Richard Rogers: Life & Legacy

Join us for an exploration of the life of architect and urbanist Richard Rogers.

“Richard Rogers has made the pursuit of public good through architecture his life’s work.” Pritzker Prize Jury

Richard Rogers (1933–2021), was one of the most influential architects of our time and the first British Architect to become an international superstar. From the inside-out design of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, to the striking silhouette of London’s Lloyd’s Building, Rogers challenged architectural norms and helped redefine what buildings could be – open, transparent, and deeply connected to the cities around them.

“Rogers reshaped the look of cities around the world with his striking modernist designs.” New York Times

Tracing Rogers’ journey as a ‘high-tech’ hero, from his early collaborations with Norman Foster to his later work with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, join us to explore Richard’s groundbreaking projects and his role in promoting more liveable, sustainable urban environments.

“Architecture is the only art that you can’t help experiencing.” Richard Rogers

The talk will also examine how Richard Rogers’ ideas, on everything from housing policy to public space, have left a lasting mark not just on architecture, but on how we think about cities and society.

“Richard was a great friend and a lifelong inspiration. He was a tireless advocate for the role that architecture can play in creating a better society.” Norman Foster

Our Speaker

• Ivan Harbour, RSHP

About Our Speaker

Ivan Harbour, Senior Director, RSHP

Ivan joined the Richard Rogers Partnership in 1985, working on Lloyd’s of London, and subsequently led the design of the European Court of Human Rights and Bordeaux Law Courts. In 2007, the practice was renamed Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners in recognition of Ivan and Graham Stirk’s design work. It is now known as RSHP.

Ivan’s work spans many building types, from airports to low-cost housing, where the designs share a common belief that successful buildings pay the greatest respect to those that use them. These projects include the Centre Building at the LSE in London; a mixed-use piece of city in Monte Carlo; the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, USA; offices at Stratford, London for the Financial Conduct Authority, Transport for London, The British Council and Cancer Research UK; Barangaroo South masterplan and International Towers in Sydney, Australia; 300 New Jersey Avenue offices in Washington DC, USA; Senedd Cymru, Welsh Parliament in Cardiff, Wales; Law Courts in Antwerp and primary and secondary schools in Minami Yamashiro, Kyoto, Japan and Hackney, London.

Two of Ivan’s projects – Terminal 4 Barajas Airport Madrid (2006) and Maggie’s West London (2009) – have won the Stirling Prize, the most prestigious architectural award in the UK.

Chair: Pippa Goldfinger

The event takes place at Arnolfini, Bristol, BS1 4QA