35 Facts About Richard Rogers

Richard Rogers was a senior partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, previously known as the Richard Rogers Partnership, until June 2020.

Richard Rogers was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal, the Thomas Jefferson Medal, the RIBA Stirling Prize, the Minerva Medal, and the 2007 Pritzker Prize.

Richard Rogers was born in Florence, Tuscany, in 1933 into an Anglo-Italian family.

In October 1938, William Nino Richard Rogers came back to England, having fled Fascist Italy and anti-Jewish laws under Mussolini.

Richard Rogers did not excel academically, which made him believe that he was "stupid because he could not read or memorise his school work" and as a consequence, he said, he became "very depressed".

Richard Rogers couldn't read until he was 11, and it was not until after he had his first child that Rogers realised he was dyslexic.

Richard Rogers then attended the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where he gained the Architectural Association's Diploma from 1954 until 1959, subsequently graduating with a master's degree from the Yale School of Architecture in 1962 on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Richard Rogers continued to develop his ideas of prefabrication and structural simplicity to design a Wimbledon house for his parents.

Richard Rogers subsequently joined forces with Italian architect Renzo Piano, a partnership that was to prove fruitful.

Richard Rogers's career leapt forward when he, Piano and Gianfranco Franchini won the design competition for the Pompidou Centre in July 1971, alongside a team from Ove Arup that included Irish engineer Peter Rice.

Richard Rogers devoted much of his later career to wider issues surrounding architecture, urbanism, sustainability, and the ways in which cities are used.

Richard Rogers served for several years as chair of the Greater London Authority panel for Architecture and Urbanism.

Richard Rogers was chair of the board of Trustees of The Architecture Foundation.

Richard Rogers stood down from the post in October 2009.

Amidst this extra-curricular activity, Richard Rogers continued to create controversial and iconic works.

In May 2006, Richard Rogers' practice was chosen as the architect of Tower 3 of the new World Trade Center in New York City, replacing the old World Trade Center which was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.

Richard Rogers resigned his directorship of Richard Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners on 30 June 2020.

In February 2006, Richard Rogers hosted the inaugural meeting of the campaigning organisation Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine in his London offices.

Richard Rogers publicly dissociated himself from the group within weeks, following an outcry from generally pro-Israeli New York voters and politicians, which threatened him with the loss of prestigious commissions including projects in New York and abroad.

Richard Rogers was married to Ruth Richard Rogers, chef and owner of The River Cafe restaurant in west London.

Richard Rogers had three sons, Ben, Zad and Ab, from his first marriage to Su Brumwell.

Richard Rogers had fourteen grandchildren and a younger brother, Peter William Rogers, a property developer and co-founder of Stanhope.

Richard Rogers died in London on 18 December 2021, at the age of 88.

Richard Rogers was created Baron Rogers of Riverside, of Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on 17 October 1996.

Richard Rogers was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the 2008 Birthday Honours list.

Richard Rogers was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1985.

Richard Rogers was twice honoured by France, first as a Chevalier, L'Ordre National de la Legion d'honneur in 1986, and later as an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995.

Richard Rogers received a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 10th Mostra di Architettura di Venezia.

In 2006, the Richard Rogers Partnership was awarded the Stirling Prize for Terminal 4 of Barajas Airport, and again in 2009 for Maggie's Centre in London.

Richard Rogers won the Gold Medal for Architecture at the National Eisteddfod of Wales of 2006 for his work on the Senedd building of the Senedd.

Richard Rogers was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2005.

Richard Rogers was awarded the Minerva Medal by the Chartered Society of Designers in the same year.

Richard Rogers was awarded honorary degrees from several universities, including Alfonso X El Sabio University in Madrid, Oxford Brookes University, the University of Kent, the Czech Technical University in Prague and the Open University.

Richard Rogers is mentioned in the song "Thru These Architect's Eyes" on the album Outside by David Bowie.

Richard Rogers is mentioned in the song "Anti-Everything" by British band Mansun, from the album Six.