2016 RIAS FESTIVAL OF ARCHITECTURE
Just announced today, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, are launching a year long festival celebrating all things great in Scottish Architecture, and when you go through their on-line brochure it looks like Scotland has a lot to celebrate.
The Scottish Government has designated this Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, and the festival hopes to make a lasting difference to Scottish communities.
Centred at the RIAS’s Rutland Square office, the festival hopes to, “share Scottish design and creativity internationally and highlight the richness and breadth of Scotland’s architecture and the world quality of our build environment.”
Although events will be taking place throughout Scotland there are many, many events that focus on the incredible buildings that make up Edinburgh’s own built environment. The Festival is a partnership of over ninety organisations that hope to show how architecture touches everyone’s lives and it is hoped that as many people as possible will get involved, through visiting exhibitions, attending lectures, and generally just getting out and visiting some of the great buildings that we probably walk by every day and don’t notice.
Some events that are definitely worth switching the television off for are:
‘Out of Their Heads. Exploring the Scottish Architect.’ Running from 11th June to 25th September in the Contemporary Gallery on the ground floor of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, this exhibition hopes to make the connection between some of Scotland’s greatest ever architects and their buildings. It promises to be full of Portraits, photographs and models.
‘Pop-up World Cities Expo.’ Running from spring at Mound Square, Princes Street. Here 14 cities from across the globe have been invited to design pavilions that captures how people see their own city.
‘Build It – Adventures with Lego.’ Starting on the 29th January and running through until the 17th April, the architectural possibilities of Lego will be fully explored with plans to create various large scale ‘Models’ in the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland, Chamber Street.
‘Scotstyle.’ Celebrating the top 100 buildings from 1916 to 2015, chosen by the Scottish public. This exhibition will be touring throughout Scotland, including Edinburgh from March until October.
Along with these various other touring events that start, end or visit Edinburgh throughout the year the Festival looks as though it might just get people opening their eyes and looking up and around to see the vast and incredible storehouse that is Scottish Architecture.
Visit the website here or visit the RIAS at 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE. T 0131 229 7545
