WHAT? Herzog & de Meuron 

WHERE? Royal Academy of Arts, The Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3ET

WHEN? Now until 15th October 

WHY GO? To connect art with architecture. You may not recognise the name, but you will immediately know the buildings designed by Herzog & de Meuron.

This prestigious Swiss architectural practice has reshaped cities by creating some of the most forward thinking buildings with purpose and to artistic acclaim. 

They are credited with changing the modern face of architecture and this timely exhibition allows us to watch their work evolve from start to finish along with the assistance of a free special AR (augmented reality) App.

From cultural centres to car parks and clinics, they are at the forefront of elevating architecture and have collaborated with famous artists like Ai Weiwei, on the National Stadium in Beijing, and with fashion icons like Prada having designed their Tokyo flagship store.

Herzog & de Meuron gave Tate Modern their contentious side elevation in 2016 which subsequently caused furore from residents opposite who claimed Tate visitors could pry inside their penthouses - ah well, you can’t please everyone!

IN THE KNOW 

Architecture has always been a distinctive feature of the RA’s annual Summer Exhibition which closed on 20th August.  Curated this year by Peter Barber, the theory, ‘making is thinking’ show-cased a towering tree-like structure looming large up through the Weston Room created by students from the Architectural Association’s Design + Make MA programme.