, architect: Richard Rogers)
Snowdon Summit Building, Wales, UK (structural engineers, 2009, Ray Hole Architects)
Donbass Arena, Ukraine (structural engineers, 2009)
Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, Ireland (acoustic, theatre technical, structural and building services engineers, 2010, architect: Daniel Libeskind)
London Aquatics Centre, London, UK (structural and services engineers, 2012, architect: Zaha Hadid)
Shard London Bridge, London, UK (services engineers, 2013, architect: Renzo Piano)
Nou Mestalla Stadium, Valencia, Spain (structural engineers, ongoing, architects: Reid Fenwick Asociados)
Seat of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany (building services engineers, ongoing, architect: Coop Himmelb(l)au)
Lakhta Center, Saint Peterburg, Russia (verification calculation for the underground part, foundation pile base and the superstructure, ongoing, architect: Tony Kettle, RMJM)
Garden Bridge, London, UK (structural engineers, ongoing, designer: Thomas Heatherwick)
Arup had its own sports division, Arup Sport, specialising in designing, consulting and structural engineering for sporting facilities such as stadia. This group continues to work under the banner of Arup Associates following a streamlining of the Arup brand. Many of Arup's modern stadia are designed with a contemporary, distinctive edge and the company strives to revolutionise stadium architecture and performance. For instance, the Bird's Nest Stadium for the 2008 Olympics was complimented for its striking architectural appearance and the City of Manchester Stadium for the 2002 Commonwealth Games has stairless entry to the upper tiers through circular ramps outside the stadium. The most notable stadium projects led by Arup remain the City of Manchester Stadium (2002), Allianz Arena (2005), Beijing National Stadium (2008), Donbass Arena (2009) and the Singapore Sports Hub (2014).
Arup's multidisciplinary sports venue design and engineering scope on the Singapore Sports Hub won the 2013 World Architecture Festival Award in the Future Projects, Leisure Category.
The Casa da Música, Oporto, designed by Arup and Office for Metropolitan Architecture was nominated for the 2007 Stirling Prize.
Arup's work with The Druk White Lotus School, Ladakh, won them Large Consultancy Firm of the Year 2003 at the British Consultants and Construction Bureau – International Expertise Awards, 2003 building on their triple win at the 2002 World Architecture Awards.
Arup was awarded the Worldaware Award for Innovation for its Vawtex air system in Harare International School.
Arup Fire has won the Fire Safety Engineering Design award four times since its creation in 2001. The 2001 inaugural award was won for Arup's contribution to the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, the world's largest greenhouse. In 2004, the design for London's City Hall was appointed joint winner. In 2005, the Temple Mills Eurostar Depot won. The 2006 winning entry was for Amethyst House, a nine-storey building with an atrium from the ground to the top, in Manchester, UK. More recently, Dr Barbara Lane, Associate Director with Arup, won the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal for her outstanding contribution to British engineering on design of structures for fire.
Arup was also awarded Royal Town Planning Institute Consultancy of the year award in 2008.
Mike Glover is the recipient of the 2008 Institution of Structural Engineers' Gold Medal.
Arup was awarded the 2010 Live Design Excellence Award for Theatre Design for the integrated theatre and acoustic team's design for the new Jerome Robbins Theatre, created for Mikhail Baryshnikov and The Wooster Group.
The Evelyn Grace Academy, London designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and Arup won the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize 2011.
Arup was named Tunnel Design Firm of the Year at the 2012 ITA AITES International Tunnelling Awards.
Arup Fellow is a lifelong honorary title awarded to selected honorary individuals in the firm. It acknowledges the highest design and technical achievements of people, not only within the firm, but also in the industry as a whole. They are considered role models who possess world-class expertise who put theory into effective practice.
The current fellows are: Davar Abi-Zadeh, Cecil Balmond, Peter Burnton, David Caiden, Tristram Carfrae, Mark Chown, Fiona Cousins, Pat Dallard, Graham Dodd, Ian Feltham, Craig Gibbons, Peter Gist, Mike Glover, Alistair Guthrie, John Haddon, Rob Harris, Goman Ho, Naeem Hussain, Paul Johnson, Peter Johnson, Florence Lam, Barbara Lane, Chris Luebkeman, Martin Manning, Alisdair McGregor, Duncan Nicholson, Nick O'Riordan, Jack Pappin, Mahadev Raman, Rudi Scheuermann, Andy Sedgwick, Paul Sloman, Jo Da Silva, Brian Simpson, Malcolm Smith, Richard Sturt, Timothy Suen, Corinne Swain, Chris Twinn, Tony Vidago, Michael Willford and Atila Zekioglu.
Notable alumni and current staff
Sir Ove Nyquist Arup (1895–1988), structural engineer and philosopher, founder of the company, recipient of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture 1966, Institution of Structural Engineers Gold Medal 1973.
Peter Dunican (1918–1989), structural engineer, first chairman of Ove Arup Partnership (1977–1984), and President of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1977 and 1978.
Sir Jack Zunz (1923–), civil engineer, and principal structural designer of the Sydney Opera House, IStructE Gold Medal 1988.
Sir Philip Dowson (1924–2014), architect, founding partner of Arup Associates, Royal Gold Medal 1981, and President of the Royal Academy 1993–1999.
Povl Ahm (1926–2005), structural engineer, principal engineer for Coventry Cathedral, and chairman of Ove Arup & Partners 1984–1992.
Professor Sir Ted Happold (1930–1996), structural engineer, executive partner for the Pompidou Centre, and founder of Buro Happold in 1976.
Peter Rice (1935–1992), structural engineer, responsible for the roof geometry of the Sydney Opera House and the build project for the Pompidou Centre.
Dr Edmund Hambly (1942–1995), structural engineer, and president of the Institution of Civil Engineers 1994–1995.
Steven Groák (1944–1998) head of research and development at Ove Arup Partnership from 1990–1998
Cecil Balmond (1943–), structural engineer, founder of Arup's Advanced Geometry Unit, lead designer for the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the CCTV tower in Beijing, the Ito-Balmond Serpentine Pavilion, and the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
Mike Glover (1946–), civil and structural engineer, and Technical Director for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, IStructE Gold Medal 2008.
Tony Fitzpatrick (1950–2003), structural engineer, and leader of the Millennium Bridge damping project.
Sir Philip Dilley (1955–), civil engineer, Arup Group chairman 2009–2014, Chairman of London First, Chairman of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Community at the World Economic Forum.
Professor Chris Wise (1956–), structural engineer, and later Professor of Creative Design at Imperial College. He was one of the founders of Expedition Engineering in 1999.
Nille Juul-Sørensen (1958–), renown global product designer and recipient of the prestigious Elefantordenen from Margrethe II.
Tim Jarvis (1966–), environmental scientist, author and explorer.
Rogier van der Heide (1970–), lighting designer, and former leader of Arup's lighting consultancy, and later Chief Design Officer at Philips Lighting.
Mohsen ZIKRI (1947-) Mechanical & Environmental Engineer. Former Director of Arup. Notable projects: Tate Modern, Berlin Velodrome & Swimming Pool, New Singapore Stadium. Leader & Co-Author of Arup's M&E Concept Design Guide. Co-Author of RIBA's Tall Buildings' Strategic Design Guide. Lecturer at AA School of Architecture (Diploma Course, Technical Studies).
A number of its staff have left to form other companies, often with significant parallels with Arup.
In 1976, Edmund Happold (engineer for the Pompidou Centre) and six other engineers left Arup to form Buro Happold in Bath. Mark Whitby left Buro Happold to form Whitby Bird.
In 1999, Chris Wise (engineer for the Millennium Bridge) and Sean Walsh left Arup to form Expedition Engineering in London.
