In praise of Richard Rogers and his great ideals
December 18 last year saw the passing of Richard Rogers, one of the best known architects of recent times.
He was an engaging personality with a true passion to make the difference in all that he did, for the benefit of society as a whole.
Many of his buildings were seen as challenging at the time they were built, but have become well known and loved landmarks. They raise debate and some of his buildings still polarise opinion, yet he has a legacy across the globe making a truly positive impact to both users and observers.
Rogers was perhaps best known for his work on the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Lloyds building and Millennium Dome, both in London, the Senedd building in Cardiff and the European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg.
He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal, the Thomas Jefferson Medal, the RIBA Stirling Prize, the Minerva Medal, and the Pritzker Prize.
Rogers was certainly an influential character during my own training, and with his passing I ventured to read more about the man himself. In 2017 he wrote a wonderful book about his life, called A Place for People.
For those remotely interested in architecture, it is a commendable read. In the introduction Rogers writes ‘Architecture creates shelter and transforms the ordinary.
‘Architects are both scientists and artists, solving problems in three dimensions, using structure and materials to create scale and humanise space, capture the play of light and shadows, and make an aesthetic impact.
‘From the primitive hut to the Aethenian Agora, from medieval palace to city hall, from the street bench to the great piazza, architecture shapes our lives. Good architecture civilises and humanises, bad architecture brutalises.’
How true this is. Architecture affects us all from the most humble to the most majestic of buildings. Good architecture has the power to transform our lives, in the way that we work, rest and play.
I remember seeing the Pompidou Centre for the first time, marvelling at the presence it has within the city centre. It is a real focal point for public meeting and events.
I was fascinated by the movement of people on the external travellators. It makes the building seem alive. Inside it caters for an ever-changing series of events and exhibitions. The piazza it forms is a stunning public space for Parisians and visitors alike to congregate. A truly remarkable building.
Rogers saw it as ‘not a temple to high culture; rather a ‘place for all people, the young and the old, the poor and the rich, all creeds and nationalities-a place for two-way participation, a project driven by social and political responsibilty’.
To me, this is the essence of architecture. An architecture driven by social responsibility, knowing that good design can make that positive impact to life, can literally take your breath away.
You know when entering any well-designed building that there is anaura, a sense of something precious. This sensory perception can be applied to the most simple of buildings, from our own homes to a small extension.
Within this county we have a number of remarkable architects, crafting away to make the place better for all. Yet, as Rogers says, it is a responsibility not just the architects, but for all of us to make our towns, cities and society better, more environmentally sustainable and fairer.