אדריכלות ישראלית

Architecture of Israel #

117

May

2019

Renzo Piano

page

english readers

Unlike Piano, Albini was one of the

leaders of the Rationalist trend in Modern

Architecture at the beginning of the

20th century. Albini's first project was a

glass radio which enabled listeners to

understand how this technological wonder

works.

Later on Albini became Casina’s main

furniture designer and his products

became brands that made him a world

famous industrial designer.

No less important is the fact that as an

architect, Albini specialized in museum

design, a crucial component of which is

controlling natural light in order to protect

exhibits and present them as they are.

Hence, an overview of Piano’s career,

and especially what brought him to the

forefront of the world stage, was his

unique preoccupation with light – which in

time earned him the nickname “architect

of light”.

guest of the season

renzo piano

beyond the light

Renzo Piano’s most notable buildings are the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris,

The Shard in London, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and the

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens. However, in my opinion, one

of the most influential points of his development as an architect was his encounter

with Architect Franco Albini, his teacher at the Polytechnic University of Milan.

Rich in worldwide awards and projects,

Piano, 82, still runs a large architectural

studio that employs over 150 planners.

The five selected projects presented

here represent a fair sample of his

unique buildings that draw their power

from the environment and, with minimal

intervention, pay it back with improved

value.