One of the most unusual building sites of ­recent years, the summit station for the Zugspitze cable car, shows how engineers also have to find appropriate solutions for building under extreme conditions. An article in this ­issue of structure describes the special challenges of this project.

The other projects demonstrate that special situations can call for unconventional structural engineering solutions –such as the delicately proportioned and open vehicle decks that allow extensive views from the inner-city parking garage in Bordeaux. In the conversion of the Alstrom warehouses into the new Nantes School of Art, the designers replaced most of the existing sawtooth-roof structure with a modern version, yet still managed to draw on the atmosphere of the original halls. A place of transcendental character was created with the Memorial Hall at Herzlberg west of Jerusalem. The interior is defined by a central sculpture made of ingeniously connected ­aluminium blocks. All the articles emphasise the important role in society played by civil and structural engineers.

Andreas Gabriel