Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

Norwich/ UK, 1974-1978

The Sainsbury Centre brought a new level of refinement to the practice’s early explorations into lightweight, flexible structures. Much more than a traditional gallery, it integrates spaces for viewing art, and facilities for recreation, teaching and research, within a single, light-filled space that opens up to views of the surrounding landscape.

Stansted Airport

Stansted / UK, 1981-1991

Stansted Airport challenged all the accepted rules of airport terminal design. By turning the building ‘upside down’ the lightweight roof is freed simply to keep out rain and let in light. Energy efficient, environmentally discreet within its rural setting, technologically advanced yet incredibly simple to use and experience, Stansted has become a model for airport planners and designers around the world.

Carré d'Art

Nimes/ France, 1984-1993

The Carré d'Art shows how a building project, backed by an enlightened political initiative, can not only encourage a dialogue between ancient and modern architectures but can also provide a powerful catalyst for reinvigorating the social and physical fabric of a city. The challenge was to relate the new to the old, but at the same time to create a building that represented its own age with integrity.

American Air Museum

Cambridge/ UK, 1987-1997

Enveloped by a single vaulted enclosure, the Museum’s drama comes from the powerful arc of its roof - engineered to support suspended aircraft - and the sweep of the glazed southern wall overlooking the runway. Despite the fact that the structure is partly sunk into the ground, its fully glazed elevation and a continuous strip of glass around the base of the vault washes the interior in daylight.