Renzo Piano for one night only

As his latest London project nears completion, architect Renzo Piano will be discussing his approach to urban design at a one-off event at the Victoria & Albert museum.

The Italian-born architect’s most recent project has caused something of a stir during its construction. The redevelopment of Central Saint Giles, close to Oxford Street and Covent Garden, is not only eye-catching for its scale – the mixed-use development provides 375,000 square feet of office space, 56 private apartments, 53 affordable homes, and restaurant and retail units at ground level – but for the fact that it sports a 12 story-high cladding of vibrantly coloured terracotta tiles in multiple hues.

Since making his name with the joint creation of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, Piano’s modern designs - which showcase the latest technology while also including a nod to the past - have been characterised stylistically by a muted elegance, particularly when it comes to colours. Some of his most notable commissions include the New York Times building, the Kansai airport on Japan, the Loss Angeles County Museum and the Shard at London Bridge.

The Saint Giles project is an exciting departure from his established style, as well as a demonstration of how to create a substantial development over a fairly restricted urban area.

Piano, whose other urban development projects have included the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, will be in conversation with architecture critic, author and curator Lucy Bullivant for one night only.