Renzo Piano was born in Genoa, Italy in 1937. From 1959 to 1964 he studied at the Milan Politecnico, where he taught until 1968. In 1970 Piano established a partnership with the English architect Richard Rogers. Together, Rogers and Piano designed a number of buildings in Italy and England. Their most famous building, the Pompidou Center in Paris, takes its form from a metaphor of the 'cultural machine' with all color-coded service elements and structure emphasized on the building's exterior. Like most works designed by members of the "High-Tech" movement, Piano established technology as a starting point for his designs. Fortunately, he modified his attempts to generate an architectural character based on technological forms with a concern for user comfort and needs.

Renzo Piano was bom into a family of builders in Genoa, Italy in 1937. His grandfather, his father, four uncles and brother were all contractors and Renzo Piano admits, Renzo Piano should have been one too, but instead chose architecture. Renzo Piano was studying at Milan Poitechnic Architecture School. During his studies Renzo Piano was working under the design quidance of Franco Albini. After his graduation in 1964 Renzo Piano worked in his father"s company and during the time 1965-1970 Renzo Piano worked in offices of Louis I. Kahn in Philadelphia and ZS. Makowski in London. Other important influence Renzo Piano acknowledges, was Pierluigi Nervi. While still studying in Milan, Renzo Piano married a girt Renzo Piano had known from school days in Genoa, Magda Arduino. They have three children- 2 sons and the third child, daughter Lia, now 25, is pursuing a career in architecture.

Renzo Piano "s first important commission was in 1969 to design the Italian Industry Pavilion at Expo"70 in Osaka. The Expo project attracted much favorable attention, including that of another young english architect named Richard Rogers. The two architects found that they had a great deal in common and when an engineering firm suggested they worked together and enter the international competition for the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris; they did and won.

FurtherDimensions ofthe Organic 6

Bercy 2 Shopping Centre, Paris 16

Thomson Optronics Factory, Saint Quentin en Yvelines 34

Metro Stations, Genoa 46

Cruise Shipsand Yacht 58

InterviewwithRenzoPiano 64

UNESCOLaboratory-workshop, Vesima 76

Glass Furniture 92

Columbus International Exposition, Genoa 94

"Galileo in Padua" Exhibition Project, Padua 130

National Centre for Science and Technology, Amsterdam 132

CreditolndustrialeSardo, Cagliari 140

LingottoFactoryRenovation,Turin 150

"Automobiles in Milan" Exhibition, Milan 168

BeyelerFoundation Museum, near Basle 170

Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church, San Giovanni Rotondo 180

J M Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Noumea 190

PotsdamerPlatz, Berlin 210

Kansai InternationalAirport, Osaka 22o

Acknowledgements 228

Bibliography 23o

Index 236

Photographic credits 239