in london, sir john soane’s museum unpacks the ideas behind richard rogers’ iconic works

Sir John Soane’s Museum in london honors Richard Rogers

Running until September 21st, 2025, Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings opens at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. The exhibition looks back at the 50-year career of Richard Rogers (1933-2021), a British architect known for designing some of the world’s most recognizable buildings and for using architecture to express his political and social beliefs. Rather than offering a career overview, the show presents his work as a journey through eight important projects, allowing visitors to witness how his ideas evolved across time.

These eight projects include both built and unbuilt works, starting with the experimental Zip-Up House from 1967, and ending with his final work, the Drawing Gallery of 2020, brought to vivid life in pink for Château La Coste’s annual exhibition in 2023 (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Other featured buildings include the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Lloyd’s building in London, celebrated for their high-tech designs.

Curated and designed by Richard’s son, Ab Rogers, the exhibition presents this selection in an engaging way through large-format drawings, models, and moving imagery that deconstruct Rogers’ work with clarity.

all images by Gareth Gardner

Talking Buildings draws parallels between the two architects

Central to Rogers’ work is the idea of legibility, the belief that buildings should clearly show how they are built and what they are for. Instead of hiding technical elements like pipes, beams, or ventilation systems, the Pritzker-winning architect often left them exposed and treated them as part of the design. He wanted people to understand how a building worked, just as you can understand how a machine works by looking at its parts. This approach reflected his belief that architecture should be transparent, honest, and open to everyone.

Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings also draws a parallel between Rogers and Sir John Soane, the 19th-century architect whose former home is now the museum. Though they worked in very different times, both architects believed in architecture as a tool for education and public engagement. Soane created his house-museum to teach students and visitors about design, while Rogers brought radical ideas into public space, reshaping how cities like London function and feel. Both used light, space, and structure to make architecture more human and more accessible.

Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings opens at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London

architecture as a response to challenge

Two specially commissioned films by Marina Willer offer fresh insights into Rogers’ perspectives on the featured projects. Complementing the exhibition, the Foyle Space hosts a specially commissioned installation by RSHP titled RSHP Architects in Dialogue. This display showcases RSHP’s past, present, and future projects, highlighting their ongoing influence on modern architecture and urban design, both in London and around the world.

The exhibition also shows that Richard Rogers was deeply engaged with the world around him. Throughout his career, he used architecture to respond to major social and environmental challenges, from affordable housing and climate change to the design of more democratic and accessible cities. Public space played a central role in his work, seen as a vital setting for connection, interaction, and community.

By presenting Rogers’ work in dialogue with the legacy of Sir John Soane, Talking Buildings invites visitors to reflect on the broader role of architecture in shaping society. Soane imagined a more enlightened London through his ambitious plans in the 19th century, while Rogers, in his time, helped build a more open, flexible, and inclusive city.

the exhibition looks back at the 50-year career of Richard Rogers