People Who Shaped the History of LSCE
Professor Jan B. Obrębski (1943–2020)
Professor Jan B. Obrębski was an outstanding Polish scientist, structural engineer, and academic teacher whose research focused on structural mechanics, strength of materials, computational methods, and lightweight structures in civil engineering.
For nearly four decades, he was associated with the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, where he held numerous academic and organisational positions, including Director of the Institute of Structural Mechanics. He authored nearly 300 scientific publications, several books, and numerous original theories, algorithms, and computer programs for the analysis of complex structural systems.
One of Professor Obrębski’s most important achievements was the establishment of the IASS Polish Chapters in 1996. He played a key role in promoting the activities of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) in Poland and in developing international cooperation within the lightweight structures community.
Professor Obrębski was also the initiator, long-standing organiser, and editor of the Lightweight Structures in Civil Engineering (LSCE) conference, which became one of the longest-running conference series devoted to spatial and lightweight structures in Central Europe.
Through his scientific, organisational, and teaching activities, he had a lasting impact on the development of research on lightweight structures in Poland and abroad. His legacy is continued by the IASS Polish Chapters and subsequent editions of the LSCE Conference.
Professor Zygmunt Stanisław Makowski (1922–2005)
Professor Zygmunt Stanisław Makowski was one of the world’s leading specialists in the field of spatial structures and lightweight structural systems. Born in Warsaw, he studied in Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom, where he developed his outstanding academic career.
For many years, he was associated with the University of Surrey, where he served as professor, head of department, and dean of the Faculty of Engineering. He founded the renowned Space Structures Research Centre in Guildford, which became one of the world’s most important research centres devoted to spatial structures. He also founded and edited the International Journal of Space Structures for many years.
Professor Makowski’s achievements include research, publications, teaching, and international cooperation that had a significant influence on the development of contemporary methods for the design and analysis of spatial structures.
Professor Makowski maintained close ties with Poland and actively supported the development of the lightweight structures community. He participated in the first LSCE Conference in 1995, served as a member of its Advisory Panel, and later joined honorary committees of subsequent editions. As an Honorary Member of IASS, he remains one of the most important figures in twentieth-century structural engineering.
Professor Stéphane du Château (1908–1999)
Professor Stéphane du Château was one of the pioneers of modern spatial structures and one of the most influential architects and structural designers of the twentieth century. He was born into a family of French origin with strong ties to Poland. He studied architecture at the Lviv University of Technology and, after the Second World War, continued his professional career in France.
In 1953, he established his own design office in Paris, where he developed a number of innovative structural systems based on modular spatial structures. His best-known systems include Unibat, Pyramitec, Tridimatec, and Spherobat, which contributed to the development of lightweight structures worldwide.
He combined architectural creativity with structural innovation. His projects were realised in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. In addition to design practice, he was also active in teaching and research, receiving numerous international distinctions, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Surrey.
Professor du Château was associated with the first LSCE Conference in Warsaw in 1995 as a member of the Advisory Panel, keynote speaker, and organiser of an exhibition of his structures. His participation helped give the conference an international character from its first edition.
Professor Stefan J. Medwadowski (1924–2026)
Professor Stefan Jerzy Medwadowski was a distinguished Polish structural engineer, researcher, and designer who spent most of his professional career in the United States. He specialised in shell structures, spatial structures, and long-span engineering structures. He was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of numerous scientific publications and engineering projects of international significance.
The International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) held a special place in his professional activity. From 1983 to 1991, he served as Vice President of IASS and then as President of the organisation from 1991 to 2000. For his outstanding contribution, he was awarded Honorary Membership of IASS.
Professor Medwadowski played an important role in the development of the IASS community in Poland. During the first LSCE Conference in Warsaw in 1995, he actively supported the idea of establishing a Polish IASS group, which contributed to the creation of the IASS Polish Chapters.
For many years, he remained associated with the LSCE Conference as a participant, member of honorary committees, and ambassador of the Polish lightweight structures community in the international arena.
Professor Romuald Tarczewski
Professor Romuald Tarczewski is a Polish structural engineer, researcher, and academic teacher whose research focuses on lightweight structures, structural architecture, and spatial systems.
Since 1992, he has been associated with the Faculty of Architecture of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, where he has held numerous academic and organisational positions. His research interests include spatial structures, membrane and pneumatic structures, structural architecture, and structural topology.
Professor Tarczewski is the author and co-author of more than one hundred scientific publications and has participated in many international research projects. At the same time, he has been active in design practice, contributing to the realisation of architectural and engineering structures.
Since 1996, he has been an active member of IASS. From 2010 to 2016, he was a member of the Executive Council and subsequently the Advisory Board of the organisation. Since 2014, he has served as Chair of the IASS Polish Chapters.
As a continuator of the activities initiated by Professor Jan B. Obrębski, he has played an important role in the development of international cooperation and in the further functioning of the LSCE Conference and the lightweight structures community in Poland.
