Arup was originally established in 1946 by Ove Arup as Ove N. Arup Consulting Engineers. Arup envisioned the company being a force for peace and social betterment, that it would continuously pursue a progressive philosophy.
Pier Luigi Nervi was hailed as a master of structural engineering and architectural form; a "poet in concrete". is known worldwide as a structural engineer and architect and for his innovative use of reinforced concrete, especially with numerous notable thin shell structures worldwide.
Nervi began practicing civil engineering after 1923. His projects in the 1930s included several airplane hangars that were important for his development as an engineer. A set of hangars in Orvieto (1935) were built entirely out of reinforced concrete, and a second set in Orbetello and Torre del Lago (1939) improved the design by using a lighter roof, precast ribs, and a modular construction method.[1]
During the 1940s he developed ideas for reinforced concrete which helped in the rebuilding of many buildings and factories throughout Western Europe, and even designed and created a boat hull that was made of reinforced concrete as a promotion for the Italian government.
Nervi also stressed that intuition should be used as much as mathematics in design, especially with thin shell structures.[citation needed] He borrowed from both Roman and Renaissancearchitecture while applying ribbing and vaulting to improve strength and eliminate columns. He combined simple geometry and prefabrication to innovate design solutions.
