Ulrik Plesner (architect, born 1930)


James John Ulrik Plesner was a Danish architect who has mainly worked abroad, most notably in Sri Lanka and Israel.

Early life

Ulrik Plesner was born in Florence, Italy. His father was Professor Johan Frederik Plesner, a Danish historian who was studying for a doctorate in Medieval history. His mother was Kathleen Risk. He is the grandnephew of Danish architect Ulrik Adolph Plesner. The family moved to Denmark when he was four.

Career

Plesner graduated from Herlufsholm School in 1955 and was employed by Kay Fisker between 1956 - 57.
As a newly qualified architect Plesner won 5 prizes, alone and in collaboration with others. After winning 3rd prize in a competition for a Buddha monument in India and thus gaining a name for himself in Asia, he was invited to Sri Lanka in 1958 and stayed there till 1967. He first worked for Sri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva and then was made partner in Geoffrey Bawa's studio in Colombo. Together they built Ekala Industrial Estate, Good Shepherd Chapel Bandarawela, Polontolawa house, St. Thomas Preparatory School, and many other buildings, mainly schools, factories, private houses and hotels. The buildings bear witness to an understanding of the local building traditions and the tropical climate while using modern building techniques.
In 1967 he went to London, where he was at Arup Associates until 1972. At Arup Plesner was responsible for the Oxford Mail and Times 'building, Kensington and Chelsea New Central Depot and Housing and was architectural consultant on highway bridges. 1972 he moved to Israel and established his own office in Jerusalem in the same year. Plesner was city architect in Jerusalem 1976 - 77, where he worked on a new urban plan, and architect of the World Bank 1980 - 87. He has designed Bet Gabriel cultural centre, adopting elements of the regional building traditions. For a short period, he moved his studio to Copenhagen in 1987 and joined forces with Dan Wajnman. In the competition for Copenhagen harbor, he attended 1985 with an acclaimed project. His most important work in Denmark is the Slotsarkaderne shopping mall in Hillerød.
From 1972 until his death, he lived in Tel Aviv and ran an architectural firm with his two daughters, architects Daniela Plesner and Maya Plesner.

Awards

Ulrik Plesner has received the Jerusalem Prize for Architecture 1982, Margot and Thorvald Dreyer's Honorary Award 1985, Nykredit Architecture Prize and Eckersberg Medal in 1987. In 2011, he was awarded the C.F. Hansen Medal.

Private life

Plesner was married on 7 January 1966 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Israeli journalist and lecturer Tamar Liebes, born on 28 September 1943 in Jerusalem to classical philologist, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Joseph Gerhard Julius Liebes and ceramicist Miriam Leibowitz. Their son, Yohanan Plesner, is an Israeli political scientist and former politician who served in the Knesset between 2007 and 2013. Their two daughters, Daniela and Maya Plesner, both graduated the Bezalel Academy of Architecture, and continue leading, and working at, the Tel Aviv architecture firm founded by their father in 1972.

Works

Sri Lanka