TALL BUILDINGS LECTURES: David Billington

David Billington, Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering and emeritus professor of civil and environmental Engineering, reflects upon his personal and professional experiences with Fazlur Khan in this lecture titled "Personal and Professional Reflections about a Great Engineer."

Khan was a structural engineer who significantly advanced the design of urban buildings and is most famous for his designs of the John Hancock Center and Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.


Khan is the subject of an exhibition at Princeton's Engineering Library in the Friend Center that was curated by Maria E. Moreyra Garlock, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Sigrid Adriaenssens, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. The lecture and accompanying exhibit commemorate 10 years since the tragic events of September 11 by honoring Khan's contributions to the engineering profession of building design.

This collection of talks on skyscrapers includes interviews with three giants in the field of structural engineering -- Bill Baker, Leslie Robertson, and Guy Nordenson -- as well as a lecture by David Billington on Fazlur Khan. These experts hold forth a wide range of subjects, from design inspiration to sustainability to cultural differences in building.

These talks were sponsored by Princeton's department of civil and environmental engineering.