Team XP at Inside Out – The Richard Rogers retrospective at Royal Academy

Team Xperiology kicked off the Bank Holiday Weekend with a visit to Inside Out – the retrospective of architect Richard Rogers’ work at Royal Academy. What did we learn?

• Rogers overcame his dyslexia (and brutally blunt school reports related to it) to deliver some of the great buildings on the planet;
• Architecture is too difficult to be solved by one person – teamwork essential;
• Focus on people, communities and culture – and great buildings will follow;
• Have a heart! Form and function are great but buildings without ‘soul’ are worthless;
• Dare to be different – and tackle problems head on;
• And that the air vents on the Welsh assembly building were inspired by Smurf hats (not true)!

And wouldn’t it be great if all Londoners (and architects!) were forced to sign up to a version of the Ephebic Oath which was dished out to new citizens of Athens some 2,400 years ago:

“I shall leave this city not less but more beautiful than I found it” ?