Beyond architecture: lenses for the living city - RSA

Beyond architecture: lenses for the living city

Fellowship events / Online

 -  | Eastern Standard Time

9AM -10AM PT / 12PM -1PM ET

  • Arts and culture
  • Design
  • Environment
  • Fellowship
  • Global

Join the RSA US community for a conversation where we'll explore the city as an urban stage.

The twenty first century will witness urbanization at an unprecedented rate never-before-seen in our history as city dwellers. In a world of rapid change, how do we learn to see and tell the story of the human condition in the living city?

Drawing from his recent books, Shaun Fynn, Photographer and author of Chandigarh Revealed: Le Corbusier’s City Today and Departures : A Journey with India  will host a conversation with Philippe Paré (Paris based Managing Director and Design Principal at Gensler) and MariaFrancesca Maretti (London based photojournalist and architect) exploring the city as urban stage where life plays out. Central to the discussion is the role of photography and imagery to help us see the true nature of urban space and life between the walls.

Our moderator will be Shaun Fynn FRSA

Shaun Fynn, Photographer and author of Chandigarh Revealed : Le Corbusier’s City Today and Departures : A Journey with India and upcoming books exploring the relationships between built environment and the living city through a social realist lens.

From the modernist planning and visions of Le Corbusier to the rapidly developing cites of the 21st century, his photography explores both the planned and unplanned realities of life between the walls and within urban spaces. Collectively, the works are a contemplative and visceral exploration of the human condition amongst the dreams of modernism and the rapidly developing metropolises of the twenty-first-century.

Created from an archive of twenty years photographing global cities, the works goes beyond the often incidental or serendipitous nature of street photography to open the door and explore the life within.

Our speakers will be:

Philippe Paré

During his 19 years with Gensler, Managing Director and Design Principal Philippe Paré has built a portfolio of global award-winning work and has earned a reputation among clients and peers for creating inspiring work spaces that foster interaction and excitement. As Managing Director, based in Gensler’s Paris office, Philippe oversees the growth of the local office and of the wider business in France.

His approach to design is idea-driven, with uncompromising attention given to detail and craft. Philippe is the recipient of over a hundred and fifty design awards, including the AIA’s Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture and has been widely published in international media such as the New York Times, Wallpaper, Frame the Financial Times and the Times on the future of work. Philippe earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Université de Montréal, with additional architectural studies at Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California.

MariaFrancesca Maretti

As a trained architect, MariaFrancesca merges the precision of architectural design with the evocative power of photography. Leveraging both passions, Maria has lived the past 15 years working as a photojournalist and architect in North Africa, Asia, the United States, and the UK. She is now based in London working as an architect specializing in Base Building Design and delivery, and a photographer at Gensler.

Maria uses her eye for detail and interest in new technologies to create emotional spaces and harness her photographic skills to bring projects to life; her work can be found on various Gensler platforms and publications.Her photographic work explores the symmetry and contrast of urban environments and human landscapes and underlines Maria’s multidimensional approach to refining spaces and telling a story. Capturing the transient beauty of her environment, her photographic work offers a silent narrative of the cities she has worked in and showcases a profound understanding of the interaction between humans and their surroundings.

This event is taking place on Wednesday, December 6th between:

  • 9am - 10am PST
  • 12pm – 1pm EST
  • 5pm - 6pm GMT

To access the log-in details to join this free event, please register in advance. Zoom information will be shared 48 hours, 2 hours, and 10 minutes prior to the event start time.

This event was recorded.

Photo attribution: Shaun Fynn FRSA

Taking part in online events

For our interactive online events, the RSA uses the platform Zoom. It may be necessary to follow a short set-up process. To understand how Zoom uses your data, please read their privacy policy.

Zoom call joining details will be sent via email in advance of the event.

If you have any access requirements or require any reasonable adjustments to support your participation, please let the team know by emailing: general.us@thersa.org.

We sometimes record our online RSA Fellowship events for learning purposes, publicity and/or public viewing. By attending this event, you accept that you may appear in RSA videos or images as an attendee of this event.