Otto, Frei Paul

Otto, Frei Paul

(frī pă˘o͝ol ô`tō), 1925–2015, German architect. Most notable for his tensile and pneumatic structures, Otto was among the first major architects to experiment with lightweight design. He was a noted designer of exhibition tents and sports arenas. Otto also experimented with pneumatic membranes stabilized and maintained by means of air and gas pressure. Structures built with these membranes have been used for oil-storage tanks, grain silos, and greenhouses. In 2015 he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize.