REGISTER - TONY FRETTON

Register - Architecture & Landscape

In this episode Andrew Clancy interviews the architect and educator Tony Fretton. Since establishing his practice in 1982, and by example and instruction Tony has persistently made the case for the value of quiet and thoughtful architecture. This thinking was made powerfully manifest in his ambiguous masterpiece - the Lisson Gallery - makes a reading of its London context which is at once lyrical and scholarly, and does so in a manner respectful of its programme as a small gallery, and its civic responsibilities. When this project was completed it provided an exemplar for architects across Europe who were seeking a means to engage with history and context without recourse to pastiche and on the terms of contemporary tectonics. Its value remains today and we talk about this project at length in this interview. A wonderful companion to get to this project is the sketchbooks published by Drawing Matter, and available to download here https://www.drawingmatter.org/publications/fretton-lisson-gallery/ Tony continues to teach, and he reflects on the particular challenges facing young practitioners and students. He sets these against where he now finds himself, and the potential for continued discovery and reinvention in late practice - a rich tradition in the history of architecture. This was an impromptu interview in Tony's office - apologies about the ambient sounds from the local school, which while joyful might make certain parts of the interview difficult to follow! Credits: Register is brought to you by the Department of Architecture & Landscape at Kingston University. fada.kingston.ac.uk/al/ Head of Department: Eleanor Suess Register Editor: Timothy Smith Interviewer: Andrew Clancy Audio: Justin Howard