Renzo Piano

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(b. Genoa, Italy 1937)

Renzo Piano was born in Genoa, Italy in 1937. From 1959 to 1964 he studied at the Milan Politecnico, where he taught until 1968. In 1970 Piano established a partnership with the English architect Richard Rogers.

Together, Rogers and Piano designed a number of buildings in Italy and England. Their most famous building, the Pompidou Center in Paris, takes its form from a metaphor of the 'cultural machine' with all color-coded service elements and structure emphasized on the building's exterior.

Like most works designed by members of the "High-Tech" movement, Piano established technology as a starting point for his designs. Fortunately, he modified his attempts to generate an architectural character based on technological forms with a concern for user comfort and needs.

In his more recent works, Piano has applied his structural experiments to a range of social and civic projects.

"His body of significant great works places him solidly among the handful of true form-givers of his generation. So the AIA gives a most appropriate honor with its recent announcement that the American Institute of Architects 2008 Gold Medal is going to the renowned Italian architect.

"In their nomination of Piano, Thomas Howarth, FAIA, and Kira Gould, AIA, described his work as 'sculptural, beautiful, technically accomplished, sustainable... He integrates the diverse disciplines that combine in contemporary building into cohesive, humane environments.'

"'His work is executed with integrity and an abiding awareness that architecture is the beautiful intervention that seams nature with technology.'" — Renzo Piano Gold Medal, ArchitectureWeek No. 365

References
Dennis Sharp. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture. New York: Quatro Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0-8230-2539-X. NA40.I45. p122-123.

Details

Recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, 1998.
Renzo Piano was the twenty first recipient of this prize, on its 20th aniversary.

Recipient of the AIA Gold Medal, 2008.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop
via P. P. Rubens 29
16158 Genova
Italy
vox 010/61711
fax 010/6171350
email: renzopianobwit@panet.it

"California Academy of Sciences", by Rachel Grossman, ArchitectureWeek No. 405, 2008.1112. pE1.1.

"Renzo Piano Gold Medal", by Lisa Ashmore, ArchitectureWeek No. 365, 2008.0123. pN1.1.

"Piano Tone", by Lisa Ashmore, ArchitectureWeek No. 266, 2005.1130. pD1.1.

"Skylighting Sculpture", by ArchitectureWeek, ArchitectureWeek No. 185, 2004.0310, pB1.1.

"Piano's Beyeler Foundation Museum", by Dean Hawkes and Wayne Forster, ArchitectureWeek No. 170, 2003.1105, pE1.1.

"Piano's Herm�s Tokyo", by Mahoko Hoffman, ArchitectureWeek No. 114, 2002.0911, pD1.1.

Renzo Piano and Building Workshop : Buildings and Projects, 1971-1989. Renzo Piano, introduction by Paul Goldberger. ISBN 0847811522. — A beautiful book documenting beautiful modern buildings. Out of print, but you can place a request at at Amazon.com

Renzo Piano Building Workshop : Complete Works Volume Two. Phaidon, May 1995. Peter Buchanan. ISBN 0-7148-2859-9. — Another beautiful book documenting more of Piano's beautiful buildings. Available at Amazon.com

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Search the RIBA architecture library catalog for more references on Renzo Piano
 

Renzo Piano Building Workshop — the architect's official web site

Renzo Piano Workshop Foundation

Renzo Piano Pritzker Prize — Several pages of good background information, at the Pritzker Prize site.

Renzo Piano at Archiplanet — Find, add, and edit info at the all-buildings collaboration

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