Robert Venturi, the architectural figurehead who fought the cause for postmodernism, turns 88 today. Venturi, whose 1966 book 'Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture' coined the term "less is a bore" - to contradict Mies van der Rohe's famous "less is more" - is possibly the most influential of the theorists who worked to steer architecture away from the modernist ethos in which it had become so entrenched.
Not just a theorist, Venturi is equally well known as a designer in his own right; along with his partner Denise Scott Brown (who has been in the headlines a lot herself recently), he founded Venturi Scott Brown Associates, and created a legacy that brought diversity and innovation to the profession of architecture. Despite his recent retirement his influence will continue to be felt for decades to come.
On Robert Venturi's 88th Birthday, we welcome you to rediscover the buildings - and ideas - which make him one of the most important figures in architecture of the last century:
