Royal Academy of Arts Architecture Events

Hawksmoor's London

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 14 May 2012 17:30:00 GMT

A lecture by Owen Hopkins, exhibition curator, in support of 'Nicholas Hawksmoor: Architect of the Imagination'.

Grafton Architects: Architecture as the New Geography

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 26 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Since 2008, more than half the world's population now live in cities. For Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell, co-founders of Grafton Architects, "what we build as Architects constructs the world we live in. It defines our world. It is the outer crust of the globe. Architecture is the expression and embodiment of Culture. What we build as Architects is in fact the New Geography."

Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP: The Houses of Parliament

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 03 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Part of the lecture series Critic's Choice: London's Most Important Building the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP has nominated the Houses of Parliament as London's most important building. Respondents include Spencer de Grey RA, Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC and Jeremy Melvin. Chaired by Margaret Richardson.

RA Forum: Imagining Hawksmoor

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 23 Mar 2012 11:35:00 GMT

A panel discusses the work of one of Britain's most original and enduring architects and explores how his architecture - both built and unbuilt - has left its mark on our imaginations. Contributors include Ptolemy Dean, Iain Sinclair and Elizabeth McKellar. Chaired by Owen Hopkins. We apologise for the variable sound quality of this recording.

John Milner: Tatlin's Tower

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 29 Feb 2012 17:40:00 GMT

Art historian John Milner explores the vast, dynamic Tower envisaged by Tatlin and his team, its radical embrace of world revolution, and its impact on Soviet architecture of the 1920s. A lecture in support of 'Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935'

Jean-Louis Cohen: Building The Revolution Evening Lecture

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 27 Jan 2012 15:25:00 GMT

Architect and historian Jean-Louis Cohen, (Sheldon H. Solow Professor in the History of Architecture at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York) investigates post-revolutionary Russia and the context for the emergence of this radical new architecture in parallel to contemporary experiments in Europe.

The Future Memory Pavilion

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 16 Jan 2012 16:30:00 GMT

In partnership with the British Council, the Royal Academy commissioned UK designers, Asif Khan and Pernilla Ohrstedt to create a pavilion for Singapore's architecture festival in October 2011. A panel of respondents including Kelvin Ang, conservation architect and former Head of Heritage Studies, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore, and Christopher Woodward, director of the Garden Museum, critique and discuss the pavilion.

An Evening of Conversation with Eric Parry RA

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 11 Jan 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Eric Parry RA shares his interest in materiality, time and context - both physical and psychological - in this discussion with Professor Dalibor Vesely, to accompany the launch of the second published volume of his practice's work.

Jo Noero: Memory and Transformation

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 05 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

South African architect Jo Noero describes the development of the Red Location Cultural Precinct in South Africa, where architecture celebrates the culture of shack settlement, formed around resistance to Apartheid. Please note that due to circumstances beyond our control, the sound quality of this recording is variable. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Revolution: Ideals and Realities in Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 05 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

A lecture by MaryAnne Stevens, exhibition co-curator, in support of the exhibition 'Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935'.

Margarita Tupitsyn: Kandinsky and 'The House of Utopia'

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 05 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Margarita Tupitsyn considers the legacy of abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky as a theorist of architecture whose influence extended from Russian Constructivism to the German Bauhaus. A lecture in support of the exhibition 'Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935'.

Chris Wilkinson RA: The Challenge of Materials

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 03 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

This lecture explores the influence that technologically advanced materials have had on Wilkinson's approach to architecture, citing projects such as the recent Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford and the Gardens by the Bay conservatories in Singapore as examples.

Radical Post-Modernism Today

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 29 Dec 2011 14:00:00 GMT

This event examines how digital theory and other contemporary phenomena have revived post-modernism's goals of taking architecture into the realms of taste, popular culture and meaning. Speakers include architects Sean Griffiths, Edouard Francois, Alejandro Zaera-Polo, critic Charles Jencks and academic Richard Patterson. Chaired by Jeremy Melvin.

Alexander Brodsky

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 29 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Alexander Brodsky's work transcends the boundaries between art and architecture, offering a perceptive critique and challenge to the architecture and urban development emerging in contemporary Russia. A lecture in support of the exhibition 'Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935'.

Richard Pare in Conversation

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 28 Dec 2011 17:40:00 GMT

Richard Pare discusses his 15-year campaign to photograph Russia's extraordinary but much neglected Constructivist architecture with Jay Merrick. A lecture in support of the exhibition 'Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935'.

Tom Kundig: Landscape, Community and Craft

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 31 Oct 2011 11:30:00 GMT

Tom Kundig (of Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects) redefines the practice of modern architecture. In his lecture he illustrates how the role of place, materials and setting combine to create his bold but sensitive designs.

The Brutalist and the Classicist: James Stirling and his Architecture

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 20 Jul 2011 11:15:00 GMT

David Dunster, Charles Jencks and Peter Palumbo discuss the late James Stirling RA's work, his early association with Brutalism and his fraught relationship with Classicism.

Monica Ali: 19 Princelet Street, The Museum of Immigration

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 03 Jun 2011 15:17:00 GMT

As part of the lecture series 'Critic's Choice: London's Most Important Building', author Monica Ali selects 19 Princelet Street, an unrestored Huguenot master silk weaver's home, whose shabby frontage conceals a rare surviving synagogue. Ali highlights that despite its unique architectural, cultural and spiritual significance, 'it is so desperately in need of funding it can't afford to open to the public for more than a few days a year'. As she states 'many aspects of Britain's past are written inside the walls of this magical building, which both reflects our past and raises questions about our future.'

Preservation/Destruction: OMA - CRONOCAOS - RA Forum: Future Memory

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 04 Apr 2011 17:58:00 GMT

Ippolito Pestellini and James Westcott of OMA discuss the provocations and implications of preservation, exploring how "our obsession with heritage is creating an artificial re-engineered version of our memory...". Respondents include Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, and the artists, Jane and Louise Wilson. Chaired by Christopher Woodward.

Mathias Klotz

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 04 Apr 2011 17:55:00 GMT

Chilean architect Mathias Klotz has gained worldwide recognition over the past fifteen years for work that ranges from exquisite single family homes set in dramatic landscapes, to inspirational public buildings. His work, influenced by a European modernist tradition, is characterised by an intrinsic response to his native land's materials, techniques and traditions.

Will Self: Stockwell Bus Garage

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 21 Mar 2011 15:10:00 GMT

As part of the lecture series 'Critic's Choice: London's Most Important Building', author Will Self has proposed the Stockwell Bus Garage. Respondents include: Adrian Forty, Elain Harwood and Will Alsop RA. Please note that due to circumstances beyond our control, the sound quality of this recording is variable. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Monuments and Forgetting - RA Forum: Future Memory

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 10 Mar 2011 12:52:00 GMT

Architectural historian Christine Stevenson, architect Ian Ritchie RA and performance artist Rod Dickinson explore the function of monuments, both historically and in contemporary society, and consider the ways they control - and deflect - different types of memory. Chaired by Ines Weizman.

Masterworks: Architecture at the Royal Academy

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 04 Mar 2011 13:55:00 GMT

Exhibition curator Dr. Neil Bingham introduces 'Masterworks: Architecture at the Royal Academy'.

Antony Gormley RA: The Hayward Gallery

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 28 Feb 2011 12:41:00 GMT

As part of the lecture series 'Critic's Choice: London's Most Important Building', sculptor Royal Academician Antony Gormley has nominated the Hayward Gallery as London's most important building. Respondents include: Piers Gough RA and Christopher Woodward.

Diana Balmori: Landscape Manifesto - RA Forum

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 29 Oct 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Landscape is an art of the present, fundamental to how we shape and understand both the built and natural environments. In this event chaired by art critic Richard Cork, internationally acclaimed landscape and urban designer, Diana Balmori, proposes a 25-point Landscape Manifesto that seeks to 'realign' landscape's role as a transformative and potentially transgressive art. She presents the Manifesto alongside specially devised work of Japanese video artist Mami Kosemura and a response by Eric Parry RA.

Peter Rich: Landscape, Nature, Culture and Light

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 24 Sep 2010 10:35:00 GMT

Monday 20 September saw a lecture by South African architect, Peter Rich, one of the leading proponents of a contemporary African architecture that fuses modernism with a tradition born from a deep understanding of African iconography and vernacular. In his lecture, he presents an array of projects that are deeply embedded in time and place promoting a truly sustainable architecture with a lasting legacy.

Annual Architecture Lecture: Louisa Hutton and Matthias Sauerbruch

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 27 Aug 2010 10:35:00 GMT

The work of Berlin-based practice Sauerbruch Hutton enchants with its refined forms, sophisticated use of colour and intelligent response to urban fabric. Matthias Sauerbruch and Louisa Hutton discuss themes that inform their work, including the relationship between art and architecture, the interdependence of colour and space, and the aesthetics of sustainable architecture.

Ballardian Architecture: Inner and Outer Space (part two)

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 13 Jul 2010 17:10:00 GMT

Lectures delivered at the symposium 'Ballardian Architecture: Inner and Outer Space', held at the Royal Academy of Arts on 15 May 2010. Part two, chaired by Gavin Parkinson, features a series of brief but powerful commentaries which each open up particular insights into Ballard's work, and together explore how Ballard's perceptions may challenge and inform contemporary architecture. The closing comments are by Ballard's partner Claire Walsh. For full details see http://bit.ly/dt1TAU

Ballardian Architecture: Inner and Outer Space (part one)

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 13 Jul 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Lectures delivered at the symposium 'Ballardian Architecture: Inner and Outer Space', held at the Royal Academy of Arts on 15 May 2010. Part one, chaired by Jeremy Melvin, contains papers presented by John Gray, Nic Clear and David Cunningham, followed by a discussion. For full details see http://bit.ly/dt1TAU

Libraries as Cultural Hubs

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 08 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

One of a series of lectures in which architects outline their ideas for and responses to library projects. Danish architectural practice Schmidt Hammer Lassen see libraries as central to the development of contemporary culture and civic spaces of our cities. Partner, Morten Schmidt, discusses the evolution of their thinking from the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen opened in 1999 to the University of Aberdeen New Library, now on site.

Critic's Choice: Hans Ulrich Obrist on Fun Palace by Cedric Price

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 01 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

A new series in which critics make a case for what they consider to be London's most significant or important building. In this talk, Hans Ulrich Obrist discusses The unrealised Fun Palace by Cedric Price; with responses from Jude Kelly, Jeremy Melvin and Catherine Croft. This event took place on 22 March 2010.

Critic's Choice: Tristram Hunt on Trafalgar Square

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 25 Mar 2010 10:31:00 GMT

A new series in which critics make a case for what they consider to be London's most significant or important building. In this talk, broadcaster Dr Tristram Hunt discusses Trafalgar Square, with responses from Edward Jones, Margaret Richardson and Matthew Gandy. This event took place on 8 March 2010.

Critic's Choice: Elain Harwood on the Commonwealth Institute

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 25 Mar 2010 10:31:00 GMT

A new series in which critics make a case for what they consider to be London's most significant or important building. In this talk, historian Elain Harwood discusses the Commonwealth Institute, with responses from Paul Finch, MaryAnne Stevens and Alan Crawshaw. This event took place on 22 February 2010.

Annual Architecture Lecture 2009: Snøhetta - Works

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 09 Nov 2009 15:20:00 GMT

Craig Dykers and Kjetil Thorsen, co-founders of Norwegian architectural practice Snøhetta and designers of Oslo's acclaimed new National Opera & Ballet House, delivered the 2009 Annual Architecture Lecture on 13 July. The lecture ends with a short video; this and some accompanying slides can be found at www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture/snohetta.

Chamberlin Powell and Bon: The Architects Who Made London with Maxwell Hutchinson

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 22 Apr 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Chamberlin Powell and Bon designed a larger area of postwar London than any other architectural practice, encompassing the Golden Lane Estate and the adjacent Barbican. Series presenter Maxwell Hutchinson is joined by Elain Harwood who outlines their radical vision for buildings and the spaces around them, combining private and social housing, education buildings and a major arts complex. This event took place on 20 April 2009. For more information on this lecture series and the RA's Architecture Programme see www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture.

Alison and Peter Smithson: The Architects Who Made London with Maxwell Hutchinson

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 22 Apr 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The Smithsons exercised a fascination over London's architectural scene with a small number of iconic projects - and a keen sense of their own importance. Series presenter Maxwell Hutchinson is joined by Max Risselada who discusses their theoretical and architectural impact on London, looking at such buildings as the Economist Building and the controversial Robin Hood Gardens. This event took place on 6 April 2009. For more information on this lecture series and the RA's Architecture Programme see www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture.

Powell and Moya: The Architects Who Made London with Maxwell Hutchinson

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 16 Apr 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Philip Powell RA and Jacko Moya launched their practice when they won the competition for the Churchill Gardens housing estate in Pimlico, bringing a human quality to the modernist style. The incredible structure of the Skylon at the Festival of Britain has stayed in people's imagination, while Powell and Moya's mark was left on London with the Museum of London and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, as architectural historian Kenneth Powell discusses with series presenter Maxwell Hutchinson. This event took place on 23 March 2009. For more information on this lecture series and the RA's Architecture Programme see www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture.

Sir Denys Lasdun RA: The Architects Who Made London with Maxwell Hutchinson

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 15 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Denys Lasdun's bold and dramatic designs of the 1960s, like the National Theatre and the Royal College of Physicians, are among the most notable buildings to come from the theoretical energy that made London an important centre for architectural thought in the 1950s. Series presenter Maxwell Hutchinson is joined by Dr Barnabas Calder, University of Strathclyde, who reveals Lasdun's very personal interpretation of archetypal forms, which Lasdun believed to be the essence of architecture and city-making. This event took place on 9 March 2009. For more information on this lecture series and the RA's Architecture Programme see www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture.

Erno Goldfinger RA: The Architects Who Made London with Maxwell Hutchinson

webmaster@royalacademy.org.uk (Amy Macpherson) — 03 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Before the Second World War, Hungarian-born Erno Goldfinger's London work was primarily small projects like his own Hampstead house. By the early 1960s, large-scale development opportunities saw him create some of London's most recognisable buildings, such as Alexander Fleming House and Balfron and Trellick Towers. Professor Alan Powers, University of Greenwich, discusses this important architect with series presenter Maxwell Hutchinson. This event took place on 16 February 2009. For more information on this lecture series and the RA's Architecture Programme see www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture.