Vicky Richardson is a writer, curator and consultant specialising in architecture and design. In 2014 she was nominated for
Debrett's 500, as one of the 20 most influential people in British architecture; in 2015 she was named a 'Woman of the Year', and received an Honorary Fellowship from the
Royal Institute of British Architects.
Biography
Her writing is published in magazines and newspapers including the ''
Evening Standard'', ''
Dezeen
''Dezeen'' is an online architecture, interiors and design magazine based in London, with offices in Hoxton and also previously in New York City.
History
''Dezeen'' was launched in London by Marcus Fairs at the end of November 2006. Its New Yo ...
'' and ''Icon''. She is a regular public speaker and convenor of events, including the symposium 'Rebuilding Aleppo: memory, loss and creation' at the
Freud Museum in June 2018, and 'The Successful Architect?' at the
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in July 2018.
Richardson was Associate Director at the
London School of Architecture
The London School of Architecture, known as the LSA, is a small independent higher education provider based in London. It is England's first independent school of architecture since the Architectural Association opened in 1847.
History
In the ...
from 2017 to 2018. During this crucial phase of the school's development, she established a public programme and curated the exhibition Idencity at the Roca London Gallery.
Richardson is best known for her work as Director of Architecture, Design and Fashion at the
British Council, the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations from 2010 to 2016. An important part of this role was to act as Commissioner of the British Pavilion at
Venice Architecture Biennale
Venice Biennale of Architecture (in Italian
Mostra di Architettura di Venezia) is an international exhibition of architecture from nations around the world, held in Venice, Italy, every other year. It was held on even years until 2018, but 202 ...
. Exhibitions during this period included Villa Frankenstein, curated by
Muf
muf is a collaborative of artists, architects and urban designers based in London, England, specialising in the design of the urban public realm to facilitate appropriation by users.
Projects include Kings Crescent Estate.
In 2011 muf worked ...
architecture/art (2010); Venice Takeaway: Ideas to change British Architecture, co-curated by Richardson and Vanessa Norwood (2012); A Clockwork Jerusalem, curated by FAT and
Crimson Architectural Historians
Crimson Historians & Urbanists (formerly known as Crimson Architectural Historians) is a group of architectural historians and urbanists based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The collective was formed in 1994 when Crimson became part of the plannin ...
(2014), and Home Economics, curated by Shumi Bose, Jack Self and Finn Williams (2016).
She studied architecture at the
University of Westminster after a foundation degree in art at
Central St Martins. She was deputy editor at the ''
RIBA Journal'' before becoming editor of leading design magazine
''Blueprint'', a role she held from 2004 to 2010.
Richardson is a member of the Advisory panel of the
V&A Dundee. She was previously honorary treasurer of the
Architectural Association, a co-director of the
London Festival of Architecture and a member of the London Mayor's Cultural Strategy Group, which advised on the British capital's culture policy. She is regularly a member design juries including the
RIBA Architecture Awards, the
D&AD Awards and the Architect of the Year Awards.
She is a visiting critic at design and architecture schools, and writes about architecture and design for a variety of publications. While at the British Council, she established the design blog ''Back of the Envelope''. Richardson's work on architecture, design and cities is widely published. Essays include "Queen Caroline's Temple and the Origins of Experimental Design in Kensington Gardens" in the
Serpentine Pavilion catalogue (2016) and "Trade Show" for
Faye Toogood at
London Design Festival (2017). Books include ''New Vernacular Architecture''
(
Laurence King, 2002) and ''In Defence of the Dome'' (ASI, 1999). In 2015, Richardson completed an MA in Early Modern History at
King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
. Her dissertation focused on the English publication and censorship of ''
Common Sense'', the first pamphlet by
Thomas Paine, in 1776.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Vicky
Living people
Alumni of King's College London
Year of birth missing (living people)
British women writers
British women curators
British architecture writers
British republicans
British women editors
British design
Architecture in the United Kingdom