Renzo Piano was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1937 into a family of builders. While studying at the Politecnico di Milano, he worked in the office of Franco Albini.
In 1971, he set up the Piano & Rogers office in London together with Richard Rogers, with whom he won the competition for the Centre Pompidou. He subsequently moved to Paris. From the early 1970s to the 1990s, he worked with engineer Peter Rice, with whom he shared the Atelier Piano & Rice from 1977 to 1981.
In 1981, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) was established with offices in Paris, Genoa, and New York, and a staff of 150.
Since then, the RPBW has served as the vehicle for the development of some of Piano’s most recognizable and important projects, such as:
He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:
Since 2004, he has been also working for the Renzo Piano Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the architectural profession through educational programs and activities.
In September 2013, Renzo Piano was appointed senator for life by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and in May 2014, he received a Columbia University Honorary Degree.