Pablo Bronstein

Conservatism, or The Long Reign of Pseudo-Georgian Architecture
Address
66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD Map
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Mon–Sun 10 am–5 pm Tue 10 am–8 pm
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Britain’s most desirable house is firmly Georgian in style – according to successive polls, fevered property prices and enduring stylistic influences over time. Indeed, ‘Georgian’ architecture has been in fashion almost continually over the last 300 years. But just what is it that makes yesterday’s architecture so different, so appealing?

The third RIBA commission anchors around the practice of British-Argentinian artist Pablo Bronstein, and his exploration of ubiquitous neo-Georgian developments as an exemplar of a genuine British vernacular. Fifty new drawings of contemporary buildings – constructed during the second half of the twentieth century but in an ostensibly ‘Georgian’ style – will be on display for the first time, alongside a selection of rarely-seen historical material from the RIBA’s prestigious Drawings Collection. Chosen by the artist, the archival material situates Bronstein’s drawings in the context of architectural practise through time, revealing long-cherished ideals about social aspiration, urban fabric, identity and representation.

From the RIBA Collections, renowned architectural figures such as Colen Campbell (1676-1729), Michael Searles (1751-1813) and Robert Adam (b.1948) are presented alongside lesser-known contributors to the late neo-Georgian style.

The exhibition is designed by Pablo Bronstein and architecture practice Apparata (Nicholas Lobo Brennan and Astrid Smitham).