On December 18, 2021 local time, British architect Richard Rogers died in London, England, at the age of 88.
Richard Rogers (1933–2021)
As one of the leading architects of the British high-tech movement, Pritzker Prize winner Richard Rogers became a memorable architect of this era. Rogers was known for his many works in the 70s and 80s, such as Pompidou in Paris, the headquarters of Bank Lloyd in London. To date, his work has a similar theme, using bright colors and structural elements to create an easily recognizable style that is at the same time well suited.
Born in Florence, Rogers moved with his family to England during World War II. After graduating from Architectural Union College in London, he went to Yale University in the United States to continue his studies. There he met his partner, Norman Foster. After graduating, the two architects joined Su Brumwell and Wendy Cheeseman in forming the team "4" in 1963. Although they worked together in team "4" for only 4 years, this was a decisive molding stage for British architecture, and rogers and Foster both became the leaders of the British high-tech school.
Shortly after the dissolution of the team "4", Rogers began another prolific collaboration with Renzo Piano. The duo's huge achievements came in 1971, when they worked with Gianfranco Franchini and Peter Rice, an engineer from Arup, to win the design of the Centre Pompidou. Two architects, who were still young at the time, shocked many people with their radical designs, and displayed the equipment of the building in its entirety, forming a symbol of Rogers's craftsmanship, which has since been called "bowellism".
Despite mixed reviews when the building was first built in 1977, the Centre Pompidou is now a beloved building in Paris. This is considered an important node in museum design, and its frank and futuristic design aims to break the elite aura of traditional art museums. Ten years later, another similar opportunity arose in London: Richard Rogers now owned his own firm and designed his bowerist-style Lloyd's London headquarters, which received some criticism at the time. But today, Lloyd House has become a landmark in the heart of London and was awarded the UK's highest tier one list in 2011.
Rogers became involved in British politics in the 1990s and became a Labour aristocrat. He was invited by the government to set up the City Mission Organisation, which in 1998 reviewed the reasons for the demise of cities and laid out a blueprint for future British cities in his essay "Towards Urban Regeneration". For eight years, he also worked as an architectural and urban consultant for the London Market.
In recent years, Rogers has continued to produce high-calibre work, winning the Stirling Prize in 2006 and 2009, the Pritzker Prize in 2007, and the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 2019.
Representative works
Rogers Residence
Rogers House，1968—1969
Centre Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou, 1971—1977
Lloyd Mansion
LIoyd's of London，1978—1986
London Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome，1996—1999
Lloyd's Register of Shipping's Headquarters in London
Lloyd's Register of Shipping，1993—2000
Mossburn Community College
Mossbourne Community Academy，2002—2004
Madrid Barajas Airport
Terminal 4, Barajas Airport Madrid,1997—2005
Lidenhall Building
The Leadenhall Building，2000—2014
British Museum World Art Collection and Exhibition Centre
British Museum WCEC，2007—2014
Headquarters of BBVA Financial Corporation
BBVA Bancomer Tower,2009—2016