For a unique insight into an architect's mind, peek into their sketchbook. Ever since the first architect scribbled the outline of a building on the first napkin, architects' sketchpads have been more than just a blank page to draw; they are places to lay down thoughts and develop projects, keepers of trade secrets, visual notebooks and compilations of inspiration.
A new exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts offers a rare journey into the psyche of established London architect Chris Wilkinson, co-founder of Wilkinson Eyre Architects. 'Thinking through drawing: Chris Wilkinson RA' marks the architect's 30 years of work and architectural drawing, and promises to open a window into his creative process and design approach, through the display of a careful pick of his hand drawings, watercolours and architectural objects.
A passionate believer in the importance of hand drawing, Wilkinson – an OBE and Stirling Prize recipient in 2000 and 2001 (respectively), and a Royal Academy fellow since 2006 – is behind a number of acclaimed works, such as the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth and the Maggie's Centre in Oxford. Many more highly anticipated works are currently in the pipeline for the firm, such as the King's Cross Gasholders canal side apartments, and many of them will be represented through drawings in this show.
Wilkinson's design work and expert architectural draughtsmanship will be celebrated by this exhibition, which opens today. The show is the perfect companion to the book Thoughts on paper: the sketchbooks of Chris Wilkinson RA, a recent publication by the Royal Academy of Arts, which collates a selection of the architect's intricate drawings.
'Thinking through drawing: Chris Wilkinson RA' marks the architect's 30 years of work and architectural drawing, and promises to open a window into his creative process and design approach. Pictured: Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth (completed 2013)
An OBE and Stirling Prize recipient in 2000 and 2001 (respectively), and a Royal Academy fellow since 2006, Wilkinson is a passionate believer in the importance of hand drawing. Pictured: Chris Wilkinson's sketchbooks
Maggie's Centre, Oxford (completed 2014)
Crown Hotel, Sydney, Australia (completion due 2019)
King's Cross Gasholders (completion due 2016)
Carphone Warehouse, Merry Hill (concept, 1997)
Stratford Depot, London (completed 1991)
ADDRESS
Tennant Gallery and Richard Sharp Council Room
Royal Academy of Arts
London, W1J 0BD
-
Premium pocketable audio scales up with the new SP4000 from Astell&KernThe Astell&Kern A&ultima SP4000 is a serious piece of audiophile equipment, a high-res portable player that offers endless ways to shape your listening experience
-
The ultimate amenity in this Canadian apartment building? A trio of scene-stealing restaurantsPart of Citizen on Jasper, a new residential tower, Va!, Olia, and Mimi offer a thrilling day-to-night dining experience
-
These sculptural mirrors embody the relaxed spirit of the MedPhotographed in a Mallorcan residence designed by local studio Munarq, these new sculptural mirrors by New York furniture company Ready To Hang are inspired by the sea
-
Cult classic ‘Teenagers in Their Bedrooms’ captures the angst of being a teenAre 1990s teens so different? Three decades after its original release, this photography book by Adrienne Salinger has been published again, by DAP
-
Booker Prize 2025: Kiran Desai returns with long-awaited follow-up as longlist is revealedThis year’s Booker Prize longlist captures the emotional complexity of our times, with stories of fractured families, shifting identities and the search for meaning in unfamiliar places
-
How to be butch: Clark Henley’s sharp, satirical and playful manual is back in printThe 1982 classic, ‘The Butch Manual: The Current Drag and How to Do It’, full of tongue-in-cheek advice, is available once again
-
We are all fetishists, says Anastasiia Fedorova in her new book, which takes a deep dive into kinkIn ‘Second Skin’, writer and curator Fedorova takes a tour through the materials, objects and power dynamics we have fetishised
-
Vincent Van Gogh and Anselm Kiefer are in rich and intimate dialogue at the Royal Academy of ArtsGerman artist Anselm Kiefer has paid tribute to Van Gogh throughout his career. When their work is viewed together, a rich relationship is revealed
-
The gayest love story ever told: Jeremy Atherton Lin's memoir is a tribute to homeIn 'Deep House: The Gayest Love Story Ever Told', Jeremy Atherton Lin mixes memoir with a historical deep-dive into marriage equlaity
-
The glory years of the Cannes Film Festival are captured in a new photo book‘Cannes’ by Derek Ridgers looks back on the photographer's time at the Cannes Film Festival between 1984 and 1996
-
Taschen’s sexy record covers are hitting all the right notesTaschen has been through 50 years of album art for its latest tome, ‘Sexy Record Covers’
