As part of our Intergenerational Dialogues lectures we are delighted to host a conversation between David Leatherbarrow, a world renowned architectural historian known for his writings on architecture, time and memory, and Francesca Torzo whose architectural practice is increasingly gaining exposure for its poetic and quietly attentive approach to designing buildings.
David Leatherbarrow is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and has also taught at the University of Cambridge and the University of Westminster. His research often focuses on the experiential quality of architecture, specifically on the effects of accumulated time on buildings and their users. He has written prolifically, publishing 140 scholarly essays and articles, and more than 10 books.
Leatherbarrow is also the winner of the 2020 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education, the highest honour given to an educator in architecture in the US.
Francesca Torzo founded her practice, based in Genoa, in 2008 after working for Peter Zumthor and Bosshard Vaquer Architekten. Her most recent project is Z33, a new museum for contemporary art in Hasselt, Belgium which won the 2018 Piranesi award. Z33 is deeply embedded into the existing fabric of the city through a close reading of the materiality of the surrounding street and neighbouring buildings, whilst its interior spaces reveal themselves as a complex sequence of small interlocking spaces.
In 2018 she was a participant in the 16th Architecture Biennale in Venezia and currently has a solo exhibition as part of the Milan Triennale titled 'Chaosmos'.
The evening will begin with presentations by David Leatherbarrow and Francesca Torzo, followed by a discussion chaired by Philip Christou of Florian Beigel Architects.
The RIBA + VitrA partnership reflects a shared commitment to add social, economic and cultural value to society, and VitrA Bathrooms are proud to be supporting such an inspiring programme.
With innovation at its core, a global reach and a tradition of collaborating with celebrated architects and designers, the VitrA bathroom brand has become a world leader, synonymous with contemporary sophistication since the mid-1900s.
The RIBA + VitrA Talks Series is sponsored by VitrA Bathrooms.
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