Richard Rogers Inside Out Exhibition RA

Went to see the new Richard Rogers Exhibition at the RA yesterday with a friend. The exhibition looks at Roger's life, through his Italian background, work and family, and his development of architectural and political ideas, mainly centering around social justice and how this has been implemented into making fairer cities and spaces.

Zip House via dezeen

Wimbledone House via dezeen

Having enjoyed cities for a small country I pretty much wafted contentedly around the exhibition nodding at the ethos and ideas stuck up on A3s around the exhibition rooms. It's very hard to disagree with what Rogers has to say, especially when he makes it so simple. Who doesn't want a city where rich and poor can enjoy a vibrant, working, fair and happy city?

London As it Could Be via dezeen

The exhibition was lacking a tiny bit in actual work, there was at least one drawing for each selected project plus beautiful models but it wasn't as in depth as we'd expected it would be. Still, Roger's has a travelling exhibition for that so I wasn't too put out and it was more about the ideas. The lack of detail though did mean the connection between the social ethos and the design was not always fully explained, this was most surprising in the pieces for the Pompidou.

I may have missed a point in the exhibition but the exhibition did remind me of  how annoyingly London-centric architects are today. This is especially annoying when talking about ideas such as fair city design. Of course the exhibition was in the capital and it is perhaps the most important city in the country but I always feel very confused when architects talk about creating revolutionary schemes for brilliant social change and cohesion when there are more desperate or more powerful cases all over the country.

Anyway as a fan of Roger's buildings the exhibition was still a good trip out (my memory of the millennium dome and the inside of Heathrow are still for some very strange reason some of my most profound architectural memories). Roger's life is also quite interesting too considering his Italian background, and struggle in education. The bright colours and constant succession of Rogers smiling in the 70's, grinning on a tower, beaming in a meeting etc. left me quite positive and happy. I am also now convinced Rogers is some sort of living Budha because of this. but it's more likely good PR.

Permanently happy Rogers -  the Bhuda of Architects