Sharp Architects worked in collaboration with Vancouver architect, Bing Thom, to create this ingenious and dramatic Canadian timber wave in Trafalgar Square as part of the Vacouverism Exhibition. The challenge of installing a timber structure compliant with strict security and fire regulations was met by a highly skilled team. The installation was part of a much bigger exhibition in Canada House that promoted the virtues of Canadian timber and design. The core theme, Vancouverism, explored the architecture of Arthur Erikson and his students.

The 1992 RIBA Santiago Calatrava Retrospective, designed by Sharp Architects, launched the RIBA’s Architecture Centre, attracted a record number of visitors. The Florence Hall was transformed into a white room displaying many of the large projects by the young architect engineer, including the Seville and Merida Bridges, City of Science, Valencia and the elegant East London River Crossing which was the subject of a public petition. Dennis Sharp Architects worked on several other exhibitions on Calatrava including: Recent Projects at Bruton Street Gallery; BCA special exhibitions at Church House and Canary Wharf; and a survey of Calatrava’s work at City Point in 1999. The exhibitions were accompanied by catalogues and posters designed and produced by Sharp Architects and BookART.

Sharp Architects have worked closely with Dr Kurokawa over many years and in 1998, created the setting for the Kisho Kurokawa Retrospective at the RIBA. It consisted of precision-made models of his major projects and a floor of plans and urban design schemes. Recent Projects was held in Manchester’s CUBE Gallery in 2001; a year later a further exhibition on Eco-Cities, Eco-Architecture was held at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. In 2003, with Kurokawa and Kuma, Sharp Architects curated the 4×4 Japanese Architects exhibition, a multi-venue DVD event.

Sharp Architects designed a special exhibition to commemorate the award of the Royal Gold Medal to Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1999. Gallery One was transformed with a blue haze. The central feature, a narrow sinuously shaped yellow cabinet snaking across the Gallery floor displayed drawings and publications by Niemeyer. A series of works sent from Niemeyer’s office formed the background to what proved to be a highly successful and well received exhibition.

Shown at the Royal Festival Hall London, the Architecture Centre, Glasgow and Portsmouth, this was the first travelling show of the proposed transformation of the city of Bilbao, including buildings by Gehry, Foster, Pelli and Calatrava.

The ‘4 x 4’ exhibition was opened simultaneously in  four places: London Manchester, Glasgow and Bristol. It highlighted the work of sixteen young Japanese architects including Kuma, Naito, Sejima, Takeyama, Shigeru Ban et al, whose work was shown on large screens connected to individual Sony screens laid out on tatami mats. The poster also acted as a fold out guide to the exhibition.

Hamzah and Yeang’s first exhibition in London was held at The Building Centre. It incorporated a ‘solar’ ceiling reflecting the changing light conditions in KL, and a sculptured ‘metal video cage’ based on a miniature jungle theme.

The Connell Ward and Lucas exhibition at The Building Centre, London 1994. After an initial showing, a travelling version of this exhibition went to the Brighton Arts Festival, the De La Warr Pavilion, a number of schools of architecture and in the UK and Germany. The publication ‘Connell, Ward and Lucas: Modern Movement Architects in England 1929-39’ by Dennis Sharp and Sally Rendell replaces the original 1994 catalogue. The Building Centre exhibition drew in many visitors, including members of the CWL family, architects and artists who knew them well.

Held at the Royal National Theatre, South Bank in association with the Greek Festival in London, this popular show traced the history of Greek theatre and its design links with the National Theatre and the work of Denys Lasdun.