Fazlur Khan

Fazlur Rahman Khan
Fazlur Rahman Khan
Native name	ফজলুর রহমান খান
Born	3 April 1929 Dhaka, British India
Died	27 March 1982(1982-03-27) (aged 52) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Resting place	Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois
Nationality	American
Education	Bengal Engineering College Shibpur, Ahsanullah Engineering College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Engineering career
Discipline	Architectural, civil, structural
Significant design	John Hancock Center, Willis Tower, Hajj Terminal, King Abdulaziz University, One Magnificent Mile, Onterie Center
Awards	Aga Khan Award for Architecture Independence Day Award, AIA Institute Honor for Distinguished Achievement

Fazlur Rahman Khan (Bengali: ফজলুর রহমান খান, Fozlur Rôhman Khan) (3 April 1929 – 27 March 1982) was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect who initiated important structural systems for skyscrapers. Considered the "father of tubular designs" for high-rises, Khan was also a pioneer in computer-aided design (CAD). He was the designer of the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), the tallest building in the world until 1998 and the 100-story John Hancock Center.

Khan, more than any other individual, ushered in a renaissance in skyscraper construction during the second half of the 20th century. He has been called the "Einstein of structural engineering" and the "Greatest Structural Engineer of the 20th Century" for his innovative use of structural systems that remain fundamental to modern skyscraper construction. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat established the Fazlur R. Khan lifetime achievement medal in his honor.

Although best known for skyscrapers, Khan was also an active designer of other kinds of structures, including the Hajj airport terminal, the McMath–Pierce solar telescope, and several stadium structures.

Fazlur Rahman Khan was born 3 April 1929 in Dhaka in the Bengal province of British India (Dhaka became part of Pakistan after 1947 and now Bangladesh since 1971). He was brought up in the village of Bhandarikandii, in the Faridpur district near Dhaka. His father Abdur was a high school mathematics teacher and textbook author. He eventually became the Director of Public Instruction in the region of Bengal and after retirement served as Principal of Jagannath College, Dhaka.