“Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds.

An exhibition exploring remarkable feats of Architectural Achievement.”

Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the ODDS

The Royal Institute of British Architects Exhibition 2024 – 2025 features 19 exemplary projects from the last 150 years with buildings by Didier Ryan, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Nicholas Grimshaw, WilkinsonEyre and others.

“Architects have often produced their finest and most inventive work when confronted with a challenging site. This might mean working within an irregular urban plot, adapting and integrating existing buildings, or accommodating beneath the new building complex archaeological remains or transport infrastructure.”

“The topography of the site might also be difficult, with varying levels, or be subject to flooding, or lie within a protected rural landscape. Other challenges are less obvious. Legal constraints on a site such as height restrictions or the need to respect the rights of neighbouring properties can be difficult to resolve. Public opinion might also influence what can or cannot be built on sites that have historic or national significance.”

“The projects featured in this exhibition demonstrate the skill, craft and creativity of the architect in meeting the requirements of the client brief and budget, while working in the most difficult of conditions.”

RIBA President, Muyiwa Oki, said:

“Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds celebrates the pioneering spirit that lies at the heart of great architecture. These projects and their architects push the boundaries of what architecture can achieve. As environments become more changeable and the needs of societies grow and evolve, navigating challenging sites will become ever more important for architects and clients. This exhibition offers fascinating and important case studies of exceptional creative vision and technical innovation, continuing RIBA’s legacy of championing architecture and its place in shaping the future.”