Renzo Piano

Description	Architect
Dates	September 14, 1937 -
Lived/Worked	Born in Genoa, Italy. Has worked on projects all over the world and he has today the Renzo Piano Building Workshop with offices in Genoa Italy, and Paris France.

Best known for...

Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France, which he did together with Richard Rogers in 1977. Also known for Kansai Intarnational Airport, Osaka (1988) and the rebuilding of the damier-benz part of the Postdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany and his most recent design is the proposed Shard London Bridge skyscraper in London.

Why is Renzo Piano important?

Since the construction of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Renzo Piano has been among the world's foremost contemporary architects and his project are attracting global attention. He shapes new trends by combining traditional and modern building materials trough the use of advanced computer technology. At the same time his structures keeps a close relationship with nature by incorporating plants and natural light into the design. His work reflects the balance of nature and technolgy by linking the traditional and the modern and the organic and highly abstract forms. This combination of nature an technology can be seen in many of his project both residental like the Rue de Meaux housing project in Paris and in public buildings like Menil Collection Museum in Houston Texas USA and Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center. Renzo Piano is also a leading architect in the consideration of the design of the public room around the buildings as much as the buildings themselves and the realtionship between the two. He has shown the importance of the plazas and how well a open public space connects with the building the give it the space it needs. centre of georges Pompidou is avery good example of how open public space can get used withouot any extra elements except a slight slooping ground.

Historical context

As a student Renzo Piano was working under the design guidance of Franco Albini. Between 1965 and 1970, he did study travels in Britain and America and it was then he met Jean Prouve, whom would have great influence on his professional carer, he also worked with Louis kahn and with Makowsky. In 1971, he founded the Piano Rogers agency with Richard Rogers, a very good friend of his, whom he designed the centre Pompidou project with in Paris France . In 1977, he founded Atelier Piano Rice along with the engineer Peter Rice, who would work with him on many projects until his death in 1993. He then founded Renzo Piano Building Workshop, with offices in Paris and Genoa. Today about 100 people work with him, both architects, engineers and specialists in certain domains.

How to see his work

Renzo Piano's buildings can be seen in several cities in the world he has done many projects and here are a few examples: Nasher Sculpture centre Dallas in USA, ABN AMRO in Sydney Australia, Museum of Art and Cite international Lyon France, Postdamer Platz Berlin Germany, New Metropolis - Science musum Amsterdam Holland and Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Noumea New Caledonia. He has done many projects in his home country Italy for example: San Nicola stadium Bari, Sport complex Ravenna and Genua Aquarium in Genoa Italy.

Renzo Piano on the web

http://194.185.232.3/} - Renzo Piano building Workshop official site, where to go for information about all his projects and information about Piano himself.