Ulrik Plesner (architect, born 1930)

For the Danish architect born in 1861, see Ulrik Adolph Plesner

James John Ulrik Plesner (13 July 1930, Florence – 2 June 2016, Tel Aviv) 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 (at the time Ceylon) 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 (1910-1988) 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 (in 1994 and 1997 respectively), and continue leading, and working at, the Tel Aviv architecture firm founded by their father in 1972. 

Works

Sri Lanka
 Ekala Industrial Estate, Ja-ela (1960 and 1965)
 Manager Property, Stathspey Tea Plantation, Maskeliya (1961)
 District Manager Property in Anuradhapura (1961)
 Headquarters for Lever Brothers Ltd., Colombo (1961)
 Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Bandarawela (1962)
 Medical Property with consultation, Galle (1962)
 Own studio, Colombo (1962)
 Bishops College, Colombo (1963)
 Polontolawa House (1963)
 Town house in Colombo (1963)
 Montessoriskolen, Colombo (1966)
 Bentota Beach Hotel (1967)
 6 new towns in the Mahaweli Building program, designed as self-help (1980–87)

India
 Boys' Town, Madurai (1966)
(https://goo.gl/maps/gAt6PS27nWt)

Israel
 Liberty Bell Garden and Bloomfield Garden, Jerusalem (1977)
 Malcha Sports Hall, Jerusalem (1982)
 Zionist Confederation House, Jerusalem (meeting centre, renovation of several historic buildings; 1982).  Presentation on the Jerusalem Municipality site; photos "before and after"; photo (interior). 
 Bet Gabriel cultural and conference centre at the Sea of Galilee (1993)
 The Daniel Rowing Centre, Yarkon River, Tel Aviv (2002).  Video presentation with comments by Ulrik Plesner. 
 Faculty of Management Building, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Denmark
 Slotsarkaderne, shopping mall in Hillerød (1993, awarded)
 Interior of the concert hall of Støberihallen culture centre, Hillerød (1993)

Projects
 Monument to 2500-the year of Buddha's Nirvana, Delhi (1956, 3rd prize)
 Herlev Sports (1956, together with Ib and Jorgen Rasmussen, 1st prize)
 Theatre and concert halls, Tel Aviv (1972, 2nd prize)
 Copenhagen Harbour Range of future (1985, with Dan Wajnman, 2nd prize)
 Covering Thomas B. Thriges Street, Odense (1991)

Written work
 Articles on architecture and planning architect, 1957-78. 
 The Port of Copenhagen's future in politics 17 January 1982; 9 June 1984; 16 June 1984; 23 June 1984; 30 June 1984 and June–July 1987th
 In Situ.  An architectural memoir from Sri Lanka.  An autobiography published in Denmark in 2013 in both English and Danish.  Aristo Publishing, 451 pages, illustrated. 

References

External links
 Art Index Denmark
 Homepage for Plesner's architectural studio in Tel Aviv

Category:1930 births
Category:Danish architects
Category:Israeli people of Danish descent
Category:Israeli people of Scottish descent
Category:2016 deaths
Category:Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal
Category:Recipients of the C.F. Hansen Medal
Category:20th-century Sri Lankan architects