Architecture Programme
Architecture Programme
The RA is where architecture intersects with the visual arts – a connection we explore through talks, performances, exhibitions and debates.
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Futures Found
The Real and Imagined Cityscapes of Post-war Britain
18 February — 25 June 2017
‘Futures Found’ explores the contrasts between the ambitions for Britain’s new post-war cityscapes and the varied futures that were subsequently created. Through six case studies, proposed by guest curators, the Futures Found display presents the parallel and often conflicting narratives that have developed around a selection of post-war projects since their creation. The display includes references and material drawn from film, music, literature and art, as well as the lived experiences of residents and social activism. Together they challenge the perceived sense of failure of these projects and instead show a much wider and more nuanced view of what this architecture created and inspired.
![Park Hill Estate, Sheffield]()
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![Balkrishna V. Doshi at his own studio, Sangath, in Ahmedabad.]()
The Annual Architecture Lecture 2017
Balkrishna V. Doshi
On 10 July, the Royal Academy will welcome celebrated Indian architect Balkrishna V. Doshi to deliver the 27th Annual Architecture Lecture.
Professor Balkrishna V. Doshi is a living legend in contemporary architectural history. Since working as a senior designer for Le Corbusier in the ‘50s and supervising his projects in Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, he has developed an extraordinary body of work with his practice Vastu-Shilpa as one of the pioneers of low-cost housing and modern city planning in India. Over almost 70 years of practice, research and teaching, he has created a wide range of projects which demonstrate an exceptional level of environmental and community awareness, adopting modern architectural principles and adapting them to local Indian traditions, resources and context.
Last year’s Annual Architecture Lecture was given by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu of Amateur Architecture Studio. Watch the video of their talk here.
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Architecture on the RA blog
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![, Illustration by Leonie Bos]()
Opinion
7 months ago
Debate: are utopian ideas good for architecture?
Can utopian ideals help architects to build better futures? Or are these efforts doomed to be too rigid, over-simplified and suppressive? Ian Ritchie RA and Hugh Pearman go head to head. Vote on the winner below.
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![Sir William Chambers RA, Design of a capital illustrating the supposed origin of the Corinthian order: elevation]()
Our Collection
7 months ago
How to read it: “the origin of the Corinthian order”
Currently on show in our ‘Origins’ display, Sir William Chambers’s beautiful 18th-century drawing tells an ancient story about the beginnings of architecture.
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![Heneghan Peng Architects, Palestinian Museum, 2016]()
RA Recommends
7 months ago
International Architects Series: podcast round-up
The International Architects Series aims to provide a regular London platform for some of the most innovative architects practicing around the world today.
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![John Partridge RA]()
Artists
9 months ago
An architect to the day he died: my friend John Partridge RA
The RA’s former Surveyor to the Fabric remembers his friend and colleague John Partridge, the celebrated architect of housing, colleges and courthouses, who died this summer aged 91.
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![Way Out West Berlin (Detail Section at L at Stage E)]()
Artists
9 months ago
Cities of dreams: Peter Cook RA on the importance of imagination
As the Academy stages a show of Peter Cook RA’s drawings to mark his 80th birthday, Kate Goodwin asks the architect about his vision for urban ways of life.
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![L-R: panellists Asif Khan, Amanda Levete, chair Razia Iqbal, Sarah Sands and David Twohig]()
Opinion
11 months ago
Brexit, London housing and building diverse communities
In the headline debate for the London Festival of Architecture, our panellists and audience discuss how architecture can be used to bring people together at a time when Britain’s relationship to Europe and the rest of the world is the subject of intense discussion.
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![Michael Manser RA]()
Artists
11 months ago
A tribute to Michael Manser RA: champion of modern housing
Known for his elegant style of housing, the founder of the Manser Medal leaves a legacy of modernism across the UK. Following the architect’s death aged 87, architectural historian Margaret Richardson pays tribute to a remarkable career.
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![Leonard Manasseh RA]()
Artists
1 year ago
Architect Leonard Manasseh at age 100
As Leonard Manasseh becomes our first centenarian Royal Academician, his cousin, the architectural historian Timothy Brittain-Catlin, takes a look at a career of over 80 years.
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![A House for Essex, 2014 by FAT and Grayson Perry RA for Living Architecture]()
RA Exhibitions
1 year ago
Mavericks: podcast round-up
Catch up on our recent event series on the mavericks of architecture – those who have pushed the genre’s boundaries and defied its conventions.
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![The TV-am building in Camden]()
Opinion
1 year ago
Why TV-am was Britain’s most maverick building
Home to ITV’s famous breakfast show, Terry Farrell’s postmodern studio was a burst of energy that shifted views of what architecture could be, says the artist and designer, Adam Nathaniel Furman.
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![Bournemouth Drawing Studio, Arts University Bournemouth, by Sir Peter Cook of CRAB Studio, 2016]()
RA Exhibitions
1 year ago
Britain’s top 10 maverick buildings
To celebrate the end of our Mavericks season, we asked you to nominate your favourite boundary-pushing buildings in the UK. Here’s what you came up with.
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![Zaha Hadid RA]()
Artists
1 year ago
A tribute to Zaha Hadid RA: 1950–2016
One of the world’s greatest architects, Zaha Hadid inspired a generation. Following the sad news of her death, the RA’s Head of Architecture and two fellow architects reflect on a visionary career.
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![Castillo de Matrera before restoration]()
Opinion
1 year ago
The month in architecture
Six top architecture news stories this month – from a very sad loss, to new projects and prizes.
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![Visual Air]()
Inside the Academy
1 year ago
The month in architecture
Five architectural things you need to know this month – from big stories to top new projects and the latest prizes.
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![Formosa, by Baca]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
The month in architecture
Five things you need to know this month – the top architecture news stories, the most exciting new projects and the latest prizes.
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![Snowden Aviary, London Zoo (1961), by Cedric Price]()
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
12 mavericks of architecture
From championing ground-breaking styles of architecture to famously abandoning commissions before completion, these British architects broke the mould. Meet the mavericks, as our new architecture display goes on show.
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![Tahrir Square during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
12 of the most iconic public spaces
Every day, public places around the world are used by ordinary people to exercise their rights. We look at four general “spaces of freedom” and their most famous examples.
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![Frost Fair Closed]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
The month in architecture
The top five architecture news stories, the most exciting new projects and the latest prizes – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Ai Weiwei presenting his installation Tree in the courtyard at the Royal Academy of Arts, 2015]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
10 of our most-loved blogs from 2015
From a note from Diebenkorn’s diary that went viral to a peep inside our latest show, these were some of the features our readers loved most this year.
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![Reclaimed space]()
Artists
> 1 year ago
My studio life: Ian Ritchie RA
Ian Ritchie RA shows us around the Canary Wharf offices of his architectural practice.
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![Jim Lambie, Zobop]()
Artists
> 1 year ago
Art quiz of the year 2015
Know your art? Take our quiz of the year and see how you measure up…
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![James Gowan and Jim Stirling topping out the Engineering Building, University of Leicester]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Podcast: Tony Fretton and Ellis Woodman discuss the work of James Gowan
Tony Fretton and Ellis Woodman discuss the powerful, yet often overlooked contribution of James Gowan to twentieth-century British architecture.
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![Red Brick Complex Caochangdi, Beijing, 2007]()
RA Recommends
> 1 year ago
Architecture and freedom: podcast round-up
It’s Architecture and Freedom season at the RA, meaning a host of events, lectures and debates. Catch up with our podcasts.
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![The Interlace, Singapore, by OMA and Ole Scheeren]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the weirdest new projects and the latest prizes – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Niall McLaughlin and Kim Wilkie]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Podcast: Niall McLaughlin and Kim Wilkie in conversation
Architect Niall McLaughlin and landscape architect Kim Wilkie talk about their plans for the entrance grounds of the Natural History Museum.
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![The interior of St Mary’s Church Woolnoth, London, by Nicholas Hawksmoor]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Grand masters: Hawksmoor vs Wren
From a contemporary perspective, does Nicholas Hawksmoor outshine his master, Christopher Wren? Owen Hopkins reassesses two geniuses of British Baroque architecture.
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![Burntwood School]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the weirdest new projects and the latest prizes – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Y:Cube]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
What is the future of housing?
The RA’s Future of Housing season in Spring 2015 tackled issues surrounding the housing crisis. Here, we look at some of the most salient points from the debates.
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![View of the City of London]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the weirdest new projects and the latest prizes – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Courtyard 241, Caochangdi, Beijing, 2007]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Ai Weiwei’s alternative vision for Beijing’s buildings
With a display on Beijing’s Caochangdi in our Architecture Space, our curator discusses the Ai Weiwei-designed buildings of this artists’ region, and their place in a rapidly developing city.
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![KA300 Pavilion, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2015, by J. MAYER H]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Architecture and Freedom: a changing connection
With architectural production becoming ever more beholden to the needs of capital and the building industry, the role of the architect is changing, says our curator. Owen Hopkins introduces the critical issues informing our new season of events.
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![Minas Tirith, film still from 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' by Peter Jackson]()
RA Recommends
> 1 year ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the latest prizes and the wackiest new projects – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Thomas Heatherwick]()
Artists
> 1 year ago
Thomas Heatherwick RA: “Inspiration is a cliché”
Thomas Heatherwick RA delights in discovering his ideas don’t work – it’s all part of a process of elimination that results in his extraordinary designs, as Sam Phillips finds out.
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![Silicon Roundabout]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Podcast: Cultivating creative cities
As part of the London Festival of Architecture, we debated how creativity can be nurtured and sustained in a global city like London.
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![Bjarke Ingels]()
Artists
< 2 years ago
Annual Architecture Lecture: Bjarke Ingels
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels delivered the 25th Annual Architecture Lecture in the unique setting of the Summer Exhibition.
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![Opening up Rainham Marshes, Peter Beard_LANDROOM]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: A journey from Rainham to the Thames
Urban landscape architect Peter Beard discusses his latest project for opening Rainham Marsh to the public, with a walkway to the River Thames.
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![Piers Gough]()
Artists
< 2 years ago
My studio life: Piers Gough RA
As Piers Gough RA guides us round his practice in Clerkenwell, he tells us what it was like to work with Paul Smith, and what it really takes to be an architect.
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![Tour Triangle, Aerial View towards Paris]()
RA Recommends
< 2 years ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the latest prizes and the wackiest new projects – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![6 Burlington Gardens]()
Inside the Academy
< 2 years ago
RA250 stories: The architects
Our new video series goes behind the scenes to reveal the ideas and people behind the transformation of the Royal Academy ahead of our 250th anniversary in 2018. In the first episode, members of the project team from David Chipperfield Architects discuss how they’re taking it from concept to reality.
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![Ordinary Architecture's LEGO city]()
Artists
< 2 years ago
When top architects meet LEGO
As part of the London Festival of Architecture, we set four teams a challenge to build a model city in under two hours. Here’s what they did.
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![View of London]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Urban Jigsaw: filling in London’s missing pieces
As we launch an architectural ideas competition, our curator looks at the untapped potential of London’s underused land – and why the solution is not as simple as it seems.
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![Visual of the 3D-printed MX3D-designed canal in Amsterdam]()
RA Recommends
< 2 years ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the latest prizes and the wackiest new projects – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Installation view of 'A Greater Order' by Henry Coleman, Burlington House]()
Inside the Academy
< 2 years ago
Henry Coleman’s ‘The Greater Order’
Have you noticed something different about our banners? Artist Henry Coleman has co-opted them in a sculptural response to the Academy’s forthcoming architectural transformation.
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![Houses for sale]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: new realities of ownership
Since the housing crisis, the concept of home ownership has changed beyond recognition. Our panel of experts addresses the issue.
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![Terrace houses © A.P.S. (UK) / Alamy]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: city, country, suburb?
With a panel including a surveyor, an academic, an urban design expert and the head of a charity, this talk tackles the issue of where to build new housing.
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![Byker Wall, Newcastle upon Tyne]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: the upsides of good housing
In this event, a range of speakers examine the characteristics of places where people enjoy living and communities thrive, and discuss whether these can be applied in the future.
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![Aula des Cèdres, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1962]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: Bernard Tschumi and Jacques Gubler discuss Jean Tschumi
Part of our Forgotten Masters series, and in association with Docomomo, this talk addresses the life of architect Jean Tschumi.
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![House interior]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: the psychology of home
Continuing with our Future of Housing season, a panel of experts discuss how we might design homes that are appropriate and beneficial places to live.
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![Winy Maas]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: Winy Maas on the future of housing
A talk by Winy Mass, the founder of MVRDV, one of world’s most innovative architectural practices.
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![Garden Bridge Walkway View]()
RA Recommends
< 2 years ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the latest prizes and the wackiest new projects – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![8 St James’s Square by Eric Parry RA, with Stephen Cox RA’s two sculptures: an inscribed rail and a relief figure]()
Artists
2 years ago
Stephen Cox RA and Eric Parry RA: set in stone
Art and architecture combine on a corner of London’s St James’s, where Stephen Cox RA has integrated sculpture into Eric Parry RA’s building. Sam Phillips reports.
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![David Chipperfield RA]()
Inside the Academy
2 years ago
David Chipperfield RA on transforming the Royal Academy
In this video, architect David Chipperfield RA discusses his plans for opening up the Royal Academy ahead of our 250th anniversary in 2018.
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![A cross-section of the Royal Academy’s site in 2018]()
Inside the Academy
2 years ago
Grand union: an in-depth look at the RA’s redevelopment
Burlington Gardens, the stately building behind Burlington House, is the RA’s second home. As the Academy prepares for its 250th anniversary, John Tusa reveals the plans to unite and revitalise the two buildings, transforming this artist-led institution
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![Burlington House]()
Inside the Academy
2 years ago
Four views on the Royal Academy’s future
Four key figures connected to the RA look forward to a major transformation at the Academy in 2018.
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![Temple Baths designed by Studio Octopi]()
Opinion
2 years ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the latest prizes and the wackiest new projects – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Elephant and Castle, London]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: Counting the costs of the housing crisis
In the first event in our Future of Housing season, a panel of speakers considers the effects and implications of the UK’s housing crisis.
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![Dialogues: Movement in Space]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: Dialogues: Movement and Space
In this podcast, a choreographer, an architect and an historian explore how our perception and comprehension of the world is shaped by the body and movement.
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![Serpentine Pavilion designed by SelgasCano 2015]()
RA Recommends
2 years ago
The month in architecture
The biggest architecture news, the latest prizes and the wackiest new projects – rounded up into one handy post each month.
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![Tatiana Bilbao]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: Tatiana Bilbao
Mexican architect, Tatiana Bilbao, discusses her recent projects and the relationship between people and place throughout her work.
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![Edmund de Waal Studio Visit]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: David Hills and Edmund de Waal in Conversation
This special event, part of a series exploring the creative spaces of artist’s studios, examines the intersection between art and architecture.
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![Zaha Hadid RA]()
Artists
2 years ago
Zaha Hadid RA in conversation with Alain Elkann
The eminent architect discusses her approach to her work and her thoughts on the past, present and future of architecture.
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![Scotswood, 2008 by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects]()
Inside the Academy
> 2 years ago
Exploring the future of housing
This spring, the RA presents a season of debates, talks and an exhibition on the future of housing – sure to be a hot topic in election year.
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![The Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, designed by Frank Gehry Hon RA]()
Opinion
> 2 years ago
Bon voyage: Frank Gehry Hon RA’s new building
Behind the billowing sails of Frank Gehry Hon RA’s latest building in Paris lies a shifting cargo of contemporary art, says Hugh Pearman.
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![Kiefer’s towers punctuate the parched landscape around Kiefer’s studio complex at Barjac in southern France, 2012]()
Artists
> 2 years ago
Kiefer and Chipperfield talk space and creativity
In a discussion chaired by the RA’s Tim Marlow, Anselm Kiefer and David Chipperfield RA explore the ways art and architecture interact in Kiefer’s practice.
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![Guggenheim Bilbao]()
Opinion
> 2 years ago
Guggenheim Bilbao celebrates 20 years
Two decades ago the paperwork for Guggenheim Bilbao was signed and sealed. We review the expansive exhibition that honours this landmark for an iconic institution.
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![Illustration by Karolis Strautniekas]()
Opinion
> 2 years ago
Is beauty an essential consideration in architecture?
Ron Arad RA and Sam Jacob discuss whether considerations of beauty are valuable in architecture, or whether they detract from more important issues.
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![Leighton House Museum]()
Artists
> 2 years ago
Will Alsop RA on the architecture of Leighton House
In this article from the RA Magazine archive, architect Will Alsop discusses Leighton House, and what its architecture says about Frederick Leighton, the Royal Academy President who commissioned it.
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![Aerial view in Culture, Craft & Commerce]()
Opinion
> 2 years ago
‘A smorgasboard of delights’: Ideas for Reimagining Mayfair
Planning expert Matthew Carmona, a panellist at the public presentation of our Reimagining Mayfair project, reflects on the intriguing ideas that arose from it.
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![A team of workers assemble Pezo Von Ellrichshausen's installation in 'Sensing Spaces']()
Inside the Academy
> 2 years ago
Meaning in material: the story behind our new event series
How the attention given to material choices and use in our ‘Sensing Spaces’ exhibition inspired a debate about the essential building blocks of architecture.
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![RA Annual Architecture Lecture]()
Inside the Academy
> 2 years ago
Rafael Moneo: Annual Architecture Lecture
This summer the RA’s 24th Annual Architecture Lecture was given by Pritzker Prize-winning Spanish Architect, Rafael Moneo in the inspiring setting of the Summer Exhibition.
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![Reimagining Mayfair]()
Inside the Academy
> 2 years ago
Reimagining Mayfair
Owen Hopkins reports on the culmination of a project that invited design teams to propose new and speculative ideas of what Mayfair could look like in the future.
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![Philip Dowson PRA]()
Artists
> 2 years ago
Remembering Sir Philip Dowson PRA
A few personal notes on a fellow architect and mentor by Sir Michael Hopkins RA.
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![Richard MacCormac RA]()
Artists
< 3 years ago
Richard MacCormac RA remembered
People from around the RA pay tribute to leading architect Sir Richard MacCormac, who has died aged 75 following a long illness.
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![Pupils at the Swawou Layout Foundation Primary School for Girls]()
Inside the Academy
< 3 years ago
Francis Kéré’s straws travel to Sierra Leone
Rebecca Milling describes the story of how straws from our ‘Sensing Spaces’ exhibition travelled to Swawou Layout Foundation Primary School for Girls, Sierra Leone.
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![London, UK, 2009]()
Opinion
< 3 years ago
What makes a city work?
Imogen Willetts, of the RA’s Architecture Programme, reports on our recent event in which Charles Leadbeater discusses his book ‘The London Recipe: How Systems and Empathy make the City’.
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![GUN Architects, Rainforest]()
RA Recommends
< 3 years ago
Architecture in Focus: June 2014
From London’s annual architecture festival to Georgian polymath, William Kent.
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![Photo: Agnese Sanvito]()
Artists
< 3 years ago
Building blocks of the city
On Sunday, the RA played host to a great LEGO challenge.
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![Burlington House]()
Opinion
< 3 years ago
Winner of our #LookingatLondon competition announced
Discover our favourite #LookingatLondon entries and check out the winning image.
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![Norman Shaw RA, Design for organ case, Church of the Holy Trinity, Bingley, Yorkshire: plans, sections and elevation (recto)]()
RA Exhibitions
< 3 years ago
Tasting architectural drawings
Neil Bingham, curator of the RA exhibition ‘Dream Draw Work: Architectural Drawings of Norman Shaw RA’ confesses to a curatorial crime.
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![Louis Kahn, National Assembly building in Dhaka (dusk), Bangladesh]()
Opinion
3 years ago
Louis Kahn at the Design Museum
Architect Trevor Dannatt RA pays tribute to Louis Kahn, whose poetic buildings are celebrated at London’s Design Museum.
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![Burlington House]()
Opinion
3 years ago
Win tickets to one of our ‘Looking at London’ events
What’s your favourite view of the city? In celebration of our ‘Looking at London’ series, we’re launching a competition for your best photos of the capital.
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![The base of the tridents at the 9/11 Memorial Museum]()
RA Recommends
3 years ago
Architecture in Focus: May 2014
From exhibitions, talks and events at Clerkenwell Design Week to the opening of the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
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![Installation view of Gallery VI. Summer Exhibition 2013.]()
Inside the Academy
3 years ago
A summer of architecture
Hot on the heels of ‘Sensing Spaces’ we have an exciting programme of architecture events and exhibitions coming up this summer.
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![Image by Flickr user Joe Dunckley. Used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 licence. Some rights reserved.]()
Opinion
3 years ago
The forces shaping London’s skyline
In light of the recent launch of the ‘Skyline’ campaign and the publication of the Farrell Review, Owen Hopkins discusses the effects on London of the deficiencies of our current planning system.
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![Installation (Blue Pavilion) by Pezo von Ellrichshausen]()
Opinion
3 years ago
Wandering Words
‘Sensing Spaces’ was a transformative exhibition for the RA in lots of ways and from the beginning we wanted to break new ground in the types of events we organised for it.
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![Lego Reimagined Family workshop]()
Inside the Academy
3 years ago
Families create Lego masterpieces in our latest workshop
On Sunday 13 April families gathered at the Royal Academy to participate in our epic pre-Easter celebrations at the ‘Lego Reimagined’ workshop.
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![The Thames Bath Project]()
RA Recommends
3 years ago
Architecture in Focus: April 2014
Swimming in the Thames, a new Serpentine Pavilion and the Pritzker Prize winner announced.
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![Mayfair]()
Opinion
3 years ago
Reimagining Mayfair
In partnership with the Architects’ Journal, we are launching an open call for architect-led teams to put forward bold new ideas for reimagining the area of Mayfair directly to the north of our Burlington Gardens building.
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![Sensing Spaces workshop]()
Inside the Academy
3 years ago
Building brilliance
It’s not only the critics who have been hailing the success of ‘Sensing Spaces’; the exhibition has been a huge hit with school groups too.
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![Li Xiaodong, Sensing Spaces installation]()
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Take home a taste of ‘Sensing Spaces’
What happens to the works in our exhibitions once the final visitor has departed? In the case of ‘Sensing Spaces’ we’re offering the exclusive opportunity to take home your favourite pieces.
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![Kate Goodwin, Drue Heinz Curator of Architecture]()
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Creating ‘Sensing Spaces’
Curator Kate Goodwin explains the process behind the development and creation of this exhibition.
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![Friday Night Late, Sensing Spaces]()
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Making verses
The third Friday in February saw us host a multi-sensory experience in the spectacular setting of ‘Sensing Spaces’.
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![Jane and Louise Wilson , Azeville]()
RA Recommends
3 years ago
Georgian Britain, Crystal Palace and the influence of High-Tech
From derelict Detroit to the return of Crystal Palace: the biggest stories in architecture this March.
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![AttRAct Late]()
Inside the Academy
3 years ago
Happy birthday Sydney Smirke
A special late opening of ‘Sensing Spaces’ as part of our attRAct programme.
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![20 Fenchurch Street, by Rafael Viñoly]()
Opinion
3 years ago
Icons or eyesores
Owen Hopkins tours the good, the bad and the ugly of City of London architecture.
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![Model of the church of the Redentore, Venice, 1972.]()
Opinion
> 3 years ago
How do you make an architecture exhibition?
This is a question that has vexed countless curators over the decades. For an exhibition of art, it’s seemingly obvious. But what does this mean when you’re presenting the work of an architect?
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![Tracy Meller]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Becoming an architect
Ivan Harbour and Tracy Meller of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners discuss what attracted them to architecture as a career
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![Alvaro Siza’s Leca de Palmeira, Matosinhos, Portugal (1961-66)]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Meet the architects: Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura
More than any other architects, Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura have made me look with a fresh eye at the Royal Academy’s galleries and architecture.
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![Kengo Kuma & Associates, Great (Bamboo) Wall, near Beijing, China (2002)]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Meet the architects: Kengo Kuma
It may seem a strange term for an architect to coin, but Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has been developing an idea of what he calls “weak architecture”.
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![Building Kéré Architecture's installation]()
Inside the Academy
> 3 years ago
Building the show: coat racks and carpenters
The emerging installations give me a thrill as I walk through the galleries, checking drawings, looking at details, observing the teams solving all sorts of practical issues on site.
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![Elevation of Burlington House showing the relationship to Alvaro Siza's Sensing Spaces installation]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
A serendipitous moment and a hint of what’s to come
Shortly after I had been sent the initial ideas by Siza and Souto de Moura I headed into the Main Galleries to consider how they would work.
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![Sensing Spaces installation: Li Xiaodong]()
Inside the Academy
> 3 years ago
Building the show: a peek behind the scenes
Christmas and the holiday period was rather a surreal time. While others were thinking about feasts and wrapping presents, our minds were reeling with schedules of lorries and orders for installation.
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![Diébédo Francis Kéré]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Meet the architects: Diébédo Francis Kéré
When putting together this group of architects I purposefully sought out those who would bring a variety of perspectives on how we think about architecture and the spaces around us.
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![Timothy Hill]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Timothy Hill: architecture in Australia
Architect Timothy Hill discusses his current projects and reflects on the conditions of architecture in Australia.
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![Exterior Liyuan Library, Huairou, China. Li Xiaodong Atelier]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Meet the architects: Li Xiaodong
It was when sitting with Li Xiaodong in a courtyard garden in the Huairou district, a mountainous area near the Great Wall, an hour north of Beijing, that many of his observations of Chinese culture and sensibilities became much clearer for me.
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![Installation (Blue Pavilion) by Pezo von Ellrichshausen.]()
Inside the Academy
> 3 years ago
A taste of Sensing Spaces
Sensing Spaces will transform the RA’s Main Galleries with structures, light, sounds and smells. Hear from behind the scenes as the exhibition installation gets underway.
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![Pezo von Ellrichshausen, Poli house, Coliumo, Chile, 2005. Exterior view from the north]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Pezo Von Ellrichshausen: to the Pacific edge
Curator Kate Goodwin visits a “heroic” house perched high, overlooking the ocean in Chile.
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![Pezo von Ellrichshausen, exterior view of Cien House, Concepción, Chile]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Meet the architects: Sofia von Ellrichshausen and Mauricio Pezo
Spending some time with the Chilean architects who ‘consider’ rather than ‘design’.
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![Le Corbusier, Chandigarh: Palais de l’Assemblée 1955]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Grafton: from Chandigarh to Cordoba
In my last post, I discussed how Grafton Architects wanted to explore what ‘being present’ in an architectural space means. But what spaces have been in their minds as they design their interventions to our galleries? Which spaces have awakened their senses?
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![Grafton Architects, Bocconi University, Milan]()
Artists
> 3 years ago
Meet the architects: Grafton
“Buildings tell the stories of our lives in built form… We walk through and feel spaces with our whole bodies and our senses, not just with our eyes and with our minds. We are fully involved in the experience; this is what makes us human.”
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![2001 A Space Odyssey]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Doors of perception
How do buildings make us feel? In the RA’s ‘Sensing Spaces’ exhibition, leading international architects build extraordinary new structures in the Academy’s galleries for visitors to explore. Jay Merrick responds to the ideas behind this groundbreaking project.
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![Sensing Spaces]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Who’s who in Sensing Spaces
Introducing the architects taking part in ‘Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined’.
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Catch up on past events
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![Heneghan Peng Architects, Palestinian Museum, 2016]()
RA Recommends
7 months ago
International Architects Series: podcast round-up
The International Architects Series aims to provide a regular London platform for some of the most innovative architects practicing around the world today.
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![A House for Essex, 2014 by FAT and Grayson Perry RA for Living Architecture]()
RA Exhibitions
1 year ago
Mavericks: podcast round-up
Catch up on our recent event series on the mavericks of architecture – those who have pushed the genre’s boundaries and defied its conventions.
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![James Gowan and Jim Stirling topping out the Engineering Building, University of Leicester]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Podcast: Tony Fretton and Ellis Woodman discuss the work of James Gowan
Tony Fretton and Ellis Woodman discuss the powerful, yet often overlooked contribution of James Gowan to twentieth-century British architecture.
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![Red Brick Complex Caochangdi, Beijing, 2007]()
RA Recommends
> 1 year ago
Architecture and freedom: podcast round-up
It’s Architecture and Freedom season at the RA, meaning a host of events, lectures and debates. Catch up with our podcasts.
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![Niall McLaughlin and Kim Wilkie]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Podcast: Niall McLaughlin and Kim Wilkie in conversation
Architect Niall McLaughlin and landscape architect Kim Wilkie talk about their plans for the entrance grounds of the Natural History Museum.
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![Silicon Roundabout]()
Opinion
> 1 year ago
Podcast: Cultivating creative cities
As part of the London Festival of Architecture, we debated how creativity can be nurtured and sustained in a global city like London.
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![Opening up Rainham Marshes, Peter Beard_LANDROOM]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: A journey from Rainham to the Thames
Urban landscape architect Peter Beard discusses his latest project for opening Rainham Marsh to the public, with a walkway to the River Thames.
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![Houses for sale]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: new realities of ownership
Since the housing crisis, the concept of home ownership has changed beyond recognition. Our panel of experts addresses the issue.
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![Terrace houses © A.P.S. (UK) / Alamy]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: city, country, suburb?
With a panel including a surveyor, an academic, an urban design expert and the head of a charity, this talk tackles the issue of where to build new housing.
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![Byker Wall, Newcastle upon Tyne]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: the upsides of good housing
In this event, a range of speakers examine the characteristics of places where people enjoy living and communities thrive, and discuss whether these can be applied in the future.
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![Aula des Cèdres, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1962]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: Bernard Tschumi and Jacques Gubler discuss Jean Tschumi
Part of our Forgotten Masters series, and in association with Docomomo, this talk addresses the life of architect Jean Tschumi.
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![House interior]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: the psychology of home
Continuing with our Future of Housing season, a panel of experts discuss how we might design homes that are appropriate and beneficial places to live.
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![Winy Maas]()
Opinion
< 2 years ago
Podcast: Winy Maas on the future of housing
A talk by Winy Mass, the founder of MVRDV, one of world’s most innovative architectural practices.
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![Elephant and Castle, London]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: Counting the costs of the housing crisis
In the first event in our Future of Housing season, a panel of speakers considers the effects and implications of the UK’s housing crisis.
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![Dialogues: Movement in Space]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: Dialogues: Movement and Space
In this podcast, a choreographer, an architect and an historian explore how our perception and comprehension of the world is shaped by the body and movement.
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![Tatiana Bilbao]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: Tatiana Bilbao
Mexican architect, Tatiana Bilbao, discusses her recent projects and the relationship between people and place throughout her work.
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![Edmund de Waal Studio Visit]()
Opinion
2 years ago
Podcast: David Hills and Edmund de Waal in Conversation
This special event, part of a series exploring the creative spaces of artist’s studios, examines the intersection between art and architecture.
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![Kate Goodwin, Drue Heinz Curator of Architecture]()
RA Exhibitions
3 years ago
Creating ‘Sensing Spaces’
Curator Kate Goodwin explains the process behind the development and creation of this exhibition.
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![Tracy Meller]()
RA Exhibitions
> 3 years ago
Becoming an architect
Ivan Harbour and Tracy Meller of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners discuss what attracted them to architecture as a career
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Past projects
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![View of London]()
Urban Jigsaw: filling in London’s missing pieces
After an architectural ideas competition in summer 2015, the Architecture Programme presented new and creative uses for London’s brownfield sites. The projects looked at the untapped potential of London’s underused land – and why the solution is not as simple as it seems.
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![Unexpected Hill by SO? for the commission from Turkishceramics and the Royal Academy of Arts]()
Unexpected Hill
In summer 2015, visitors to Burlington Gardens were welcomed by a ceramic urban landscape designed by emerging Istanbul-based practice, SO?.
Using tiles as structure rather than decoration, the Unexpected Hill offered a place to rest, explore or play, illustrating how the space between building and pavement can be occupied to change the character of a street.
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![Reimagining Mayfair]()
Reimagining Mayfair: London’s next cultural quarter?
In April 2014, in partnership with the Architects’ Journal, we launched an open call for architect-led, multidisciplinary teams to put forward ideas for reimagining the part of Mayfair to the immediate north of the RA’s Burlington Gardens building.
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About the Architecture Programme
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![Visitors at the Annual Architecture Lecture.]()
The Programme
The Architecture Programme encompasses a variety of events, new commissions and curated displays. From lectures by leading international architects and multidisciplinary panel events, to poetry readings and immersive musical experiences, the Programme consistently pushes boundaries and inspires fresh thinking.
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![The Annenberg Courtyard, Burlington House]()
Our buildings
Dating originally from the 1660s, Burlington House has been our home since 1867, and has seen impressive additions over the years by a roster of celebrated architects. Continuing that rich history, Burlington Gardens, originally built in the 1860s, is currently the focus of a major redevelopment of the RA’s site by David Chipperfield Architects, due for completion in 2018.
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![Bjarke Ingels]()
RA Annual Architecture Lecture
Taking place in Summer Exhibition, our signature event is the Annual Architecture Lecture, which over the last 25 years has provided a unique platform for architects of major international standing. Past participants have included Frank Gehry, Peter Zumthor, Renzo Piano and, last year, Bjarke Ingels.
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Find out how you can support architecture at the RA. The Architecture Programme is made possible through the Drue Heinz Endowment for Architecture.
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Lead supporter
![Turkish Ceramics logo full size for sponsor]()
