Structural engineering is vital in the modern world. It allows buildings, bridges and complexes to be built and to operate in a safe and effective manner. Although the design of structures dates back thousands of years, the discipline went through a coming of age at the beginning of the 20th Century, culminating in the formation of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) in 1908. IStructE is now the world's largest professional body dedicated to structural engineering with over 23,000 members in over 100 countries.
2008 is IStructE’s Centenary year. To celebrate this, the Institution commissioned renowned architectural artist, Stephen Wiltshire MBE, to create an imaginary cityscape with iconic structures from around the world, all built in the last hundred years. These landmarks all represent some of the finest examples of structural design in the modern era.
You can now vote for your favourite structure from Stephen’s cityscape – if you pick the most popular one, you will go into a prize draw to win either a personally signed copy of the artwork or a Nintendo Wii console. In making your choice, the Institution hopes you will consider the expertise, creativity and ingenuity of the structural engineers that have helped shape the 20th Century and beyond.
Stephen’s cityscape artwork is available for purchase as limited and open edition mounted prints, and is also featured on coffee mugs and mouse mats.