Piece by Piece: Inside the Renzo Piano Building Workshop is presented in partnership by Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto
TORONTO, ON – Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), the world-class architecture firm, is bringing a collection of works to Toronto with Piece by Piece: Inside the Renzo Piano Building Workshop from July 16 – September 11, 2022. Presented by Harbourfront Centre in partnership with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto, the exhibition will offer visitors the rare opportunity to immerse in RPBW’s exquisite design process from first sketches to final results. Eleven civic works that span vast space and time will demonstrate the broad diversity in RPBW’s creations by presenting various building types and functions. The New Toronto Courthouse will be among the civic projects presented, among others across the globe.
The eleven civic projects from Paris and Genoa RPBW offices will be displayed at Harbourfront Centre’s Artport Gallery. These will include the Centre Pompidou in Paris (1977), the New Caledonia Cultural Center in Nouméa (1999), the New York Times building in New York City (2008), the California Academy of Science in San Francisco (2008), the London Shard (2012), the Whitney Museum in New York City (2015), the Emergency Children’s Hospital in Entebbe (2021), the Genova Bridge in Genoa (2020) and, most recently, the New Toronto Courthouse (2022).
“The Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Toronto is absolutely thrilled to partner with Harbourfront Centre and RPBW to present the first Canadian retrospective of one of Italy’s greatest contemporary architects,” says Veronica Manson, Director, Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto. “Renzo Piano transformed the way we think of public spaces and public buildings. This unique exhibition will give its viewers a better understanding behind the creative process of Renzo Piano himself and that of his renowned international studio RPBW.”
Piece by Piece: Inside the Renzo Piano Building Workshop will take attendees on a trip around the globe, seen through the eyes of the world’s leading architects. RPBW’s innovative design approaches consider the sites’ respective environs, resulting in one-of-a-kind buildings, each with a robust civic role within their location: the most distinctive characteristics of RPBW’s work.
The exhibition will underline the importance of how architecture is created, shining a spotlight on RBPW’s approach to making a design “piece by piece.” The highly skilled team at RPBW considers themselves builders even before architects, always present during construction. They believe that making a good building is a process that happens collectively and includes collaboration with consultants across disciplines. These values are apparent in their award-winning designs.
About Renzo Piano Building Workshop
The Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) was established in 1981 by Renzo Piano with offices in Genoa, Italy and Paris, France. RPBW is led by 12 partners, including founder and Pritzker Prize laureate architect Renzo Piano. Our staff has vast experience working in multidisciplinary teams on building projects in France, Italy and abroad. Our work also includes interior design services, town planning and urban design services, landscape design services and exhibition design services. RPBW has successfully undertaken and completed over 140 projects around the world.
About Harbourfront Centre
Harbourfront Centre is a leading international centre for contemporary arts, culture and ideas, and a registered, charitable not-for-profit cultural organization operating a 10-acre campus on Toronto’s central waterfront. Harbourfront Centre provides year-round programming 52 weeks a year, seven days a week, supporting a wide range of artists and communities. We inspire audiences and visitors with a breadth of bold, ambitious and engaging experiences. We champion contemporary Canadian artists throughout their careers, presenting them alongside international artists and fostering national and international artistic exchange between disciplines and cultures.
About the Istituto di Cultura Toronto
The Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Cultural Section of the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, was established in 1976. The Istituto is a Centre for cultural and academic activities, a school of Italian language and civilization, a source of information about contemporary Italy and a venue for art exhibitions, lectures, films, concerts and video screenings.
In addition, the Istituto provides the opportunity for cultural collaboration between Italian and Canadian organizations and individuals, in order to facilitate exchange in the field of art, theatre, music, science and cinema. The Institute supports initiatives that favour intercultural and multilateral dialogue based on the principles of democracy, reciprocal respect and international solidarity.