Irreverent and iconoclastic, Nigel Coates has been agitating the architectural scene for over 40 years. In this talk that draws on his warm and compelling autobiography, he explores the highs and lows of life at the cutting edge of architecture. Coates' work collides at the intersection between bodies, sexuality and design. As 'artist-architect' and polymath, he has designed buildings, exhibitions, interiors and products. He is also known for his idiosyncratic and dynamic drawings. From the 1980s onwards he captured the media spotlight and was as likely to appear in Vogue as the Architectural Review. His portfolio includes work for leading brands, such as Liberty, Katharine Hamnett and Jasper Conran, and destination clubs and cafes from Istanbul to Tokyo. Buildings include The Wall in Japan, Powerhouse::uk and the Geffrye Museum in London. He designs for many Italian companies such as Fornasetti, GTV and Poltronova, and has produced lively installations for international art institutions and design exhibitions. As Head of Architecture at the Royal College of Art from 1995-2011, he turned the department into a leading international school. Featuring over 120 images of Coates' most celebrated projects, Coates’ memoir is a visual feast for any devotee of contemporary design. It encompasses his childhood in postwar Malvern, student years at the Architectural Association, the founding of radical architectural group NATO, '70s and '80s London club culture and lost loves along the way. It is a searingly honest, unvarnished personal history of one of the UK's most versatile and influential designers. "It is hard to believe ... that someone whose imagination produces forms as beautiful and strange as Coates will ever stop writing his narrative of ecstatic architecture." Aaron Betsky Having completed the webinar, participants will earn a discount code to purchase the book discussed at a special discount price from RIBA Books (the code is valid until 31 December 2023). Please note that this session was recorded from the live webinar on 26 June 2023.Nigel CoatesNigel is an acclaimed British architect and designer. As director of Branson Coates (1984-2006), he designed buildings, interiors and products internationally. Examples of his work are held in several museum collections, including the V&A in London, FRAC in Orleans and M+ in Hong Kong. He is the author of Guide to Ecstacity (Laurence King, 2003), Collidoscope (Lawrence King, 2004) and Narrative Architecture (Wiley, 2012). Emeritus Professor and former Head of Architecture at the Royal College of Art, he was awarded the RIBA Annie Spink Award in 2012 for his outstanding contribution to architectural education.For more information on this course, or if there are no places available, please email us, or call +44 (0)20 7307 5355 to talk to a member of the team. Please view the Terms and Conditions for more information. Core CurriculumPlaces, planning and communities
