Knippers Helbig

Knippers Helbig GmbH
Type	GmbH
Founded	2001 by Prof. Dr. Jan Knippers and Thorsten Helbig
Headquarters	Stuttgart, Germany; New York City, United States
Key people	Prof. Dr. Jan Knippers; Thorsten Helbig; Boris Peter
Products	Structural- and Facade Engineering; Geometry Optimization
Website	www.knippershelbig.com

Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering is an engineering firm based in Stuttgart and New York City. It was founded in 2001 by Prof. Dr. Jan Knippers and Dipl. Ing. Thorsten Helbig and specialises in structural design and facade engineering of German and international construction projects involving high-rise buildings, steel and timber constructions, bridges and airports. Since 2000, Prof. Knippers has been head of the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design at the University of Stuttgart. The firm works in collaboration with internationally renowned architects, like Massimiliano Fuksas, Grimshaw Architects or Stefan Behnisch and supports facade companies, such as Seele or Gartner.

The focus is on the development and programming of special solutions for complex parametrical or generated geometries of roof constructions and of façades comprising steel and glass structures, as in the façade of the Shenzhen International Airport, which features 60,000 different façade units.^[1]

The design and development of the largest membrane roof world-wide, covering the 1,000 m long and 100 m wide main entrance building on the World-Exposition in Shanghai, originates by Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering, as well as the steel and glass structure of the shopping mall MyZeil in Frankfurt on the Main and the roofing of the shopping mall Westfield near London.^[2]

Furthermore, the company experiments with innovative materials; e.g. Knippers Helbig is responsible for Europe’s first road bridge consisting of fibre-glass reinforced plastics.^[3]

Selected Projects (with completion)

2013 - Shenzhen International Airport, Shenzhen
2013 - Convention Center, Kigali
2012 - Theme Pavillon Expo 2012, Yeosu
2010 - Facades Dubai International Airport Concourse 2 + 3, Dubai
2010 - Jüberg-tower, Hemer
2010 - Expo Axis, Shanghai
2010 - Norwegian Pavillon, Expo Shanghai
2010 - Youth Center Stuttgart Bad-Cannstatt
2009 - Freeform Netshell Westfield, London
2009 - United Nations Conference Center, Bonn
2009 - Centre des Sports et des Loisirs, Luxembourg-Belair
2008 - MyZeil, Frankfurt am Main
2008 - FRP Brücke, Friedberg
2007 - Commercial and Apartment building, Mainz
2005 - Flagshipstore Peek & Cloppenburg, Köln
2005 - Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Toronto

Competitions

2011 - Quartier M Highrise in Düsseldorf with Jürgen Mayer H.: 1. Prize
2011 - Berlin Trade Fair with Wulf Architects: 2. Prize
2011 - Lansberg Pedestrian Bridge: 1. Prize
2010 - Kaohsiung Marine Gateway, Taiwan with Asymptote Architecture: 2. Prize
2010 - IBA Building Complex in Hamburg with Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten: 1. Prize
2010 - Exhibition Hall and Station in Kirchberg, Luxembourg with Pohl Architekten Stadtplaner, and SteinmetzDemeyer, architectes urbanistes: 1. Prize
2010 - Central busstation, Kiel, with Giorgio Gulotta Architects: 2. Prize
2010 - Footbridge 'Margaretengürtel' in Vienna with Knight Architects: 1. Prize
2010 - Karlsplatz Stuttgart with Behnisch Architekten: 1. Prize
2010 - Wilhelmspalais in Stuttgart with Lederer+Ragnarsdóttir+Oei: 1. Prize
2009 - Trainstation Cessange, Luxembourg with Pohl Architekten und Steinmetzdemeyer: 2. Prize
2009 - Pedestrian Bridges, Opladen with Knight Architects: 1. Prize
2008 - Head office Wala Foundation with H4A Gessert Randecker Architekten: 1. Prize
2008 - Shenzhen International Airport with Massimiliano Fuksas: 1. Prize
2007 - Gewandhaus Dresden with Cheret Bozic: 1. Prize
2004 - Frankfurt International Airport Terminal 3 with Foster and Partners: 2. Prize