From London’s Shard to New York’s Whitney Museum, Renzo Piano’s visionary buildings define the cities they occupy. This autumn, his incredible body of work is showcased in a fascinating retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, in partnership with Rocco Forte Hotels.
To celebrate, Brown’s Hotel presents The Art Experience package, which includes entry to the exhibition as well as exclusive access to the Academicians' Room, the Academy’s private members club, followed by a decadent dinner at Beck at Brown’s.
To whet your artistic appetite, RA Head of Architecture and exhibition curator Kate Goodwin reveals some of the highlights of the Renzo Piano show.
What can visitors expect to see at the exhibition?
“A really immersive look into Renzo Piano’s archive of work, how he works and his creative processes. We have rarely seen sketches of his, large-scale hand drawings and working models on display. The centrepiece is a virtual ‘island’ with 100 of his buildings. I hope people are inspired and uplifted, and appreciate the poetry and magic of architecture.”
What was your vision for the exhibition?
“I really wanted to capture all the scales and types of his buildings, from small to huge. People may be familiar with the Shard but they may not know some of his other works. There’s an amazing variety and it was important to show the breadth of his work.”
How did you choose which projects to showcase?
“With over 100 buildings in his portfolio, it was difficult. His career spans almost 50 years so we chose early works right up to present day buildings currently under construction. You can see museums, offices, a music centre and even a children’s hospital under construction in Uganda.”
How do his buildings shape the cities they’re in?
“They can be so unexpected and therefore a catalyst for change and renewal. For instance, the Pompidou Centre in Paris was shocking and controversial when it opened in 1977, but was quickly adopted and loved by Parisians.”
What do you admire about his work?
“I love the complexity and layers to his buildings. He has such a command over the construction process and attention to detail. Each component harmonises and comes together beautifully. I love his Centro Botín arts centre in Santander, Spain. Its surface is covered in ceramic discs that shimmer in the light, so its appearance seems to change by the minute.”
What stylistic elements and codes underpin Renzo’s designs?
“There’s always a flow and lightness to his work that seems to defy gravity. It’s a stubborn force of nature to overcome, and if you can get a building that is intrinsically heavy to appear as though it’s floating, then that’s incredible. A lot of his buildings appear to hover or fly above the ground.”
To book The Art Experience package, call +44 20 7493 6020 or email reservations.browns@roccofortehotels.com
Renzo Piano: The Art of Making Buildings at the Royal Academy of Arts runs until 20th January 2019.
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