Speakers

Nils joined ZHA in 2004 and has since developed a large design portfolio spanning Europe, the Middle East and Asia. His extensive experience in delivering cultural facilities, include performing arts venues and museums, as well as projects involving novelty design, engineering and construction solutions. In recent years Nils has worked on complex high-rise structures, recently set the world construction speed record for high-rise buildings with the Nanjing International Youth Cultural
Centre in China.

Nils founded ZHA’s computational design research group (CODE), developing next-generation technologies for form-finding and rationalisation. He also co-leads Cluster 1, a business unit within ZHA which focuses on large cultural, infrastructure and transportation projects.

Prior to ZHA, Nils worked for ABB Architekten and Bernhard Franken Architekten in Frankfurt on awardwinning projects for BMW, as well as a freelance engineering consultant on projects by Massimiliano Fuksas.

EXPERIENCE
Nils is currently a project director for Theatre de Rabat in Morocco. This €120 million project includes a 1,800-seat grand theatre, a 7,000 capacity amphitheatre, as well as a 130-seat multi-purpose theatre. 

Nils was project director for the recently completed 473,000m2 Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre (China) - a mixed-use development comprising offices, retail areas, a five-star hotel, a conference centre and exhibition halls.

Nils has worked on a multitude of large-scale projects for ZHA, including the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in Michigan, the Dubai Opera House and Cultural Centre in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre, and a confidential government facility in North Africa.