Architecture with love...Lina Bo Bardi

A few years back, we were regularly visiting Sao Paolo in Brazil, and on one of our visits, we were very lucky to get to SESC Pompeia, part of the SESC network and a neighbourhood cultural centre created out of an old factory by the Italian-turned-Brazilian architect, Lina Bo Bardi. Together with her husband, Lina was responsible for bringing people together in amazing spaces  through the sport, arts and crafts, medicine and restaurants, focusing on traditional concepts and ideas and bringing them up to date. My abiding memory of the building is walking across the stream that divides the space, and going into the concrete theatre, flanked by ranked seating. The experience excited and enthused us so much that we went to the Bardi's home which was being made into a museum, and, once again, were blown away by the sheer enjoyment of life  expressed in the glass-clad building.

Film projection on my back at the opening of Together.

Now Lina is gaining recognition in Britain with the opening of an exhibition of her work at the British Council. We were at the opening night of Together, full of music and laughter, chat, film and a real buzz. See the show at the British Council's offices in London and see why we get so excited by Lina's ideas and work.