(b Dublin, 16 Jan 1935; d London, 25 Oct 1992). British engineer and writer. He graduated in civil engineering from Queen’s University, Belfast, in 1956 and moved to London, where he joined Ove Arup & Partners. He undertook post-graduate studies at Imperial College, London (1957–8), and was later a visiting scholar at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (1968). Rice was involved in the structural design of the shell vaults of Sydney Opera House (1957–73; by Jørn Utzon), becoming resident engineer on the project in 1963. He came to international attention with his work on the Centre Georges Pompidou (1971–7; by Piano & Rogers), Paris, developing a structure of cast-steel cantilevers supporting long-span steel trusses that achieved the architects’ concept and also inaugurated the use of cast steel in construction (see PARIS, fig. 14). He later worked on the Lloyds Building (1979–87; by Richard Rogers & Partners; for illustration see ROGERS, RICHARD). In 1977–9 he was in partnership with Renzo Piano in Genoa before becoming a director of Ove Arup in London (1983); he subsequently founded RFR in Paris (1984) with Martin Francis (b 1942) and Ian Ritchie (b 1947).

• Rice, Peter
  • Grimshaw, Nicholas
  • High Tech
  • Piano, Renzo