RIBA Curator Tour with Sandra Woodall
- Written byJana Abou Nasr
- Published date 24 October 2024
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Post-Grad Community Ambassador Jana Abou Nasr (2024, MA Virtual Reality, London College of Communication) recently took part in a Post-Grad Community visit to the Royal Institute of British Architects, where students were taken on a tour of the building, library, and current exhibitions Difficult Sites and Sustainable Design in the Gulf.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an inspiring curator tour at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London, led by the esteemed architect Sandra Woodall. The event was a fantastic exploration into the world of architecture, starting with the grand entrance into RIBA’s beautiful Art Deco building, designed by George Grey Wornum. Architect Sandra Woodall shared fascinating insights into the history of the building and offered valuable background on the founding of RIBA, leading to a very insightful and engaging experience.
We then moved to the Architecture Gallery, where we explored various iconic projects from the RIBA Collection. The beautifully crafted models of architectural buildings done over the years led to some great conversations among us as we admired and discussed the intricate details together.
Afterward, we visited the RIBA Library, where we learned about its vast resources, which range from books and periodicals to photographs and other media. The collection spans everything from 15th-century illustrated texts to the latest architectural journals from around the world. We were also introduced to the digital search tools, which allow easy access to this extensive collection. It was particularly exciting to see valuable books from ancient times that are still accessible today for research, providing additional insights.
One of the tour’s highlights was visiting the exhibition, The RIBA Gulf Chapter Presents: Sustainability. Architect Sandra Woodall took us through various projects from the Gulf region, emphasizing how sustainability has been integrated into architectural designs from as early as the 1900s, to present-day developments, and even future designs that incorporate the latest advancements in technology.
As part of the post-graduate community at UAL, it was a real pleasure to attend this tour. Not only did I gain valuable insights into architecture and sustainability, but it was also a wonderful networking and socializing event, allowing me to connect with other students while appreciating the remarkable work on display at the RIBA foundation.
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