Former Pell Frischmann chairman considered among the most influential engineers of the 20th century
Wilem Frischmann, former chairman of engineering firm Pell Frischmann, has died at the age of 95.
Frischmann was widely considered among the most influential engineers of his generation, best known for his work with architect Richard Seifert on schemes including Centre Point, the NatWest Tower and Drapers Gardens.
He was also known for his seminal report on the 1968 collapse of the Ronan Point tower, which led to fundamental changes to how tall buildings in the UK were designed, constructed and regulated.
Born in 1931 in Uzhhorod, a city now in western Ukraine, and of Hungarian Jewish descent, Frischmann survived the Holocaust and emigrated to the UK as a refugee at the age of 16.
He attended the Hammersmith College of Art & Building and the Imperial College London, gaining a PhD from the City University before joining small engineering practice CJ Pell & Partners in 1958.
He became a partner at the firm in 1961 and was appointed chairman in 1968. With his long-time business partner, Sudhu Prabhu, he grew the regional firm from around 30 staff to more than 1,000 with offices across the world.
Frischmann first gained widespread recognition for his work on Centre Point, built between 1963 and 1966 using high-quality prefabricated concrete which allowed the 34-storey tower to be completed without external scaffolding.
The building’s groundbreaking engineering solution led to the Treasury appointing Frischmann to investigate the cause of the partial collapse of Ronan Point, which killed four people and undermined confidence in high-rise schemes which had proliferated across the UK in the 1950s and 60s.
Frischmann was interviewed by David Frost on national television to explain why the tower had failed, while his recommendations to the government still influence tall building design today.
His other public commissions include a report on how to protect Mansion House in the City of London against ground movement caused by the Docklands Light Railway extension, work published through the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1994.
In an obituary posted on Pell Frischmann’s website, the firm described Frischmann’s personal journey from Nazi-controlled Eastern Europe to one of the western world’s foremost engineers as a “powerful story of resilience, opportunity and achievement”.
“Through determination, intellect and a lifelong curiosity for engineering, he built a career that left a lasting mark on cities around the world,” the firm said.
Pell Frischmann managing director Iain Bisset said: “Dr Wilem Frischmann’s career was defined by technical excellence, innovation and a lasting belief in what engineering can achieve. He played a leading role in the design and delivery of some of the UK’s most recognisable developments. His work helped reshape London’s skyline and established structural solutions that continue to influence the profession.
“His vision for the business still shapes Pell Frischmann today. Everyone at Pell Frischmann extends our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and former colleagues around the world.”
Frischmann was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1990 for services to engineering. He was the father of former musician Justine Frischmann, the co-founder of 1990s bands Suede and Elastica.
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