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Richard Rogers death: Tribute from long-time friend Renzo Piano

Lord Rogers was regarded as one of the world's most successful and influential architects.

The architect Richard Rogers has died at the age of 88.

A spokesman said he had "passed away quietly" on Saturday evening.

He first came to prominence with his radical designs for the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Lloyd's of London building.

Lord Rogers was regarded as one of the world's most successful and influential architects, and he won most of his industry's major honours. He was knighted and awarded the title of Sir by Queen Elizabeth in 1991.

Born in 1933 to an Anglo-Italian family in Florence, he trained at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London before graduating with a master's from Yale.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he became widely known for two buildings that were controversial at the time for putting amenities like lifts and air conditioning ducts on the outside - the Pompidou in Paris and the Lloyd's building in London.

The architect Renzo Piano is a long-time friend and collaborator. They worked together on the Pompidou Centre in Paris. He's been sharing his memories of Richard Rogers, beginning with their first meeting:  

 "We fell in love immediately. We used to talk Italian to each other... we were young bad boys full of ideas."

Photo shows: Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano in front of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, 2017. Credit: Getty Images

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